Tønnesminde

About

Tønnesminde is the site of an archaeological excavation ground and present-day organic farm on the Danish island of Samsø. Archaeological evidence attests the area around Tønnesminde has a long history of human occupation, dating from approximately 4000 BC. Recent excavations suggest that Tønnesminde contains settlements dating from the Funnelbeaker culture in the Early Neolithic period, Early Bronze Age, Pre-Roman Iron Age, and Viking Age.

began at Tønnesminde when the Danish National Museum investigated a 500 m² area northwest of the farm in preparation for sewage pipeline construction in 1999. Archaeologists excavated the remains of a house, four large pits, a fence, a cultural layer, and a few postholes. Finds included flint flakes, a fishing net anchor ("netsynk"), and ceramics.

Interest in the Tønnesminde area resumed in 2010 with a metal detector survey launched by Moesgaard Museum and Samsø Museum in the hopes of learning more about Viking Age military establishments on Samsø and finding sites for additional excavations. The survey has increased the number of metal artifacts from the island, changed the conception of Samsø's settlement history, particularly in regards to the Iron Age, and renewed interest in Tønnesminde.

After the rediscovery of the site by the metal detector campaign, excavations resumed at Tønnesminde in 2014 as a joint investigation between Moesgaard Museum and Harvard Summer School Viking Studies Program. A trial excavation composed of five trial trenches began at Tønnesminde on March 24, 2014 and revealed remains from Pre-Roman Iron Age and Viking Age settlements. In June and July 2014, archaeologists from Moesgaard Museum and Aarhus University as well as students from Harvard excavated three separate trenches, totaling an area of 1100 m², and examined four pit houses, one three-aisled long house, and numerous pits and postholes. Several of the postholes suggested the previous presence of a fence and a small structure. A fifth pit house was discovered but not excavated, and a trial trench suggested it could be the remains of a burnt house.

Finds included animal bones, charcoal, pottery, beads, flint debris, an arrowhead, and items typical of Viking Age pit houses, which includes but is not limited to loom weights, spindle whorls, fragments of soap stone vessel, pottery shards, and glass beads. The investigation additionally discovered circular crop marks nearby, which could constitute ring ditches around graves.

Excavations at Tønnesminde the following summer represented a continuation of the 2014 excavation. Archaeologists excavated approximately 1150 m² in two new separate areas and investigated four pit houses and several pits and postholes.

Three of the pit houses may provide evidence of textile production because of the discovery of spindle whorls and loom weights.

The fourth pit house featured large amounts of charcoal, iron slag, iron nails and rivets, hammerscale, and multiple whetstones, leading to the conclusion that the pit house may have operated as a smithy. Additional finds included other usual Viking Age items, ceramic fragments, flint debris and scrapers, and animal bones.

During the 2016 excavations at Tonnesminde, archaeologists studied a Late Iron Age or Early Viking Age long house, several cooking pits, a large cultural layer, and many pits and postholes. Finds included bone fragments, ceramics, flint flakes and scrapers, charcoal and grain (collected from flotation samples).

The 2017 excavation covered an area of 1200m2 containing three Viking Age pit houses of varying depths, as well as two cooking pits and over one hundred postholes. Finds included worked pieces of flint from the Stone Age, two spindle whorls, a small piece of amber, and a wide array of ceramic pieces, several of which were rim sherds from the Viking Age. Many bones, including a large jawbone with one tooth attached to it, were found in one of the pit houses, pit C-14. The same pit house contained layers of burnt, red clay in the northern side of the unit, suggesting that the pit house or at least remnants of it was burned down after its destruction.

Excavations began at Tønnesminde when the Danish National Museum investigated a 500 m² area northwest of the farm in preparation for sewage pipeline construction in 1999. Archaeologists excavated the remains of a house, four large pits, a fence, a cultural layer, and a few postholes. Finds included flint flakes, a fishing net anchor ("netsynk"), and ceramics.

Interest in the Tønnesminde area resumed in 2010 with a metal detector survey launched by Moesgaard Museum and Samsø Museum in the hopes of learning more about Viking Age military establishments on Samsø and finding sites for additional excavations. The survey has increased the number of metal artifacts from the island, changed the conception of Samsø's settlement history, particularly in regards to the Iron Age, and renewed interest in Tønnesminde.

After the rediscovery of the site by the metal detector campaign, excavations resumed at Tønnesminde in 2014 as a joint investigation between Moesgaard Museum and Harvard Summer School Viking Studies Program. A trial excavation composed of five trial trenches began at Tønnesminde on March 24, 2014 and revealed remains from Pre-Roman Iron Age and Viking Age settlements. In June and July 2014, archaeologists from Moesgaard Museum and Aarhus University as well as students from Harvard excavated three separate trenches, totaling an area of 1100 m², and examined four pit houses, one three-aisled long house, and numerous pits and postholes. Several of the postholes suggested the previous presence of a fence and a small structure. A fifth pit house was discovered but not excavated, and a trial trench suggested it could be the remains of a burnt house.

Finds included animal bones, charcoal, pottery, beads, flint debris, an arrowhead, and items typical of Viking Age pit houses, which includes but is not limited to loom weights, spindle whorls, fragments of soap stone vessel, pottery shards, and glass beads. The investigation additionally discovered circular crop marks nearby, which could constitute ring ditches around graves.

Excavations at Tønnesminde the following summer represented a continuation of the 2014 excavation. Archaeologists excavated approximately 1150 m² in two new separate areas and investigated four pit houses and several pits and postholes.

Three of the pit houses may provide evidence of textile production because of the discovery of spindle whorls and loom weights.

The fourth pit house featured large amounts of charcoal, iron slag, iron nails and rivets, hammerscale, and multiple whetstones, leading to the conclusion that the pit house may have operated as a smithy. Additional finds included other usual Viking Age items, ceramic fragments, flint debris and scrapers, and animal bones.

During the 2016 excavations at Tonnesminde, archaeologists studied a Late Iron Age or Early Viking Age long house, several cooking pits, a large cultural layer, and many pits and postholes. Finds included bone fragments, ceramics, flint flakes and scrapers, charcoal and grain (collected from flotation samples).

The 2017 excavation covered an area of 1200m2 containing three Viking Age pit houses of varying depths, as well as two cooking pits and over one hundred postholes. Finds included worked pieces of flint from the Stone Age, two spindle whorls, a small piece of amber, and a wide array of ceramic pieces, several of which were rim sherds from the Viking Age. Many bones, including a large jawbone with one tooth attached to it, were found in one of the pit houses, pit C-14. The same pit house contained layers of burnt, red clay in the northern side of the unit, suggesting that the pit house or at least remnants of it was burned down after its destruction.

Main article: Nordic Stone Age The initial excavation of Tønnesminde in 1999 revealed flint flakes from polished axes, possibly from the Funnel Beaker Culture. The 2014 and 2015 excavations also found flint flakes, including an arrow head, which again indicates settlement during the late Mesolithic or Early Neolithic period. The 2016 excavation additionally discovered flint scrapers and flakes, as well as ceramic fragments, the patterns of which suggest they were created by the Funnel Beaker Culture. A decorated ceramic shard and several flint tools found during the 2017 excavation have been attributed to the Early Neolithic period.