‘The coldest case of all’ – fire investigation at the Viking Age ring fortress of Borgring, Denmark

During excavations of the Viking Age ring fortress Borgring, Denmark, traces of a devasta-ting fire was uncovered. The National Forensic Services of the Danish Police were invited to participate in a novel collaboration, applying contemporary forensic fire investigation to an archaeo logical site. This paper presents the results and sets a benchmark for future applica-tions. The investigation leads to a revised reconstruction of the fortress and the development of the fire. The application of fire investigation methods, following the Daubert standard cri-teria, enhance the documentation and analysis of archaeological sites, while archaeological methods show significant potential at modern fire scenes