The lost landscape of Borgring

Abstract

Geoarchaeological investigations at Borgring, a recently identified Danish Viking Age ring fortress, reconstructs the original landscape showing how the site was expanded and modified to accommodate a structure of pre-defined size and how this large-scale project demonstrates the willingness to invest significant resources in its precise positioning. The investigations also assess the possibility of navigating along the nearby stream from the coast and show that access by anything larger than a dinghy was impossible, hence navigability was not important for the location and function of the fortress. This has implications for the functional interpretation of all Danish Viking Age ring fortresses.