What Danish Archaeology Means to Me

By T. Douglas Price
Weinstein Professor of European Archaeology
University of Wisconsin-Madison


I have been involved in the Stone Age archaeology of Denmark since 1977, conducting surveys, testing, and excavations, collaborating with Danish archaeologists. I have spent a total ot almost 10 years in this country doing archaeology. I am married to a Danish archaeologist. I teach courses on the archaeology of Scandinavia at my university. I know something of what I speak when I talk about the prehistory of this place.
Yet I am constantly amazed by the extraordinary past of your country. At the same time I have the sense that many of the Danish archaeologists who grow up here do not realize how extraordinary the archaeology is. There is a common saying in both Danish and Eng­lish that one cannot see the forest for the trees. I think that is often the case in Danish archaeology. For that reason I want to tell you why an outsider thinks Danish archaeology it is so important. There are a number of factors involved including a very long history of research, a remarkably rich research area, wonderful preservation, the innovation of new methods, systematic procedures, exceptional scholars, and the abiding national interest.

Field crew around rock at Saltbæk Vig 1989


Deep History of Research

Every student of archaeology learns about Christian Thomsen and the birth of archaeological chronology with the three age system. Many students learn about the Kitchen Midden committees, and the very early problem-oriented prehistory that was done here. Archaeology has been a subject of academic investigation in Denmark longer than most other places in the world have been nations.

Remarkably Rich Archaeological Area

The amount of archaeological material per km2 is almost unparalleled and the number of rich finds from all periods is exceptional. Jelling mounds, church, and runic stones are registered as a World Heritage site. The list of magnificent finds from the past is long: Gundestrup, Hjortspring, Nydam, Illerup, the Sun Chariot, and on and on. Like houses, megaliths or earthen barrows from Neolithic, Bronze, or Iron Age are visible in most parts of Denmark.

Wonderful Preservation

Organic materials are preserved here unlike most parts of the world. Textiles, human bodies and skeletons, faunal remains are not unusual at archaeological sites. The remarkable bone, wood, and antler artifacts of the Mesolithic, the log coffin burials of the Bronze Age, the bog bodies, and the Viking ships bronze age are part of the global heritage of archaeology. This body of materials from Denmark's earth provides a wide range of information about the past from materials that usually do not survive to the present.

Excavation at Fårevejle 2005


Innovation of New Methods

An series of important methodological innovations have taken place in archaeological investigations in Denmark, including the pollen studies of Johan Iversen and his successors, the isotope work of Henrik Tauber, the former Underwater Archaeology program at the Skov- og Naturstyrelsen, and the Megalith Campaign and metal detector programs of recent years. These projects have few equivalents in the world and have set the bar for methods in archaeological research elsewhere.

Systematic Procedures

The use of standardized excavation, reporting, and archival methods creates a large database of useful scientific information. I remember learning of the existence of the regularly updated Felthåndbog when I first came to Denmark. I was surprised that procedures were so well organized here in Denmark. Records in many other parts of the world are not systematic and procedures are haphazard. Since that time I have used the archives of the National Museum and found the record of information to be exceptional. In one place I could study the history of excavation at many sites in Denmark. The new digital site files of the DKC are exceptional, allowing archaeologists to examine site location and database on topographic and historical maps, as well as satellite photographs at a variety of scale. Such detailed procedures and careful archives are not available in many places.

Exceptional Scholars

Denmark has a long history of archaeological scholarship. The works of Thomsen, Worsaae, Muller, Brønsted, and Becker are well known and respected throughout Europe. Glob's popular volumes and the bog people, the mound people, and the archaeology of Denmark have been widely read. Most recently I would note the writing of Jørgen Jensen and the wonderful series on Danmarks Oldtid that he has completed. I very much hope these volumes can be translated into English to expand access to this information to a wider audience and promote Danish archaeology.

Excavation at Lindebjerg 1989


National Interest and Support

The people of Denmark see archaeology in some form almost every day. From a young age, many Danes have an abiding interest in that past that has translated into public support for museums, education, and research. The fact that site locations are public knowledge and metal detectors readily assist archaeologists is a statement to that interest and involvement. The Danafæ-law seems to work very well in Denmark, where in many other places such a law would be abused. It works because of a trust and concern between the government and the people who accept responsibility for caring for the past.
Denmark supports a large archaeological infrastructure. There are two institutes of archaeology at universities in a country of 5 million people. Denmark has more than 75 museums all over the country involved in archaeology and local history. There is a government agency for - among other things - archaeology, Kulturarvsstyrelsen, that directs many aspects of archaeological activity in the country.
Another aspect of this national support is the presence of a large corps of knowledgeable and active amateur archaeologists. Amateurs are an important part of the archaeological world in Denmark and contribute substantially to the study of the past. They are organized, involved, and busy. The amateurs, who number in thousands, publish a popular magazine and regularly assist professional archaeologists in a variety of ways.

Conclusions

In looking back, it seems to me that Denmark, with its extraordinary history, richness and heritage, has a responsibility to the rest of the world as role model for the study of archaeology and as a custodian of the past. I hope that distinction will continue far into the future. Unfortunately it is also my impression that government funding for Danish archaeology has declined substantially in recent years. It is my fervent hope that support will be renewed and that Danish archaeology can remain at the pinnacle where it has stood for decades. Finally I would like to express my deepest appreciation for the Westerby prize. I must also give thanks to the many people who have helped to make my archaeological experiences in Denmark so delightful and fulfilling. The Westerby award is really for all those people I have worked with in Denmark. It is difficult to explain how much this prize means to me. In one sense it is a recognition that what I have done here is of some value. In another sense it is a statement of the acceptance of a foreigner into your midst. The prize makes me feel a little bit Da­nish and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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