[gothic-l] Illerup - Between the North Cape and the Nile by Joergen Illkjaer

[Bertil Haggman]

Illerup- mellem Nordkap og Nilen Joergen Ilkjær

SUMMARY

Illerup- between the North Cape and the NileFor fifty years, 

Forhistorisk Museum in Arhus and later Moesgard Museum has 

provided the base for the work with the finds from the river valley 

of Illerup, which were first published in Kumi 1951.The excavations 

are long since finished and in a fewyears the whole find will be 

published and acces-sible to the public in an exhibition.In the 

search for explanations and parallels tothe army equipment we 

have covered muchground, and what might have become a catalogue 

offinds with selected illustrations has developed into a study of the 

ancient world in the centuries around the beginning of the Christian era. 

It is already ob-vious that the scholarly adaptation so far is merely the 

beginning of investigations to which the onlylimit is our imagination. 

Analyses of the numerous artefacts have for instance taken us to 

Rome, where triumphal arches and other monuments boast weapons and 

belt outfit corresponding to the artefactsfrom the wetland areas of 

Southern Scandinavia. Other items have their parallels in Syria, Africa, 

or Northern England, and an overall evaluation shows that the Illerup find 

holds elements thatreflect the culture in vast areas, Roman and Teutonic.

According to the plan, the presentation and discussion of the topics that 

are naturally connected with certain find groups will be finished within a

few years, and only then will it be possible to tackle the investigations 

into the more delimited problems, which have so far arisen from the 

work in progress.One example of this could be the DNA analyses

that have developed in such a way during the last few years that they 

can be used for biological material from the wetland finds. Also, metallurgic 

investigations of iron and precious metal analyses have been initiated. 

While working with the shields, the wood of both boards and handles 

were identified, and the results caused the planning of supplementary 

studies, using for instance dendrochronology. Investigation into the textile 

remains of the find are also expected to yield new information. The 

results of recent bog find research may be used successfully in new analyses 

of bog finds from the 19thcentury. Engelhardt's publications - outstanding 

as they might be - are subjective in as far as Engelhardt,according to 

contemporary criteria chose the findsthat were to be described or depicted. 

The selection is not representative and has led to wrong inter-pretations 

of the find contents. These imbalances should now be corrected and the 

old bog findsmade accessible in a satisfying manner, i.e. published and 

republished according to modern standards. As it has also turned out 

that the knowledgeof the preservation conditions of the same finds is limited, 

future work should include investigationsinto the present state of the find sites.

To solve the tasks mentioned through international cooperation, we are now 

planning a centre for Iron Age research at Moesgård, where from 2003 

we can exploit an established network of scholars involved in the study of the 

Iron Age.

Source: Jorgen Ilkjæer Moesgard MuseumTranslated by Annette Lerche 
TrolleKUML 2001, Arbog for Jysk Arkæologisk Selskab, p. 187-204

Mr. Bertil Haggman, LL.M.
author
Member, Swedish Writer's Union
E-mail: mvk575b at tninet.se








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