A Palisade Fit for a King: Ideal Architecture in King Harald Bluetooth’s Jelling

Abstract

The royal estate in Viking Age Jelling has long been a theme for both saga and research, but has, nonetheless, lived an elusive life as far as its archaeological remains are concerned. However, recent excavations have revealed the remains of a massive wooden palisade demarcating an area of c. 125,000 m², encircling a series of buildings and monuments. The impressive structure follows a strict architectural regularity and demonstrates a rigid concept behind the laying out of the monumental parts. The current article focuses on the construction and geometrical principles behind this layout and discusses the detailed biography of the palisade. Furthermore, preserved wood was found during the excavation of a small wetland area, thus permitting a more precise dating of the structure by dendrochronology. The resulting dates firmly link the palisade and the individual monumental parts to the royal family named on the rune stones in Jelling and in particular to the reign of King Harald Bluetooth. In addition to the structure and date of the palisade, the article will present the tentative results from a series of analyses regarding the construction, composition, function and demolition of the palisade and discuss the contemporaneous political scene.

Keywords:

• Viking Period
• architecture
• social organization
• ideology
• technology

Notes

¹ AAR: 13329, 13330 and 12632 (AMS Dateringscenter, Aarhus Universitet)

² Beta – 337621, 337622, 337623 and 337624, Beta Analytic Radiocarbon Dating Laboratory (with a two sigma calibrated result)

³ VKH 7117 Jelling Sparekasse (Christiansen 2005), VKH 7154 Vestergade 3 (Andersen 2008–2009), VKH 7056 Gorm’s Torv (Andersen 2010a), VKH 7278 Thyrasvej-Vejlevej 7 (Andersen 2010b), VKH 7279 Smededammen II (Andersen 2010c), VKH 7261 Markedspladsen (Andersen 2010d), VKH 7345 Jelling Sydpalisade (Lindblom 2011a), VKH 7347 Vestergade (Lindblom 2011b), VKH 7352 and VKH 7387 Smededammen, Jelling (Lindblom 2012–2013).

⁴ This estimate is based on modern standards for tree growth (Holmsgaard 1999), and whether a comparable conjecture can be made for similar trees in a Viking Age forest setting is, of course, debatable.

⁵ Interestingly the layout of the gate is slightly cast off towards the north-east, and not placed perpendicular to the palisade wall, thereby mirroring the overall direction of the palisade lozenge.

⁶ Even the excessive use of timber seemingly connotes conspicuous consumption relating to the presumably unlimited access to resources, granted by the privileges attached to this position.

⁷ Actually, for a short section near the north-western part of the palisade the outer supporting posts could not be detected during excavation, thus hinting at the palisade never having been completed.