Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’
In 1965, an aerial photograph from eastern Denmark revealed three concentric circles surrounding a large hill. In the following years, the National Museum conducted two small excavations, which seemed to confirm that these circular marks reflected concentric circles of features and large stone hole...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Editorial Board of DJA
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Danish Journal of Archaeology |
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| Online Access: | https://tidsskrift.dk/dja/article/view/133824 |
| _version_ | 1797385522100830208 |
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| author | Lone Claudi-Hansen Arne Anderson Stamnes |
| author_facet | Lone Claudi-Hansen Arne Anderson Stamnes |
| author_sort | Lone Claudi-Hansen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
In 1965, an aerial photograph from eastern Denmark revealed three concentric circles surrounding a large hill. In the following years, the National Museum conducted two small excavations, which seemed to confirm that these circular marks reflected concentric circles of features and large stone holes, but the reports were never completed. The site was later classified as a ‘stone- or woodhenge’.
In this paper we assess the interpretation of the aerial photograph and archaeological features around the prominent hill based on a re-excavation and ground-penetrating radar survey of a part of the site. While no circular structures can be identified, we argue that clusters of fire pits at the side of the steep hill represent communal activities from the Bronze Age, which combines the transformative elements of fire with the distinctive landscape of the large hill and the surrounding burial monuments. The site thereby serves as an example that links prominent hilltops surrounded by burial mounds, with the event of establishing fire pits in clusters.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:55:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c1e29fe9e64d420f93b829b7170c26e3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2166-2290 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:55:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Editorial Board of DJA |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Danish Journal of Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c1e29fe9e64d420f93b829b7170c26e32023-12-20T01:03:03ZengEditorial Board of DJADanish Journal of Archaeology2166-22902023-12-0112110.7146/dja.v12i1.133824Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’Lone Claudi-Hansen0Arne Anderson Stamnes1Museum VestsjællandDept. of Archaeology and Cultural History, NTNU University Museum, Trondheim, Norway. Guest-researcher at the National Museum of Denmark. In 1965, an aerial photograph from eastern Denmark revealed three concentric circles surrounding a large hill. In the following years, the National Museum conducted two small excavations, which seemed to confirm that these circular marks reflected concentric circles of features and large stone holes, but the reports were never completed. The site was later classified as a ‘stone- or woodhenge’. In this paper we assess the interpretation of the aerial photograph and archaeological features around the prominent hill based on a re-excavation and ground-penetrating radar survey of a part of the site. While no circular structures can be identified, we argue that clusters of fire pits at the side of the steep hill represent communal activities from the Bronze Age, which combines the transformative elements of fire with the distinctive landscape of the large hill and the surrounding burial monuments. The site thereby serves as an example that links prominent hilltops surrounded by burial mounds, with the event of establishing fire pits in clusters. https://tidsskrift.dk/dja/article/view/133824Circle structurescrop marksfire pit clustersBronze Agearchaeological interpretationground-penetrating radar |
| spellingShingle | Lone Claudi-Hansen Arne Anderson Stamnes Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’ Danish Journal of Archaeology Circle structures crop marks fire pit clusters Bronze Age archaeological interpretation ground-penetrating radar |
| title | Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’ |
| title_full | Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’ |
| title_fullStr | Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’ |
| title_full_unstemmed | Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’ |
| title_short | Re-evaluating ‘Denmark’s Stonehenge’ |
| title_sort | re evaluating denmark s stonehenge |
| topic | Circle structures crop marks fire pit clusters Bronze Age archaeological interpretation ground-penetrating radar |
| url | https://tidsskrift.dk/dja/article/view/133824 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT loneclaudihansen reevaluatingdenmarksstonehenge AT arneandersonstamnes reevaluatingdenmarksstonehenge |