Institute For Field Research

Courses in Denmark: Sorte Muld

Sorte Muld, meaning black soil, is located in the Island of Bornholm, Denmark, and has been referred to as “the field of gold” by medieval scholars because of its findings since early periods. It is perhaps, the finest Iron Age – Early Viking settlement in Denmark and includes traces of settlements from c. 100 BC to AD 1000. The finds already made at the site and the settlement area remaining in the countryside requires scientific work. The purpose of the research is to establish a general perspective on Sorte Muld and conserve the history and the finds discovered at the site to be accessible to the public. This project seeks to understand the architectural pattern and use of a longhouse near the main temple during the Early Viking Age. The primary excavation carried out at the site focuses on the main occupation period. Still, in the upcoming season, the aim is to discover more detailed answers to general questions regarding the Early Viking Age in the Baltic and North Europe. Students will take part in this process to unearth the significance of the site in the region during the Early Viking occupation, how the Vikings used or changed the previous Iron Age settlement, and how the everyday life of the Viking society residing in Sorte Muld looked like and functioned.