The Danevirke: Preliminary Results of New Excavations (2010–2014) at the Defensive System in the German-Danish Borderland

Abstract

Between 2010 and 2014, the State Archaeological Department of Schleswig-Holstein in Germany jointly undertook excavation work with the Danish Museum Sønderjylland – Arkæologi Haderslev on the linear earthwork monument, the Danevirke. These transnational excavations have led to important new findings, which include the discovery of the site of a gateway, where major transport routes converged for at least five hundred years. Furthermore, newly gained C14-dates indicate that the second main building phase of the Danevirke dates to around AD 500. Therefore, the dating of the first beginnings of the earthwork must be pushed back in time, making the Danevirke more than 200 years older than previously thought. Additionally, dendrochronological dates show that around the year AD 1200 substantial building activities took place, which reveal the intention of developing the Danevirke further. A project is currently ongoing, which aims to publish the results of the 2010−2014 excavations. This article outlines the synopsis of those results and current working hypotheses.