A single fingerprint in ancient tar is rewriting the story of one of Scandinavia’s earliest seaborne raids.
Researchers have identified a fingerprint preserved in the tar used to seal the oldest known wooden plank boat in Scandinavia, offering a rare physical connection to the sea raiders who used the vessel more than 2,000 years ago. By closely examining the composition of the tar, scientists at Lund University are gaining new insight into the long-debated question of where these attackers originated.
During the 4th century BC, a small fleet of boats launched an attack on the island of Als off the coast of present day Denmark. The raiders, who may have traveled in as many as four vessels, were ultimately defeated. After the battle, the defenders placed their enemies’ weapons into the bog along with one of the boats, most likely as a ritual offering to mark their victory.
“Where these sea raiders might have come from, and why they attacked the island of Als has long been a mystery,” says Mikael Fauvelle, archaeologist at Lund University.
The vessel was first discovered in the 1880s in the Hjortspring Mose bog, excavated more extensively in the 1920s, and later became known as the Hjortspring boat. It remains the only prehistoric plank-built boat ever found in Scandinavia. Because it was deliberately placed in a bog as an offering, the boat survived in remarkably good condition. It has since been displayed at the National Museum of Denmark.
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