Introduction

Hjortspringbådens Laug

Is an association whose purpose is to spread knowledge of the Hjortspring Find1

In 1921-22, in an archaeological excavation of Hjortspring Mose on Als, remains of a boat were found, as well as a quantity of weapons and shields.
The boat found turned out to be a "rock carving boat", i.e. it has the appearance of the thousands of Bronze Age petroglyphs found on the rocks in Sweden, Norway and Bornholm. It is the only boat of its type ever found. However, it is from the Early Iron Age (year -500 - 1), just after the Bronze Age.

From the excavation: Parts of planks and rib-frames.
Hjortspringfundet: fig. 49, p. 77.
We have produced a reconstruction of the Hjortspring Boat!2

This homepage

This website describes the find, the reconstruction, the activities and the documentation, as well as something about ourselves.
 

Have you become curious?
Then there is a lot of reading material, with many pictures, here on the website, such as

  • Archaeology
  • Building the boat
  • What the boat has experienced
  • If you are into details, all our documentation is available as downloadable PDF reports

Use the menus on this page.

You can also visit us

At our little museum, Dyvigvej 11, Holm, 64430 Nordborg.
Here you can see and hear about the boat and experience what we do on Tuesday afternoons for 11 months of the year.

More below.

 
Lecture / film showing, room for approx. 50 people.
Lecture / film showing, room for approx. 50 people.

Lecture

The visitors will have the opportunity to watch a video about the Guild, which shows the work process and our work in carrying out a reconstruction of the boat from the Hjortspring find, as well as manufacturing some of the other parts, weapons, shields and personal equipment, from the find. The video lasts from approx. 20 min - ??, depending on how many questions are asked.
In the lecture hall you can also see copies of weapons, shields, personal parts and miscellaneous tools and examples of clothing from around year 1.
Then there is a tour of the boathouse and the forge.
Handiwork
Handiwork

Exhibition of textiles

In the Hjortspringbådens Laug, we also work with clothing from the Iron Age. From the mosses, we know many techniques that were used at the time and work with:  Spinning, plant dyeing, weaving fabric for the garments on upstand looms. Jump weaving of hats and bags, needle binding of hats, socks and mittens, as well as the production of ribbons in many different ways, e.g. piece weaving, ribbon weaving, finger plait, plait wheel, square plait, twelve plait, nørkling. Manufacture of leather shoes and purses, glass and amber jewellery, willow, grass and bast baskets and linden bast ropes. Many examples of these techniques can be seen in the lecture hall.
Handiwork
Handiwork

Shop

We have a small shop where we sell T-shirts, caps, etc. needlework and, not least, our own books about our work.
Tilia on her transport cart at a platform. This makes it easier to see down into the boat.
Tilia on her transport cart at a platform. This makes it easier to see down into the boat.

Tilia's storage and display

Here the boat can be seen, and discussed, in all details, e.g. where our boat departs from Fr. Johannesen's drawings and from the National Museum's exhibition of the boat. You can also try sitting on a toft in the boat with a paddle in your hands and imagine life at sea. This also applies to children.
The workshop
The workshop

The boatyard

Here we work with the production of smaller parts from the Hjortspring find.
Maintenance of the boat and other exhibits.
Our ace in the smithy.
Our ace in the smithy.

The blacksmith shop

In the forge there is a double ace with tools, where we have made copies of weapons from the Hjortspring find.
We have some members who work on making pattern-forged knives (modern), so there is also modern equipment for this purpose.

Notes

1.   Rosenber, G., Hjortspringfundet, Nordiske Fortidsminder, III. Bind, 1. Hefte, København 1937
2.  The boat is in English-speaking countries known as "The Als Boat"

Language

The text in this article has been translated from Danish to English using the free DeepL translation programme.

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