The lost landscape of Borgring: geoarchaeological investigations into the navigation to, and location of, the Danish Viking Age ring fortress

Geoarchaeological investigations at Borgring, a recently identified Danish Viking Age ring fortress, reconstructs the original landscape, how it was modified to accommodate a structure of pre-defined size and the possibility of navigating along the nearby stream from the coast. Enlargement of the site was a large-scale project showing the willingness to invest significant resources in the precise placing of the fortress. Our investigations show that access by anything larger than a dinghy was impossible and therefore not important for the location and function of the fortress. This has implications for the functional interpretation of all Danish Viking Age ring fortresses.