Bronze Age discovery delays Danish Crown slaughterhouse expansion
Described as “very rare” by archaeologists at Bornholm Museum, the mound represents a massive part of Danish history. As well as the mound, some fire graves, dating back 2,000 years were also uncovered.
The discoveries have led to the museum doing a more detailed investigation into the site, forcing Danish Crown to delay construction work. “The Bronze Age mound was found in the heart of the area we are building on, but in another corner of the building site were subsequently found some fire graves, which are approx. 1,500 years younger. So the fire graves must also be excavated by the Bornholm Museum and examined for historical finds,” said Erik Skovgaard Møller, project manager.
“Now different sites have to be excavated so that the Bornholm Museum can secure the finds that are in the area. So the task now has two grips for us. Firstly, we must give the museum time and space to do their work, which is in everyone's interest. But we must also optimize our work so that the finding affects the project as little as possible in terms of time and finances.”
Museum archaeologist Nicholas Braun said other ruins have been found in the area but it had been believed there was nothing else of note. “It is a reasonably wild find that has been made at the construction site, as the remains of the mound are relatively well preserved, are so large in diameter and that the surrounding burial ground is also so well preserved,” he explained.
“When Bornholm's Andelssvines butchery, now owned by Danish Crown, was built in 1892, half of this Bronze Age high and some fire graves were found. We thought the other half was gone because it had either been plowed, or had been destroyed by the railroad that has run over the area we thought this second half was. So it is crazy to be able to walk in the footsteps of our ancestors and dig on the excavation they started over 100 years ago.”
