US EditionResearchers Uncover Clues to Mysterious Origin of Famous Hjortspring Boat
Chemical analysis links the 2,400-year-old Hjortspring war canoe to pine-rich Baltic regions, with a partial fingerprint offering a direct human connection to its ancient crew.
- Researchers at Lund University analysed the Hjortspring boat's caulking and cordage, producing the strongest clue yet to its origin and discovering a partial human fingerprint in the caulking that could link to seafarers.
- Discovered on Als, the Hjortspring boat was first excavated in the early 20th century and was intentionally sunk after an attack involving roughly 80 warriors.
- Dating and chemical analysis revealed radiocarbon dates of 381 and 161 BCE on cordage, while GC-MS found the caulking contained animal fat and pine pitch from the Baltic Sea coast.
- The team now hopes to extract ancient DNA from the caulking fingerprint to link individuals to the vessel, while researchers say the voyage covered hundreds of kilometers by sea, implying early Iron Age maritime raiding.
- As the only preserved prehistoric plank boat in Scandinavia, the Hjortspring boat survived over 2,000 years in oxygen-poor bog preservation, while modern analytical methods published in PLOS One reveal new origins insights.
12 Articles
12 Articles
der Standard AT
der Standard DEIn the fourth century B.C. warriors invaded the island of Alsen, which is now part of Denmark. From where the men came, it was now possible to narrow down
The Hjortspring boat: Partial fingerprint in ancient tar offers rare glimpse into seafaring past
A new analysis of the Hjortspring boat, an ancient wooden plank boat now on display in the National Museum of Denmark, has yielded clues to its potential origin—which has long been considered a mystery, according to a study published in PLOS One by Mikael Fauvelle from Lund University, Sweden, and colleagues.
A pioneering analysis of the ship of Hjortspring, the oldest known tablazon vessel in Scandinavia, has provided the first solid material clues about the origin of the warriors who crewed it in a failed attack on the island of Als, in Denmark, towards the 4th century BC. The research, published in the magazine PLOS [...]
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