DOI Artikel:
Nielsen, Viggo: Iron Age plough-marks in Store Vildmose, North Jutland
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48998#0161
IRON AGE PLOUGH-MARKS
IN STORE VILDMOSE, NORTH JUTLAND
Viggo Nielsen
In 1967 and 1968 investigations of prehistoric
plough-marks were undertaken in Store Vildmose,
a bog formerly covering about 60 square km in
the northernmost part of Jutland, Vendsyssel.
The bog is now drained and cultivated, but a
few parts of it, e. g. an area of 2 square km, Gris-
hojgards Krat, have escaped cultivation. In 1966
during the excavation of a barrow dating from
400-500 A. D. plough-marks were discovered in
this locality. This gave occasion for a large-scale
investigation financed by the Carlsberg Founda-
tion with the purpose of throwing light on the
problems of the plough-marks, the fields and their
boundaries.
Reconnaissances of the neighbouring areas
proved that the locality was only part of a vast pre-
historic cultivation area.
The locality itself was subjected to study in the
following way:
A measuring grid based on the national grid
was set up and cement blocks placed every 100 m.
Trial pits were dug to the subsoil every 50 m in
this grid to search for plough-marks and to get
soil samples for phosphate analysis. Apparently
there are plough-marks all over the 2 square
km area.
During the excavation the subsoil was uncover-
ed in two 100 m long trenches dug in the shape
of a cross north-south, east-west and in a 700
square m rectangle in the south-eastern quadrant
(table 1). The uncovered surface of the subsoil was
protected with a plastic foil before photograph-
ing.
The documentation involved great problems
quantitatively and qualitatively. With regard to
the photographic documentation vertical photos
6x6 were taken for each 2 X 2 m square (bordered
by threads) in black and white and in colour. The
black and white ones were enlarged to a scale
of 1:20 and mounted on 0,5 m square boards
which when complete would represent an area
of 100 square metres of the excavation. These
boards can be archived (and reproduced) accord-
ing to their place in the coordinate system (table 2).
Drawings of the marks involve an analysis on
the spot e. g. of ploughing directions and relative
chronology. They therefore require a scale of
1:10. This very useful although to a certain
degree subjective form of documentation was
used only to a limited degree because of the
expense.
The various aspects of the investigations relat-
ing to pollen analysis, phosphate analysis, C-14
dating and the excavation of special archaeolog-
ical objects e.g. the fore-mentioned barrow will
be published elsewhere.
Here it only needs to be stated that the cultiva-
tion which left the plough-marks took place dur-
ing the Early Iron Age, at any rate in the last two
centuries B. C., and that the place was abandoned
before the fifth century A.D.
In the course of the investigation about 1.000
square metres of subsoil were uncovered, of which
700 square metres were in the south-east quad-
rant. The excavation comprised parts of several
adjacent fields. Mapping of the plough-marks
over one or more complete fields awaits future
supplementary investigations, but already con-
IN STORE VILDMOSE, NORTH JUTLAND
Viggo Nielsen
In 1967 and 1968 investigations of prehistoric
plough-marks were undertaken in Store Vildmose,
a bog formerly covering about 60 square km in
the northernmost part of Jutland, Vendsyssel.
The bog is now drained and cultivated, but a
few parts of it, e. g. an area of 2 square km, Gris-
hojgards Krat, have escaped cultivation. In 1966
during the excavation of a barrow dating from
400-500 A. D. plough-marks were discovered in
this locality. This gave occasion for a large-scale
investigation financed by the Carlsberg Founda-
tion with the purpose of throwing light on the
problems of the plough-marks, the fields and their
boundaries.
Reconnaissances of the neighbouring areas
proved that the locality was only part of a vast pre-
historic cultivation area.
The locality itself was subjected to study in the
following way:
A measuring grid based on the national grid
was set up and cement blocks placed every 100 m.
Trial pits were dug to the subsoil every 50 m in
this grid to search for plough-marks and to get
soil samples for phosphate analysis. Apparently
there are plough-marks all over the 2 square
km area.
During the excavation the subsoil was uncover-
ed in two 100 m long trenches dug in the shape
of a cross north-south, east-west and in a 700
square m rectangle in the south-eastern quadrant
(table 1). The uncovered surface of the subsoil was
protected with a plastic foil before photograph-
ing.
The documentation involved great problems
quantitatively and qualitatively. With regard to
the photographic documentation vertical photos
6x6 were taken for each 2 X 2 m square (bordered
by threads) in black and white and in colour. The
black and white ones were enlarged to a scale
of 1:20 and mounted on 0,5 m square boards
which when complete would represent an area
of 100 square metres of the excavation. These
boards can be archived (and reproduced) accord-
ing to their place in the coordinate system (table 2).
Drawings of the marks involve an analysis on
the spot e. g. of ploughing directions and relative
chronology. They therefore require a scale of
1:10. This very useful although to a certain
degree subjective form of documentation was
used only to a limited degree because of the
expense.
The various aspects of the investigations relat-
ing to pollen analysis, phosphate analysis, C-14
dating and the excavation of special archaeolog-
ical objects e.g. the fore-mentioned barrow will
be published elsewhere.
Here it only needs to be stated that the cultiva-
tion which left the plough-marks took place dur-
ing the Early Iron Age, at any rate in the last two
centuries B. C., and that the place was abandoned
before the fifth century A.D.
In the course of the investigation about 1.000
square metres of subsoil were uncovered, of which
700 square metres were in the south-east quad-
rant. The excavation comprised parts of several
adjacent fields. Mapping of the plough-marks
over one or more complete fields awaits future
supplementary investigations, but already con-