– Aggersborg should be very famous. You would think there was local pride in having such an attraction lying around when it was found. But there wasn’t. It was as if they were trying to ignore it, says one of the castle’s greatest admirers, professor at the National Museum, Søren Sindbæk.
At the time, the locals could not take seriously the fact that they had an iconic building from the Viking Age lying around. Søren Sindbæk hopes that the Parliament’s million grant will now decisively change that. Archive photo
Surpasses everything else
He has just written a book about Aggersborg by Løgstør, which no one knew lay under a plowed field until one day in 1945.
Most of the castle has never been excavated. So there is plenty of mystery under the tufts of grass. But the castle’s size alone entitles it to a chapter in Danish history.
Denmark’s ring castle
Circular fortifications with barrack-like buildings, all dated to around the year 980 in the reign of Harald Blåtand.
The castles are believed to be an expression of the fact that Denmark now had a strong central power. But they were only in use for two or three decades.
The castles first became known when Trelleborg near Slagelse emerged from the ground in the 1930s. It forms an almost perfect circle with a diameter of 137 meters.
In 1945, research began on Aggersborg, which, with a diameter of 240 meters and room for 5,000 residents, is by far the largest of the ring castles.
In 1950, excavations began at Fyrkat (120 meters in diameter). In 1952 traces of the Nonnebakken facility (120 meters in diameter) in the middle of Odense were found on a map from the Middle Ages. Borgring at Køge (122 meters in diameter) was officially recognized in 2014.
There is no guarantee that all ring castles have been found. There may well have been more.
Two ring castles have also been found in the former Danish Scania, now Sweden; Trelleborg and Borgeby. A circular structure at Lyby – 60 kilometers south of Oslo – is possibly also a ring castle.
Presumably the castles are inspired by round fortifications and castles from eastern Germany, Poland and/or Belgium. The Danes, however, have their very own stamp.
Sources: Den store danske (Gyldendal), danmarkshistorien.dk, arkeologi.blogspot.com
– If we had found a house of 200 square meters somewhere, we would immediately say that the chief of the region lived here. In Aggersborg, there are 48 houses of that size, up to 10,000 square meters in total. It surpasses anything else we have found, says the archeology professor.
It is not known whether the castle was fully manned. but there was room for 5,000 warriors behind the 740 meter long rampart.
He was excited about what he would find when he went through the archives to find local mention of the excavations of the epoch-making building.
But he found: Nothing.
– I thought I would find a lot. But it took a long time before there were small notices about it in local newspapers. Elsewhere in the country, more attention was paid to the excavation, says Søren Sindbæk.
Blåtand’s castle
The archaeologists of the time were furious. Aggersborg was only the second Viking castle after Trelleborg almost appeared out of the blue at Slagelse 12 years before. No one had any idea that the Vikings could come up with something like this.
The find proved that Viking castles were not a random historical grill for the legendary Viking king Harald Blåtand.
– I don’t think the find fit the image you had of yourself. Back then, everyone was aware that Canute the Saint was being chased from a royal farm at Aggersborg and down through Jutland by angry Vendelians.
Søren Sindbæk is also a regular guest at Fyrkat ved Hobro, where he told Queen Margrethe about the Danish and especially the North Jutland ring castles when she visited the site in September on the occasion of the UN naming them a world heritage site on a par with Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. Archive photo: Henrik Bo
Not rebellious enough
The new excavation showed that the state power must have built a large castle on the site. You couldn’t really use that for anything when you saw yourself as coming from a rebellious family that put those in power in their place when they got too clever.
“Now we’ll see what the “Copenhagen archaeologists” manage to show us when they’re done,” said a note in Fjerritslev Avis.
In Aalborg Amtstidende you could later read that thousands had now visited the place, but all had been disappointed.
In the Folketing they were just about to allocate money to rebuild parts of Aggersborg. But it was also not something that impressed at Limfjorden.
Fyrkat became a party
Things went completely differently when Fyrkat was discovered at Hobro in the mid-50s.
– Here the local support was different. Money was immediately donated for the excavation, and the king was then invited when it was finished, says Søren Sindbæk.
He obviously hopes that Aggersborg gets some of the attention it deserves. Even if much of the castle has not been excavated. And it will probably be allowed to keep logging like this for a good while to come.
– I also think it has value that you can go there and know that most of the underground has been untouched since the Viking Age. A place like that must be a bit mysterious, he smiles.
2024-11-25 18:49:00
#Turned #world #heritage #mysterious #castle #honoured
How did the discovery of Aggersborg and similar sites impact perceptions of Viking architectural accomplishments?
The text provided discusses the historical significance of Aggersborg, a large Viking castle located in Denmark. Here’s a summary of the main points:
1. **Aggersborg’s Discovery**:
– Aggersborg was initially unknown until it was uncovered beneath a plowed field in 1945.
– Most of the castle remains unexcavated, contributing to its mystery. Its significant size warrants recognition in Danish history.
2. **Denmark’s Ring Castles**:
– Aggersborg is part of a series of circular fortifications, known as ring castles, attributed to the reign of King Harald Blåtand around the year 980.
– These castles exhibit evidence of a strong central power in Denmark during that period, though they were only used for a few decades.
– The construction of these castles might have been inspired by similar fortifications in eastern Germany, Poland, and Belgium.
3. **Size and Capacity**:
– Aggersborg is noted for its considerable size, with the presence of 48 houses measuring around 200 square meters each, suggesting it could accommodate up to 5,000 warriors behind a 740-metre long rampart.
4. **Archaeological Research**:
- The excitement around the findings at Aggersborg contrasted with the local media’s limited attention. Initial mentions in newspapers only appeared after a significant delay.
5. **Cultural Impact**:
– The discovery of Aggersborg and similar sites helped reshape perceptions of the Viking Age and demonstrated the sophistication of Viking architectural achievements, which contradicted prior assumptions about their capabilities.
6. **Recognition**:
– The importance of these sites has been acknowledged at a royal level, with references to Queen Margrethe being informed about the significance of the North Jutland ring castles during her visit, coinciding with their recognition as a world heritage site.
the passage highlights the significance of Aggersborg as a vital piece of Danish history and its role in understanding Viking culture and governance.