|
Cat.no.
6:2-6 - Nydam bog
Sottrup Parish, Sønderborg County.
Apart from the famed large ships, the find from Nydam bog contains traces of at least six large votive depositions of weaponry, army equipment and personal equipment. The deposits are distributed in time from the beginning of the 3rd century AD to the end of the 5th century AD. In the exhibition, four of the depositions are highlighted: The pine ship from around 300 AD (Nydam Ib), the great oak boat, also called the Nydam boat, from c. 350 AD (Nydam Ic), the Nydam II find with sword scabbard fittings of silver and contemporary finds from the early 5th century AD and a final deposition of weaponry, primarily lances, spears and swords from the later 5th century AD (Nydam IV).
Cat. no. 6.2 - Nydam IV
Nydam IV is the latest weaponry deposit from Nydam. It consists of a pile of military equipment, which was placed in a hole in the bog at around 475 AD. In a circle around the pile, 36 swords were stuck into the peat. These swords have distinct hack marks in the blades, suggesting ritual destruction.
One sword has a large gilded pommel of silver, with animal decoration. The others have pommels of iron or bronze. Some scabbards of wood are decorated with carved ornamentation.
The pile also contained several gilded sword scabbard fittings of silver, decorated with carved ornamentation. For the more exclusive scabbard a bead of quartz and two gilded buckles of silver were used.
Three bronze fittings come from a Roman military belt. Other small items of a personal nature (tweezers, ear scoops and two combs with accompanying pouch) are of Nordic origin.
Textiles are not preserved but items remaining from sleeves and trouser legs include silver hooks and eyes. Two small buckles of gilded silver come from footwear.
A striking-steel, with bronze buckle, had been mounted on a leather purse, and valuable metals from the deposit include a handful of clippings from a Roman silver service, silver ingots and silver jewellery. 15 ripped shield bosses, with central spike, show that shields were also a part of the deposited equipment.
Nydam IV contains about 90 lanceheads and 15 spearheads, all of which have had their shaft broken off. On several of the remains of the shafts, it is still possible to see that they originally had bands of engraved decoration, in the “Kragehul style”. Similar decoration can be seen on an arrow shaft and on two knife handles. One of the combs has a swastika symbol on the handle.
A similar swastika is inlaid in silver on the blade of the largest lancehead. The same lance had, on the opposite side, a depiction of a Fenris wolf in gold inlay.
Peter Vang Petersen
Dating:
C.475 AD.
Inv.no.:
NM j.no.: 1426/75.
Litterature:
Bemman & Bemman 1998.
Previous
object
Next
object
Return
to the Egmont hall
|
