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Acta Archaeologica

II. DATES & HISTORICAL EVENTS


The author has discussed the previously published
dendro-dates on several occasions (Randsborg
1993b; 1996; even 1991a; 1993a). The graves holding
typologically datable bronze artefacts are of the (15th)14th Century (sometime after ca. 1468 BC) and the
(earlier) 13th century BC (the youngest grave being of
ca. 1266 BC). These dates have not changed much.
Possibly, a very late grave is even of ca. 1150 BC. In
rounded figures, the border between Periods II and
III can be placed rather precisely around 1300 BC
(in fact, ca. 1330, or between ca. 1344 and ca. 1319);
after 1290, at least, classic Period III is in action.
Incidentally, this is also close to the date of the famous
Kivik grave, Skne/Scania - a very large stone cist
decorated with evocative rock-carvings, sitting in the
middle of a huge cairn, 75 metres in diameter, placed
right on the beach of the Baltic. The find is of early
Period III but from an eastern cultural environment
to an extent still characterized by Period II norms
(Randsborg 1993a; cf. 1968). The rock-carvings are
almost historical in character, comprising both
cosmological symbols, symbols of power and cult or
ritual, and several scenes with processions, including a
chariot, blowers of lur-trumpets, parading men, cloaked
and masked figures, likely women, and wild animals.
In an earlier study, an attempt was also made to
use the dendro-dates to suggest micro-divisions of the
archaeological periods on question (Randsborg 1996).
Highly important, due to so-called imports (or imitations thereof) in the graves, the dendro-dates relate
directly to European, as well as Nordic stages. Thus,
items linked to Phase Reinecke C2, the phase prior to
Reinecke D, occur around 1350 BC, in fact, between
ca. 1365 and ca. 1344 BC.
In Tables I-II are given both the novel and the revised
 Swedish and German place-names are used instead of
traditional Danish ones when beyond the present boundaries
of the kingdom.
 If the motive at the top of Slab 8 (Randsborg 1993a, 11ff. & 107ff.)
in the Kivik cist is in fact depicting a solar eclipse, such was actually
taking place in the area in (-1310 &) -1300 BC. Cf. http://Sunearth.
gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/SEatlas/SEatlas.html & http://Sunearth.gsfc.
nasa.gov/eclipse/SEatlas/SEatlas-2/SEatlas-1319.GIF, courtesy of C. &
M. Brinch.

dendro-dates, along with other information; most of


the grave inventories - clothing generally excluded are displayed as a sequence in Pls. 1-24. The general
problems of dendro-dating, as well as difficulties
relating to individual samples were discussed in
detail between K. Christensen and the author before
finishing the present contribution.
Interestingly, the coffins of several burial mounds
(the older No. 5. Guldhj, and the contemporary Nos.
21. Trindhj and 2. Borum Eshj) are now so close
to one another in date that we may suppose contemporaneity within each burial mound. This pattern is
the result of the recent revision of the dendro-dates,
including identification of tree-rings on the coffins
younger than previously supposed. Likely, the same
phenomenon of contemporaneity is indicated by
those archaeological contexts where several coffins
are standing next to each other on the old surface
under the mound. In other words, the graves may belong to the same archaeological and historical series
of events or episodes. Already early in research history, contemporaneity was suggested for, e.g., Borum
Eshj: a mature couple and an adult son, and for Guldhj, and Trindhj: families (Boye 1896, 62, 79 & 94).
A recent note by Kyvik also suggests contemporary
burial, without adding new evidence (Kyvik 2004).
A parallel to the recently excavated highly
promising (but unfortunately plundered) oak-coffin mound of Skelhj on the Konge (river) in South
Jylland is evident. At Skelhj the whole mound was
clearly made at one of the same time. Actually, it is
possible to follow the building of Skelhj very closely,
even down to individual work-teams (Holst, Rasmussen & Breuning-Madsen 2004) (Fig. 1). Still, the question remains whether single contemporary coffins
might not, in other cases, have been covered by individual wet mounds (etc.), and only when all the
members of the family had died, the larger mound
was built. This is not to exclude later burial in the
same monument.
True double graves (same coffin or thelike) are recorded from many localities. These include two interments from Schlp, Rendsburg County (Kersten 1935,
Taf. XLI,5 & XL left, bottom, cf. Hachmann 1957,

Opening the Oak-Coffins

phenomena, the larger mound gradually taking on


the form of a cemetery for more than one generation.
In the Late Bronze, many Early Bronze mounds were
still in use as cemeteries (e.g., Becker 1941; Broholm
1943f., Vol. I Grave 1313 (= AK I 533) with Vol. III
Graves 126-159). Also the huge Borum Eshj, with
famous oak-coffins (No. 2), was used for burial in
the Late Bronze Age, including a couple of princely
graves with gold of Period IV, or around 1000 BC
(Broholm 1943f., Vol. III Graves 784 & 785) (Fig. 2).
The location is obviously very important, surrounded
as it is by a dense but structured cluster of other early
Bronze Age barrows, indeed a whole settlement cluster for which we may even recognize the main trackways (cf. Fig. 18).

Fig. 1. Stages in the one-phase construction of the Early Bronze


Age Skelhj mound, Fvling parish, Ribe County (cf. AK VIII
3918). This mound was recently excavated as an oak-coffin hopeful;
unfortunately, it was plundered, likely in the 19th century. After
Holst, Rasmussen & Breuning-Madsen (2004).

Taf. 14;46 & 48-59), dated to Period I; at Karlstrup,


Kbenhavn County (AK I 518) is a double-grave of
Period II/III. Other joint events involves two or more
armed men, perhaps casualties of battle, like the pair
with swords from Period II at Norby, Eckernfrde
County (AK IV 2538), or the four with swords from
Period III at Bornhved, Segeberg County (Kersten
1935 Taf. X,1).
Burial mounds with graves from several Early
Bronze periods are common, including the above
ones from Karlstrup and Schlp (cf. Kersten 1935,
Taf. XL). Multi-period mounds thus refer to different archaeological-historical situations, likely dynastic

Fig. 2. Secondary princely grave (with very large miniature sword,


razor, tweezers, and double button, all with gold) of Period IV in the
huge Borum Eshj mound (cf. Period II graves under No. 2 here).
A similar grave was found nearby. After Broholm III (1943f.).

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