DOI Artikel:
Lerche, Grith: Additional comments on the Lindholm Høje Field
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49001#0115
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
ON THE LINDHOLM H0JE FIELD
By
Grith Lerche
The appearance in 1956 of the remarkably
well preserved field at Lindholm Hoje pro-
vides new evidence for a sophisticated soil-
treatment by the Vikings which has to be
taken into account when dealing with the
historical development of Danish agricul-
ture.
Discussion of the technical aspects of the
agricultural activities has had to be kept at a
superficial level, because it had to be based
on two preliminary reports by Th. Ramskou
(Ramskou 1957a and 1957b) which gave a
good description of the find as such and
placed the field typologically in its European
context, but only two illustrations of the
field have hitherto been published. In this
issue of Tools and Tillage drawings, outlines
and a selection of the excellent photographic
material are presented for further study.
The outline of the field (fig. 11 p. 104-105)
shows only the evidence which reflects the
Viking Age situation.1
In earlier reports the single strips were
said to be in general 75 to 125 cm in width,
and the height about 25 cm. Remeasuring on
a surface-profile across the very long strips
just west of the upper end of the sand-ravine
produced widths of 90, 75, 60, 60, 90, 85,
90, 95, 80, 70, 90, 70, 70, 75 and 50 cm
(fig. 3) and the heights from the bases of the
furrows to the crown of the ridge were 8, 6,
5, 7, 8, 7, 7, 8, 8, 6, 6, 7, 6, and 6 cm. In
1980 a new surface-profile was taken a little
further to the south-east but still west of the
sand-ravine and through the very long strips
(fig. 4). This gave measured widths of 55, 80,
70, 80, 80, 80, 90, too, 90, 70, 70 cm.,
heights of 4, 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 6, 7, 5, 5, 5 cm.
and on the sections cut in 1980 (fig. 5) south
of the longest strips the width was 90 cm.
and the height between R2 and R3 was 6 cm.
Thus widths less than too cm are most com-
mon and the difference between ridge and
furrow - even if very clearly visible on the
pictures - is in reality surprisingly small, less
than 10 cm. It also showed that the average
height had been reduced by some cen-
timetres as compared with the height of fig. 3
and fig. 4 because the surface - even if cov-
ered by grass - has been exposed to the
weather for 24 years.
A kind of pattern can be perceived from
the way the individual strips are placed. The
strips of different length seem to lie in
groups so-to-say furlongs, averaging about 7
m. wide according to the number of strips
(7-13) within each group. Only the group to
the west is evidently separated from the rest
by its different direction (see fig. up. 104-
i°5)-
We can now bring to an end the discussion
about whether the Lindholm field was made
by spade, hoe or plough. Seedbeds of the
same narrow appearance, cultivated by the
spade, are very well-known and formerly
very common in countries like Ireland
(Gailey 1971, 225-236) and Belgium (David
1982) and on the Faroe Islands (Skardi). But
as mentioned by Th. Ramskou there is much
convincing evidence that the field at Lind-
ON THE LINDHOLM H0JE FIELD
By
Grith Lerche
The appearance in 1956 of the remarkably
well preserved field at Lindholm Hoje pro-
vides new evidence for a sophisticated soil-
treatment by the Vikings which has to be
taken into account when dealing with the
historical development of Danish agricul-
ture.
Discussion of the technical aspects of the
agricultural activities has had to be kept at a
superficial level, because it had to be based
on two preliminary reports by Th. Ramskou
(Ramskou 1957a and 1957b) which gave a
good description of the find as such and
placed the field typologically in its European
context, but only two illustrations of the
field have hitherto been published. In this
issue of Tools and Tillage drawings, outlines
and a selection of the excellent photographic
material are presented for further study.
The outline of the field (fig. 11 p. 104-105)
shows only the evidence which reflects the
Viking Age situation.1
In earlier reports the single strips were
said to be in general 75 to 125 cm in width,
and the height about 25 cm. Remeasuring on
a surface-profile across the very long strips
just west of the upper end of the sand-ravine
produced widths of 90, 75, 60, 60, 90, 85,
90, 95, 80, 70, 90, 70, 70, 75 and 50 cm
(fig. 3) and the heights from the bases of the
furrows to the crown of the ridge were 8, 6,
5, 7, 8, 7, 7, 8, 8, 6, 6, 7, 6, and 6 cm. In
1980 a new surface-profile was taken a little
further to the south-east but still west of the
sand-ravine and through the very long strips
(fig. 4). This gave measured widths of 55, 80,
70, 80, 80, 80, 90, too, 90, 70, 70 cm.,
heights of 4, 6, 4, 6, 4, 6, 6, 7, 5, 5, 5 cm.
and on the sections cut in 1980 (fig. 5) south
of the longest strips the width was 90 cm.
and the height between R2 and R3 was 6 cm.
Thus widths less than too cm are most com-
mon and the difference between ridge and
furrow - even if very clearly visible on the
pictures - is in reality surprisingly small, less
than 10 cm. It also showed that the average
height had been reduced by some cen-
timetres as compared with the height of fig. 3
and fig. 4 because the surface - even if cov-
ered by grass - has been exposed to the
weather for 24 years.
A kind of pattern can be perceived from
the way the individual strips are placed. The
strips of different length seem to lie in
groups so-to-say furlongs, averaging about 7
m. wide according to the number of strips
(7-13) within each group. Only the group to
the west is evidently separated from the rest
by its different direction (see fig. up. 104-
i°5)-
We can now bring to an end the discussion
about whether the Lindholm field was made
by spade, hoe or plough. Seedbeds of the
same narrow appearance, cultivated by the
spade, are very well-known and formerly
very common in countries like Ireland
(Gailey 1971, 225-236) and Belgium (David
1982) and on the Faroe Islands (Skardi). But
as mentioned by Th. Ramskou there is much
convincing evidence that the field at Lind-