ARCHAEOLOGISTS IN DENMARK have uncovered a previously unknown Viking fortress which they say could be an important piece in the country’s historical jigsaw puzzle.
Traces of a circular fortress were discovered as well as embankments in a field in Vallo. The fortress is similar to the famous “Trelleborg” fortress built by King Harald Bluetooth around the year 980 AD.
“This is the first time for more than 60 years that a new Viking ringed fortress has been discovered in Denmark,” explained Nanna Holm, archaeologist and curator at the Danish Castle Centre.
The fortress was discovered after new, precise laser measurements of the landscape.
These measurements showed that an almost imperceptible mound in the field had a clear circular outline. An expert was called in from the UK and a technique that enables you to identify pits or embankments without destroying them was used.
“The technique gave us a surprisingly detailed image of the fortress in no more than a few days,” commented another one of the archaeologists on the site, Soren Sindbaek.
“So we knew exactly where to dig the excavation trenches with a view to learning as much as possible about the fortress.”
The fortress was a genuine military facility and was probably the scene of fighting as well, according to archaeologists who have been studying it.
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