Brandstrup

Brandstrup. A 10th Century Cavalry GraveIn the village of Brandstrup in Viborg County a man's grave from the 10th century A.D. was excavated in October 1953. The grave lay under a level surface and, when the topsoil had been removed, could be seen as an excavation measuring 4.62 by 2.70 metres, covered with an irregular layer of stones, and with its longest axis pointing NNE-SSW (fig. 1). The funerary furnishings were discovered on the bottom of the grave, which lay about 1,25 meters under the surface (fig. 2). They consisted of, in the south, the leg-bones of a horse; in the centre of the east side, a heap of metal objects belonging to the harness; in the centre of the grave, a pair of spurs with buckles, a pair of shears and a little knife; to the north of these, a sword and a little belt fitment; to the west of these, some smaller objects and fragments, including a rectangular piece of iron, 11.5 cms. long, in which 3 silver coins were later found embedded, a wooden knife-handle, and a whetstone; finally in the west side of the grave, counting from the south, lay the iron handle to a now lost bucket, the remains of what is considered to have been a games-board of wood, and a spearhead.The sword (fig. 3) is 1 metre long. The pommel and the hilt bear silver inlay while the blade is covered with rust and the remains of the wooden scabbard. Traces of fine cloth were preserved towards the bottom of the scabbard 1). So far as the state of preservation permits a determination, the sword should be ascribed to Jan Petersen's Type S 2).The spearhead (fig. 4) is 53 cms. long, and has a flat blade without rib. It lies close to Jan Petersen's Type G 4).The bit (fig. 5) is a bar-bit with a two-link mouthpiece ending in two lugs set at rightangles. Traces of silver can be seen on one of the side-bars. Two cheek-pieces, which only survived in fragments, had been silver-plated. In the outer lugs of the mouthpiece a pair of double rings had hung, and around one of these lay a fragment of a strap with impressed ornamentation, 1.4 cms. broad (fig. 6) Fragments of the same strap were preserved in connection with tongue-shaped fitments to fit straight-edged strap ends. A number of small silver­plated fitments of lead had ornamented the harness. They correspond closely to the fitments from the Stengade grave 3 7).The stirrups (figs. 7---8)) are 23 and 24 cms. high, and are of the normal 10th century type with pointed arches. The broad strap-connection was attached by three bands of metal to a fitment lying parallel with the strap-connection (reconstruction Fig. 9). Both stirrups are ornamented with silver and copper inlay, in such a way that the copper originally formed a background to the variagated ornamentation of silver. The same motifs are used, in various combinations, on both stirrups. They consist of spiral tendrils, interlaced bands, ladder and meander bands, and a band edged with rows of curves. A little fir-twig motif is used as a space-filler.The spurs (fig. 11) have a long round rowel in the same plane as the arms. Remains of ornamentation in silver covering the whole surface survive on one of the spurs, and consist of fields of zigzag lines laid close together and running along the spur, interrupted by cross-lines.The assumed gamesboard (fig. 13) measures 30 by 60 cms., and is divided into two parts of equal size, with a ribbon-shaped conneeting fitment of metal. The edges are covered by four corner fitments, a ribbon-shaped fitment along one end, and nails with round flat heads along the other end and the two sides.The three silver coins (fig. 14) are all of the same type, Hedeby half-bracteates from the middle of the 10th eentury 18).The dating of the grave to the 10th century is clearly indicated by the inventary. The ornamentation of the stirrups - confirmed by the coins - points to the second half of the century. Cavalry graves are fairly common in that century, and armament consisting of sword and spear is typical for such graves, in contrast with other men's graves, where the axe is the normal weapon.Brandstrup Il.In the course of a subsequent investigation in 1956 another grave was found about 10 metres east of the cavalry grave. It appeared as an irregular pit lying north-south, 2.70 metres long and surviving width about 1 metre (the west side of the grave having been dug away). At a depth of about 80 cms. the pit narrowed to a length of 2 metres and a width of 60 cms. At the edge of this inner excavation, which is assumed to be the actual grave, had been placed a handled vessel, 6.5 cms. tall and variegated black and brown in colour. This is of earlier date than the cavalry grave, possibly from the end of the Roman lron Age.Jytte Lavrsen

Om Votivfund fra Bronzealderens Slutning

Votive Finds from the End of the Bronze-Age.In 1954 the Prehistoric Museum received a bronze Hallstatt sword, in good condition and now 76.5 cms. long. It is close to the Mindelheim type, but possesses, instead of ribs, a smooth blade with a central ridge. It was found on the bank of the Gudenaa, near Bjerringbro. The next year Randers Museum received a sword of Gündlingen type, now 70.5 cms. long. It was found at Kalhovegaard near Randers.The Hallstatt swords discovered in Scandinavia can only on rare occasions be dated within the Scandinavian chronological framework, the Swedish specimen from Långsjön (according to Cowen 'a northern variant') perhaps to Period V5), and the Mindelheim sword from Holbæk Ladegaard to Period Vl4). Discoveries of other types, however, aid in the dating. A burial at Voldtofte 7) dates the beginning of Hallstatt I to some time within Period V, and the discovery at Szembzin in Mecklenburg 9), from the transition from Period VI to Iron Age I, contained late Hallstatt II fibulae. The Scandinavian Period VI thus covers the greater part of the Hallstatt Period. The Hallstatt swords found out of context cannot be dated more closely in Scan­dinavia than to late Period V - early Period VI.While the influence of Hallstatt I, and its imports, are fairly well represented in the Scandinavian discoveries, types which show connection with Hallstatt II are rare. In Bavaria pins with a double spiral head belong to early Hallstatt II 11), and they are apparently late in northern Europe (Szembzin). An isolated Navicella fibula from Iller Heath in Viborg County (Fig. 3) may belong to early Hallstatt II. The pair of fibulae from Ulfbjerg are copies of Certosa fibulae from Hallstatt II. This diminution in the number of discoveries can scarcely be ascribed to a severing of contacts between Scandinavia and central Europe; it can be explained by the nature of the discoveries made in Scandinavia, the continually poorer furnishings of the graves, and changes in the nature and composition of votive offerings.Offerings consisting of weapons are throughout the Later Bronze Age less frequent than those consisting of ornaments, and they appear to cease altogether comparatively suddenly with the depositing of the Hallstatt swords in Period V-VI. Offerings of mixed ornaments are succeeded in the course of Period VI by offerings consisting of a pair of torques. This group of discoveries does not contain torque-types which have survived from Period V, but on the contrary contain some types, such as Broholm's "torques with chin clasp"16), which are unknown in the mixed offerings. The unmixed torque offerings are thus partly later than the mixed offerings, and commence at a time when the Wendel torques with thin laminations are just about going out of use. In the depot from Mejlstrupgaard 22), which must be dated by its iron pins with domed bronze heads to the transition between Period VI and the Iron Age, the massive Wendel torque must be ascribed to the end of Period VI. The "torques with chin clasp" derived from this type and common in the torque offerings must then be dated to Iron Age I, a date which would also appear to cover certain rarer torque types.The deities to which the torques and the mixed ornaments respectively were offered are presumably those represented, partly in the figurines from Viksø, Farø, etc. 24), and partly in the female figurine from the Faardal discovery, which is normally regarded as associated with the snake in the same discovery. This group occurs again on the razor from Vestrup (Fig. 4), where the woman leads the snake on a leash behind her. On the same razor can be seen a pair of horned figures, the same figures as those of which one survives from the discovery at Grevensvænge 29). These latter are perhaps the deities for which the offerings of weapons were intended. It can still not be stated with certainty whether the offerings of weapons and those of mixed ornaments disappear simultaneously in Period VI, or whether the ornament offerings continue a little longer, before they are replaced by the offerings of torques alone. But the objects discovered mirror thoroughgoing changes, in the course of which the goddess of the torque offerings supplants the older deities of the Bronze Age.Jytte Lavrsen

Brandstrup. Nye billeder af et gammelt fund

Brandstrup-new illustrations to an old findThe Brandstrup cavalry grave was excavated in 1953 and published in Kuml 1960. In 1970, X-rays of a number of objects from the grave indicated that more of the original silver inlay was preserved than had previously been thought. This occasioned a new cleaning and conservation of the find. This conservation was so successful that it seems appropriate to publish new illustrations of the most important objects, as they now appear.Apart from the objects illustrated on the following pages, new information has been gained on a few pieces which are not illustrated.Harness buckles and mountings (Kuml 1960, p. 98 f., fig. 10): A square buckle, which was in fragments, has been assembled and is now 6.5 cm wide and 7 cm long in the direction of the pin. The pin is flat, 0.8 cm wide, and has a recurved point. The two trapezoid strap-mounts have been cleaned. Each is bronze-plated on one side.Fitments on wood (Kuml 1960, p. 99, fig. 12 and p. 100): To the four previously illustrated fitments may be added two more which had mistakenly been assigned to the gaming board (see below, fig. 11).Jytte Lavrse