The Danish Roman Iron Age (AD 1-400) was a time of connectivity, but also a time of turbulence. The impact of this on the development of military power is well illustrated by the large votive weapon deposits discovered across southern Scandinavia, particularly in the regions forming modern-day Denmark and Sweden. Here, we tell the story of a fine example of one of these weapon deposits, from Illerup Ådal in central Denmark…
…Study of this subject is bolstered by approximately 15,000 items of weaponry and personal effects that have been recovered from a lake in the Illerup valley, where they were originally deposited in AD 205. Although no associated human remains were found, these objects probably belonged to Denmark’s first professional army, and in total represent elements of the kit and possessions of over a thousand soldiers. While this figure is unquestionably impressive, as we will explore below, it also amounts to less than half of the total deposit. Cumulatively, this material constitutes one of the most extensive assemblages of its kind from Scandinavia. Yet the insights that have been gleaned from it can illuminate a far wider area. This is in part because not all of the artefacts recovered at Illerup Ådal were manufactured in Denmark; instead, a range of origins are in evidence, which is perhaps best illustrated by the deposit constituting one of the most impressive collections of Roman weaponry ever found in Europe.
I went looking for, and found this based of this Facebook post Mark had shared with me…
A facebook post alone is cruddy source material for a post.
You can read the article here:
Weapons from the waters: Exploring Scandinavia’s first professional army at Illerup Ådal
Read the full article here