After 1,000 years, ‘forgotten’ Danish Viking fortress opens
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Published: 31 May, 2016 CET.
Updated: Tue 31 May 2016 10:16 CET
The historic discovery two years ago of a fifth Viking ring fortress was celebrated in grand style on Monday.
After lying forgotten for over 1,000 years, archaeologists uncovered a circular Viking fortress just west of the Zealand town of Køge in a find that shook up popular knowledge of the Viking Age.
Researchers had long assumed that the four previously discovered Viking fortresses were all that remained in Denmark and the September 2014 find was the first of its kind in 60 years.
On Monday, Queen Margrethe officially unveiled the fortress, dubbed Borgring. It opens to the general public on Wednesday, June 1st and is expected to draw upwards of 30,000 visitors per year.
The 'forgotten' Viking fortress was opened by Queen Margrethe on Monday. Photo: Mathias Løvgreen Bojesen/Scanpix
Archaeologist Jens Ulriksen said it was the culmination of nearly two years of excitement to present the find to the queen.
“It is rare that as an archaeologist you are able to be part of such a major and exciting excavation project like Borgring. And since there hasn’t been large-scale digging at the other ring fortresses since the 1960s, this project can really provide new and crucial knowledge of the enigmatic fortresses and the Viking Age,” he told news agency Ritzau.
Borgring opens to the public on Wednesday. Photo: Mathias Løvgreen Bojesen/Scanpix
The newly-unveiled Borgring joins the four previously-discovered ring fortresses in Denmark: Aggersborg and Fyrkat in northern Jutland, Trelleborg in western Zealand and Nonnebakken near Odense.
All date back to over a thousand years ago when Harald Bluetooth ruled as king from 958 until his death in 985 or 986.
A 3D reconstruction of Borgring created by Archaeological IT at Aarhus University can be seen here:
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After lying forgotten for over 1,000 years, archaeologists uncovered a circular Viking fortress just west of the Zealand town of Køge in a find that shook up popular knowledge of the Viking Age.
Researchers had long assumed that the four previously discovered Viking fortresses were all that remained in Denmark and the September 2014 find was the first of its kind in 60 years.
On Monday, Queen Margrethe officially unveiled the fortress, dubbed Borgring. It opens to the general public on Wednesday, June 1st and is expected to draw upwards of 30,000 visitors per year.
The 'forgotten' Viking fortress was opened by Queen Margrethe on Monday. Photo: Mathias Løvgreen Bojesen/Scanpix
Archaeologist Jens Ulriksen said it was the culmination of nearly two years of excitement to present the find to the queen.
“It is rare that as an archaeologist you are able to be part of such a major and exciting excavation project like Borgring. And since there hasn’t been large-scale digging at the other ring fortresses since the 1960s, this project can really provide new and crucial knowledge of the enigmatic fortresses and the Viking Age,” he told news agency Ritzau.
Borgring opens to the public on Wednesday. Photo: Mathias Løvgreen Bojesen/Scanpix
The newly-unveiled Borgring joins the four previously-discovered ring fortresses in Denmark: Aggersborg and Fyrkat in northern Jutland, Trelleborg in western Zealand and Nonnebakken near Odense.
All date back to over a thousand years ago when Harald Bluetooth ruled as king from 958 until his death in 985 or 986.
A 3D reconstruction of Borgring created by Archaeological IT at Aarhus University can be seen here:
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