The Prehistory of Denmark http://avaxhome.ws/blogs/ChrisRedfield JØRGEN JENSEN The Prehistory of Denmark LONDON AND NEW YORK First published in 1982 by Methuen & Co. Ltd Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003. © 1982 Jørgen Jensen All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Jensen, Jørgen The prehistory of Denmark. 1. Denmark—History—to 1241 I. Title 936.3 DL161 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Jensen, Jørgen, 1936 July 30– The prehistory of Denmark. Translation of: Dansk socialhistorie. v.1. Bibliography: p. Includes index. 1. Man, Prehistoric—Denmark. 2. Denmark—Antiquities. I. Title. GN826.J4613 1982 948.9’01 82–24885 ISBN 0-203-43067-0 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-73891-8 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0-415-11957-X (Print Edition) To my wife Barbara Contents List of figures xi Preface xvii Introduction Archaeology in Denmark 1 Denmark, the bridge to the north 5 PART I THE HUNTERS AND GATHERERS 11,000–4200 BC 9 1 A changing environment 11 After the last Ice Age 11 The first continuous forest 15 A new forest scene: the hazel-pine forest 16 The stable primeval forest 17 Man and the ecosystem 22 2 The hunting population 24 Fertility and mortality 24 How many were there? 29 3 Subsistence and settlement 33 Mobility and territory 33 Reindeer hunters 35 Hunters and gatherers of the Boreal period 38 Hunters and gatherers of the Atlantic period 42 A population crisis at the end of the fifth millennium BC? 50 Economy of the hunters and gatherers 52 4 Social structure of the hunters and gatherers 54 5 Finds and interpretations 59 vii viii The Prehistory of Denmark PART II THE FIRST FARMERS c. 4200–2800 BC 67 6 The introduction of farming in Denmark 69 Introduction 69 The moving frontier 71 The farming communities and their environment 73 The evidence of pollen analysis 75 7 Population growth and food production 78 The growth potential of the agrarian society 78 A theory of agricultural development under population pressure 79 Fertility and mortality in the early agrarian society 81 8 Subsistence and settlement 84 Introduction 84 Land use of the early farming communities 85 Settlement 90 Subsistence patterns 98 The circulation of goods 103 Economy of the farming communities 107 9 Social patterns in the early farming communities 109 10 Finds and interpretations 117 PART III TOWARDS A NEW ERA 2800–500 BC 129 11 A changing environment 131 Farming communities in transition 131 The changing land 132 The changing climate 134 12 Subsistence and settlement 138 Towards a new settlement pattern 138 Villages and farmsteads 146 Towards more productive agricultural forms 151 The exchange of goods and raw materials 155 Concepts of exchange 157 The case of amber 161 External and internal exchange up to 500 BC 163 13 Social patterns from 2800 to 500 BC 168 14 Finds and interpretations 179 PART IV THE CHIEFDOMS OF THE IRON AGE 500 BC–800 AD 191 15 Environmental changes 193 The development of the open, man-made landscape 193 The development of the climate during the Iron Age 196 Contents ix 16 Subsistence and settlement 198 Expansion of the farming communities 198 Villages and farmsteads around the birth of Christ 204 Farming communities in transition 214 Subsistence patterns during the Iron Age 222 Iron 228 17 The development of economic institutions 232 Exchange systems 232 Exchange until 800 AD 235 18 Political and social development 255 Economy and social development 255 Political and economic power concentrations 257 Processes towards the early Danish state 267 19 Finds and interpretations 275 Bibliography 287 Index 322 List of Figures 1 Christian Jürgensen Thomsen. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 2 2 The National Museum in Copenhagen. Photo: Jørgen Jensen. 4 3 Geomorphological map of Denmark. After A.Sømme (ed.): A Geography of Norden, 1960.7 4 Landscape at Tollund bog, Jutland. Photo: Inga Aistrup. 14 5 Pollen chart of the vegetational development in Denmark. After K.Jessen 1938.15 6 Map of northern Europe c. 8500 BC. After J.Jensen 1979b.16 7 Map of Denmark c. 7000 BC. After J.Jensen 1979b. 18 8 Map of Denmark c. 4500 BC. After J.Jensen 1979b. 20 9 Landscape on the island of Ormø, southern Denmark. Photo: Ole Akhøj. 21 10 Mesolithic grave from Bøgebakken, Vedbæk. After E.Brinch Petersen: Acta Archaeologica, vol. 47, 1976. 25 11 Graph of fluctuating food resources compared with demographic optimum capacity. After D.Clarke 1972. 28 12 Survey diagram of the Danish Mesolithic period. After E. Brinch Petersen 1973. 31 13 Finds from the tanged-point techno-complex. After A.Fischer in Studies in Scandinavian Prehistory and Early History, vol. 2 (in press).37 14 Maglemosian wooden arrows and spears. After C.J.Becker 1945. 41 15 Mesolithic fishing implements. After E.Brinch Petersen 1979. 47 16 Arrows and arrowheads from the Ertebølle culture. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 48 17 Mesolithic axes. After E.Brinch Petersen 1979. 48 xi xii The Prehistory of Denmark 18 Mesolithic wooden paddle. After S.H.Andersen in Antikvariske studier 4, 1980. 49 19 Danish Mesolithic chronology. After E.Brinch Petersen 1973. 63 20 Radiocarbon dates of the Danish Mesolithic period. After E. Brinch Petersen 1973. 64 21 Chronology of Mesolithic microliths and other lithic types. After E.Brinch Petersen 1973. 65 22 Survey diagram of human influence on vegetation in south Scandinavia. After B.Berglund 1969. 76 23 Survival chart from Swiss Neolithic communities. After W. Scheffrahn 1967. 82 24 Spatial distribution of Neolithic long dolmens. After J.Bekmose 1978. 86 25 Settlement pattern of Neolithic communities in eastern Jutland. After T.Madsen 1978a. 91 26 The two phases of the Neolithic Sarup complex on Funen. After N.H.Andersen 1980. 94 27 Plan of excavations at Toftum, Jutland. After T.Madsen 1977. 95 28 Hypothetical division into territories of the Neolithic settlement in the Sarup area, Funen. After N.H.Andersen 1980. 97 29 Neolithic flint axe from Sigerslev, Zealand. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 98 30 Flint mine at Hov, Jutland. Photo: C.J.Becker. 101 31 Situation of Danish chalk and limestone deposits. After C.J. Becker 1951. 102 32 Neolithic thin-butted ceremonial flint axes. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 105 33 Neolithic long barrow at Bygholm Nørremark, Jutland. After P.Rønne 1979. 112 34 Neolithic earth grave from Dragsholm, Zealand. After E.Brinch Petersen 1974. 118 35 Neolithic cult house at Herrup, Jutland. After C.J.Becker 1969. 121 36 Plough marks found under graves from the Neolithic TRB culture. Drawing: Jørgen Jensen. 122 37 Terminology used by E.R.Service and M.R.Fried. After C.L. Redman 1978. 127 38 Landscape of Bronze-Age type at Jægersborg Dyrhave, Zealand. Photo: Jørgen Jensen. 133 39 Climatic fluctuations during the last 5500 years. After B.Aaby 1974. 136 40 Distribution of the Late-Neolithic flint daggers. After J.Jensen 1979b. 140 List of figures xiii 41 Distribution of the Early-Bronze-Age graves. After J.Jensen 1979b. 141 42 Distribution of the Late-Bronze-Age graves. After J.Jensen 1979b. 142 43 Distribution of Bronze-Age finds in north-western Jutland. After K.Kristiansen 1978a. 145 44 Late-Neolithic house site at Myrhøj, Jutland. After J.Aarup Jensen 1972. 147 45 Early-Bronze-Age house site at Trappendal, Jutland. After S.W.Andersen 1981. 148 46 Reconstruction of Late-Bronze-Age longhouse excavated at Hovergårde, Jutland. Drawing: Jørgen Jensen. 149 47 Late-Bronze-Age settlement at Spjald, Jutland. After C.J. Becker 1972a. 150 48 Ard types of the Bronze Age. Drawing: Jørgen Jensen. 152 49 Wooden animal trap from Nisset Nørremose, Jutland. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 154 50 Ceremonial bronze axes from Egebak, Jutland. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 155 51 Weapons and ornaments from the Early Bronze Age, period II. After Aner and Kersten, vol. 2, 1976. 159 52 Weapons and ornaments from the Early Bronze Age, period III. After Aner and Kersten, vol. 2, 1976. 160 53 Central-European imported bronzes. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 164 54 Wheeled bronze cauldron from Skallerup, Zealand. After Aner and Kersten, vol. 2, 1976. 165 55 Typology of the Danish flint daggers. After E.Lomborg 1973. 171 56 The Egtved grave. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 172 57 The Borum Eshøj grave. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 172 58 Folding stool from Guldhøj, Jutland. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 173 59 Histogram indicating the amount of bronze found in Early Bronze Age graves (period II). After K.Randsborg 1974b. 174 60 Late-Bronze-Age hoard from Kertinge Mark, Funen. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 175 61 Ship motifs from the Late Bronze Age. Drawing: Jørgen Jensen. 177 62 Danish radiocarbon dates of the Middle Neolithic period. After P.O.Nielsen 1977. 184 63 Landscape of Iron-Age type at Røsnæs, Zealand. Photo: Jørgen Jensen. 194 xiv The Prehistory of Denmark 64 Reconstruction of Iron-Age house at Lejre, Zealand. Photo: Jørgen Jensen. 205 65 Pre-Roman Iron-Age village at Grøntoft, Jutland. After C.J. Becker 1966. 207 66 Reconstruction of Iron-Age village at Hodde, Jutland. Photo: The National Museum, Copenhagen. 208 67 Distribution of Iron-Age settlements in the Ribe area, Jutland. After S.Jensen 1980.