Viking Age Textile Production Site Discovered in Denmark
Archaeologists have uncovered a significant Viking Age textile production site in Denmark, dating back over 1,000 years, highlighting the complexity of Viking society. Experts from the Moesgaard Museum announced the discovery of this expansive site, situated on a 100,000-square-meter area featuring flax processing zones and more than 80 pit houses. These semi-buried huts served as workshops and residences during Viking times.
Located in Søften, 10 kilometers north of Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city on the Jutland peninsula, the site dates to the late Iron Age and early Viking Age, spanning A.D. 600 to 950. Archaeologist Liv Stidsing Reher-Langberg, who led the 10-month excavation, emphasized the site’s distinct focus on textile production. “We have spindle whorls, we have weight looms; that tells us about what has been going on in the pit houses,” noted Reher-Langberg. The team also found silver coins, glass beads, and pottery.
Separate production and craft areas were identified, along with a single residential home, pointing towards an influential individual overseeing resources and production. Metal detector enthusiasts had uncovered several silver coins in the area over the past three decades, leading to a trial excavation a year and a half ago. Before the start of construction for a new road and industrial region, archaeologists’ curiosity was heightened. “We could see in the trenches that it just keeps on going, with these houses and pit houses and textile production features,” stated Reher-Langberg.
Moesgaard Museum historian Kasper Andersen commented that the discovery at Søften provides insight into the economic, cultural, and political structure of the time. Aarhus, known as Aros during the Viking era, served as a hub for royalty and international trade. Last year, another Viking site was found in Lisbjerg, 4 kilometers away, likely linked to the nobility. Andersen suggested goods and resources flowed from rural areas and settlements like Søften into an extensive international trade network.
“When you have a production site of this scale, it cannot be only because of the local area. It needs to be understood as part of a greater network, a much bigger international perspective,” Andersen explained.
Future carbon dating and pollen analysis could answer remaining questions about the textile production at the site. During the Viking Age, spanning A.D. 793 to 1066, Vikings engaged in large-scale raids, colonization, and trade across Europe, even reaching North America. Andersen noted that the Søften discovery challenges the perception of Vikings as barbaric. “To have a place like Søften, you need a very well-organized society with a production line, and you also need a market to have the production,” he explained. “The textiles from Søften go into a market that’s much bigger than just the local area.”