Hjortspring Bog

Facts

A boat for 24 men

By Xenia Pauli Jensen, cand.phil., ph.d. i forhistorisk arkæologi (7 stories)

Hjortspring Bog on the island of Als in South Jutland is only 50 m x 45 m, so there was not much room for the 20 metre-long war canoe that was sacrificed in the bog in about 350 B.C. The Hjortspring boat was sacrificed together with 169 iron and bone arrowheads, almost 100 wooden shields, a few swords, tools and other equipment. During an excavation in 1921-22, museum conservator Gustav Rosenberg he revealed an area covering 10-12 square metres covered with rust and small iron rings. Rosenberg believed these to be the remains of chain mail armour. Later, researchers have established that the rings were created by natural iron precipitation around plant roots.

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Built for hard weather

Story written by Xenia Pauli Jensen

Time / Periode -350

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The Hjortspring boat was built of planks of lime tree. It weighed over 530 kg and could carry 24 men and their equipment. When fully loaded, it could carry almost two tons. A reconstruction of the boat shows that it could cover almost 100 kilometres a day in good weather. At top speed, it could travel at 8 knots and was an especially seaworthy craft – even in very bad weather. Most researchers think the boat and weapons were sacrificed as thanks to the gods after victory over a defeated enemy. Today, the find is on display at the National Museum of Denmark.