Jelling Royal Complex

Jelling

Denmark · Southern Denmark, Vejle

PalaceUnknownUNESCO · 1994
Approximate period900 CE — 1,000 CEViking Age; main 10th-century phase of the royal complex See on the map ↓

In brief

Jelling is a royal site associated with the reigns of Gorm and Harald Bluetooth. Excavations have revealed a large wooden enclosure and building remains around the visible mounds and inscriptions.

What was found?

  • 1Traces of a wooden perimeter fence

    A large wooden fence enclosing an area of approximately 120.000 square meters was uncovered. The fence brings the mounds, stone ship arrangement, church, and runestones within the same boundary.

  • 2Remains of large houses

    Large houses were excavated within the enclosed area. According to researchers, these buildings support the possibility that a royal residence existed at Jelling.

  • 3Burial chamber in the northern mound

    There is a burial chamber in the northern mound. The mound's position at the very center of the large enclosed area is important for understanding the spatial organization of the complex.

  • 4Stone ship arrangement

    A large arrangement of stones laid out in the shape of a ship was identified. Together with the mounds and inscribed stones, this structure is one of the components of the monumental complex.

  • 5Stones with runic inscriptions

    The complex contains stones with runic inscriptions. The stones are material witnesses to Old Norse beliefs and the process of Christianization at the same site.

What does it point to?

Jelling shows how monumental structures and religious change became visible at the same center. According to researchers, the large houses and extensive enclosure may indicate a royal residence; the sequence of the structures has not yet been fully clarified.

What did it teach us?

  1. It revealed that the known monuments stood within an extensive wooden enclosure.
  2. It showed that the perimeter fence had more than one construction phase.
  3. It documented the coexistence of monuments associated with Old Norse beliefs and Christianization within the same complex.

Latest news / selected archive

2023: Three-dimensional examination of the runestones supported the conclusion that the large Jelling stone and the Læborg stone were carved by the same craftsperson.

Record

Culture
Viking Age Kingdom of Denmark
Team / historical
Vejle Museums and the National Museum of Denmark
Coordinates
55.7564°, 9.4200°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. en.natmus.dk
  3. cambridge.org

Nearby excavations


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12.000

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