Turfs and timbers: Resource use in the construction of a Viking Age ring fortress

Morten Fischer Mortensen; Claudia Baittinger; Jonas Christensen; Anne Birgitte Nielsen; Søren Nielsen; Anders Pihl; Lisbeth Prøsch-Danielsen; Morten Ravn; Søren M. Sindbæk; Jens Ulriksen

doi:10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918

Turfs and timbers: Resource use in the construction of a Viking Age ring fortress

Morten Fischer Mortensen
, Claudia Baittinger
, Jonas Christensen
, Anne Birgitte Nielsen
, Søren Nielsen
, Anders Pihl
, Lisbeth Prøsch-Danielsen
, Morten Ravn
, Søren M. Sindbæk
, Jens Ulriksen

Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Lund University
The Viking Ship Museum Roskilde
Aarhus University
Museum of Archaeology, University of Stavanger

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Viking Age ring fortresses were some of the largest construction projects in Danish prehistory. In this article we reconstruct the amount of turf and timber used in the construction of the Borgring ring fortress and estimate the resource area needed to supply the building materials. Using REVEALS pollen data modelling, we quantify the regional oak land cover and estimate the resource area. The results show that even though Borgring was built in an open cultural landscape, sufficient supply of oak for the construction would have been accessible within a few kilometres from the fortress.

Original language	English
Journal	Danish Journal of Archaeology
Volume	10
Pages (from-to)	1-18
Number of pages	18
ISSN	2166-2282
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918 https://doi.org/10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918
Publication status	Published - 22 Jul 2021

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10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918Licence: Unspecified
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Harald Blåtands ringborge - symboler i samtiden, Verdensarv i nutiden
Ulriksen, J. M. (Lecturer)
22 Jan 2024
Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution
Symbolpolitik i vikingetiden
Ulriksen, J. M. (Lecturer)
27 Oct 2022
Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution
Var Borgring et PR-stunt?
Ulriksen, J. M. (Lecturer)
5 May 2022
Activity: Talk or presentation › Lecture and oral contribution

Cite this

@article{2be879262b134e84b05d179ac6350cb0,

title = "Turfs and timbers: Resource use in the construction of a Viking Age ring fortress",

abstract = "Viking Age ring fortresses were some of the largest construction projects in Danish prehistory. In this article we reconstruct the amount of turf and timber used in the construction of the Borgring ring fortress and estimate the resource area needed to supply the building materials. Using REVEALS pollen data modelling, we quantify the regional oak land cover and estimate the resource area. The results show that even though Borgring was built in an open cultural landscape, sufficient supply of oak for the construction would have been accessible within a few kilometres from the fortress.",

keywords = "viking age, Ring fortress, ressource use, REVEALS, pollen",

author = "Mortensen, \{Morten Fischer\} and Claudia Baittinger and Jonas Christensen and Nielsen, \{Anne Birgitte\} and S{\o}ren Nielsen and Anders Pihl and Lisbeth Pr{\o}sch-Danielsen and Morten Ravn and Sindb{\ae}k, \{S{\o}ren M.\} and Jens Ulriksen",

year = "2021",

month = jul,

day = "22",

doi = "10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918",

language = "English",

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journal = "Danish Journal of Archaeology",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Turfs and timbers

T2 - Resource use in the construction of a Viking Age ring fortress

AU - Mortensen, Morten Fischer

AU - Baittinger, Claudia

AU - Christensen, Jonas

AU - Nielsen, Anne Birgitte

AU - Nielsen, Søren

AU - Pihl, Anders

AU - Prøsch-Danielsen, Lisbeth

AU - Ravn, Morten

AU - Sindbæk, Søren M.

AU - Ulriksen, Jens

PY - 2021/7/22

Y1 - 2021/7/22

N2 - Viking Age ring fortresses were some of the largest construction projects in Danish prehistory. In this article we reconstruct the amount of turf and timber used in the construction of the Borgring ring fortress and estimate the resource area needed to supply the building materials. Using REVEALS pollen data modelling, we quantify the regional oak land cover and estimate the resource area. The results show that even though Borgring was built in an open cultural landscape, sufficient supply of oak for the construction would have been accessible within a few kilometres from the fortress.

AB - Viking Age ring fortresses were some of the largest construction projects in Danish prehistory. In this article we reconstruct the amount of turf and timber used in the construction of the Borgring ring fortress and estimate the resource area needed to supply the building materials. Using REVEALS pollen data modelling, we quantify the regional oak land cover and estimate the resource area. The results show that even though Borgring was built in an open cultural landscape, sufficient supply of oak for the construction would have been accessible within a few kilometres from the fortress.

KW - viking age

KW - Ring fortress

KW - ressource use

KW - REVEALS

KW - pollen

U2 - 10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918

DO - 10.7146/dja.v10i0.121918

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2166-2282

VL - 10

SP - 1

EP - 18

JO - Danish Journal of Archaeology

JF - Danish Journal of Archaeology

ER -

Turfs and timbers: Resource use in the construction of a Viking Age ring fortress

Abstract

Access to Document

Activities

Harald Blåtands ringborge - symboler i samtiden, Verdensarv i nutiden

Symbolpolitik i vikingetiden

Var Borgring et PR-stunt?

Cite this