DOI article:
Hansen, Hans Ole: Experimental ploughing with a Døstrup ard replica: a report on Imitative ploughing experiments with replicas of a prehistoric ard of the Døstrup type carried out in 1962-1968
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48998#0087
PLOUGHING EXPERIMENTS
81
Fig. 16 and 17. Examples of “the dragging zone” and
a fine cast of the shape of the wooden bar share shown
in a single cross-section from the control area a in
fig. 10. An accurate cast of a wooden share seems to
be rare.
Beispiele der “Schleppstrecke” und ein schbner Ab-
druck der Form der geraden Holzschar in einem
Querschnitt der Kontrollflache a in Fig. 10. Ein ge-
nauer Abdruck einer geraden Holzschar scheint selten
zu sein.
core of the furrow behind the share. Sometimes
clods are torn off and embedded as lenses in the
trace, if the top soil is not very thick.
Cross-section 3 shows no traces (a trace from
a stone torn up by a modern plough may in
cross-section resemble an ard trace), and trace
A is almost non-existent in all cross-sections.
Cross-section 9, trace B, is pure sand. The only
difference between the trace and the surrounding
subsoil sand is a hardly distinguishable darker
and looser character.
In this connection it would be important if a
characterization of types of earth were made in
determination of ard traces (Cf. Troels-Smith
p. 20-23).
During the excavation of cross-sections 4-10
(fig. 15) the weather was sunny and windy, and the
earth dried quickly. It was difficult to distinguish
the “dragging zone” from pure subsoil sand.
This may be the reason why the traces have dis-
appeared completely. Still, it is hardly likely that
for so long a stretch there should not be some
admixture of topsoil, as in the case of trace B.
The degree of admixture varies from cross-sec-
tion to cross-section.
The zone of torn up soil is a phenomenon
which people who excavate ard traces ought to
be aware of. Cross-section 5, trace jB, for instance,
has a lense of topsoil at the top. Weather, de-
gree of moisture in the earth or, most probably,
the time factor of possibly several thousand
years, will blur or blot out the lower part of
the trace which consists of pure sand. The pic-
ture will be very distorted in the study of this
place and the others showing cross-sections of
ard traces. Probably if the sandy parts of the trace
are not demonstrable, it would look like a trace
made by a root, or a mole’s run, assuming that
an equalization of colour and looseness of sand
in the trace and in the untouched sand alongside
had taken place in the course of time. Still, such
“invisible” traces should in some cases be identi-
fiable by the sand raised into the topsoil of the
“dragging zone” on each side. A study of the
81
Fig. 16 and 17. Examples of “the dragging zone” and
a fine cast of the shape of the wooden bar share shown
in a single cross-section from the control area a in
fig. 10. An accurate cast of a wooden share seems to
be rare.
Beispiele der “Schleppstrecke” und ein schbner Ab-
druck der Form der geraden Holzschar in einem
Querschnitt der Kontrollflache a in Fig. 10. Ein ge-
nauer Abdruck einer geraden Holzschar scheint selten
zu sein.
core of the furrow behind the share. Sometimes
clods are torn off and embedded as lenses in the
trace, if the top soil is not very thick.
Cross-section 3 shows no traces (a trace from
a stone torn up by a modern plough may in
cross-section resemble an ard trace), and trace
A is almost non-existent in all cross-sections.
Cross-section 9, trace B, is pure sand. The only
difference between the trace and the surrounding
subsoil sand is a hardly distinguishable darker
and looser character.
In this connection it would be important if a
characterization of types of earth were made in
determination of ard traces (Cf. Troels-Smith
p. 20-23).
During the excavation of cross-sections 4-10
(fig. 15) the weather was sunny and windy, and the
earth dried quickly. It was difficult to distinguish
the “dragging zone” from pure subsoil sand.
This may be the reason why the traces have dis-
appeared completely. Still, it is hardly likely that
for so long a stretch there should not be some
admixture of topsoil, as in the case of trace B.
The degree of admixture varies from cross-sec-
tion to cross-section.
The zone of torn up soil is a phenomenon
which people who excavate ard traces ought to
be aware of. Cross-section 5, trace jB, for instance,
has a lense of topsoil at the top. Weather, de-
gree of moisture in the earth or, most probably,
the time factor of possibly several thousand
years, will blur or blot out the lower part of
the trace which consists of pure sand. The pic-
ture will be very distorted in the study of this
place and the others showing cross-sections of
ard traces. Probably if the sandy parts of the trace
are not demonstrable, it would look like a trace
made by a root, or a mole’s run, assuming that
an equalization of colour and looseness of sand
in the trace and in the untouched sand alongside
had taken place in the course of time. Still, such
“invisible” traces should in some cases be identi-
fiable by the sand raised into the topsoil of the
“dragging zone” on each side. A study of the