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The archaeological sites Randlev & Hesselbjerg refer to two closely related excavations done throughout the 20th century near the village of Randlev in the Odder Municipality of Denmark, three kilometers southeast of the town of Odder.〔Jeppesen, Jens (2011). The woman from Randlev. In Hans Skov (Ed.), Aros and the world of the Vikings (pp. 53 - 54). Gylling, Denmark: Narayana Press.〕 Randlev is known primarily for its Romanesque church constructed sometime around 1100 A.D. Hesselbjerg refers to the large Viking-Age cemetery discovered on the Hesselbjerg family farm and the site Randlev refers to the nearby settlement from the same period. Although both Randlev and Hesselbjerg were contemporaneous and encompass a similar area, Hesselbjerg refers more specifically to the 104 graves discovered prior to the later excavation at the site Randlev, which pertains to the Viking Age (approximately 850 A.D. - 1050 A.D.) settlement.〔Jeppesen, Jens (1999). Hesselbjerg. Skalk, 6, 5 - 9〕 The settlement consisted of a farm complex that was likely active during the ninth and tenth centuries; finds from the site such as silver hoards and elaborate jewelry indicate that the farm was likely prosperous, a conjecture which is supported by the extremely fertile land surrounding the area.〔 Artifacts were found in the vicinity of the Hesselbjerg and Randlev sites as early as 1932 when a local farmer discovered a silver hoard, but serious excavations were not conducted until 1963.〔Jeppesen, Jens (2000). Randlevs vikinger. Østjysk hjemstavn, 65, 9 - 12.〕 These excavations ended in 1970; however, Moesgård Museum returned to the site in 1997 and continued analysis until 2010.〔Jeppesen, Jens (2011). Randlev. In Hans Skov (Ed.), Aros and the world of the Vikings (pp. 86 - 91). Gylling, Denmak: Narayana Press.〕 ==Hesselbjerg Cemetery== The Hesselbjerg family farm came into the archaeological spotlight in 1962 when Viking-Age bronze jewelry was found in the field by metal detector hobbyists. The Moesgård Museum, an archaeological and ethnographic museum from the city of Aarhus, took over and managed an extensive excavation between 1963 and 1970. This yielded more finds including three small iron amulets gathered in a ring: Thor’s hammer, sickle, and a fire striker.〔 Beyond the finds of these objects, a large Viking-Age cemetery, now called Hesselbjerg, was discovered on the farm. At that time, 48 Viking graves were uncovered, some of which contained extremely well-preserved skeletons. The cemetery itself is located on a narrow, sandy, and flat landscape approximately 300–400 meters long.〔 These finds were taken to Mosegård Museum and the excavation ceased in 1970 due to a lack of funding. With renewed financial support, excavation resumed in 1997 and by 1999 approximately 2300 square meters were uncovered; the number of graves onsite reached 104. Of the 104 graves, 79 were inhumation burials and 25 were cremation burials.〔 This variation in burial styles is not unusual—Viking burial practices were quite diverse, though cremation was slightly more common than inhumation in Northern Jutland. Cremation graves usually consist of pits in which the burnt skeletal remains are found amidst the remainder of the funeral pyre.〔 The inhumation graves at Hesselbjerg cemetery contained, in general, fairly well-preserved skeletons along with grave goods that varied in value and type according to the age, gender, and status of the deceased. In a few instances, traces of decayed coffins were found outlining the skeletons in the graves.〔 The burial site is now considered the largest one of the time period, stretching from the year 800 A.D. until the middle of the 10th century.〔 The finds from the excavation in the nineties included knives, iron belt buckles, whetstones, pottery, a key, another small Thor’s hammer made of iron, and a piece of an Arabic coin. A single pit contained numerous glass and amber beads and an elaborately decorated bronze gilt belt buckle.〔 The cemetery exhibits several characteristics that are slightly unusual for Viking Age burial locations. Over 80% of those interred in the cemetery were women—although it is common for more women than men to be buried in cemeteries, such an majority is rarely seen. Potential explanations for this phenomenon include the idea that many men from Randlev may have died while raiding or trading with other countries, or perhaps simply emigrated to other areas.〔 In addition, only one child’s burial was found; although children in the Viking Age were rarely buried in cemeteries, this particular child was treated as though it were fully grown and received grave goods similar to those found in adult graves.〔 The average life-expectancy in the Viking Age was 39 years for men and 42 years for women. Most of those buried at Hesselbjerg cemetery were of the age group 35-55.〔 The bones show signs that these people were hard-working laborers. Generally the dental health was poor; many skeletons were missing teeth or had multiple cavities.〔 In 2009 and 2010, strontium analysis was applied to 18 skeletons from the cemetery. This process compares background radiation an individual was exposed to over the course of their lifetime stored in their bones and teeth to the known background radiation of specific areas.〔 Based on this analysis, 11 of this sample were born and raised in Denmark. The others were clearly foreigners with at least three of them showing Swedish and Polish heritage.〔 One skeleton in particular was selected to be extensively scientifically analyzed and facially reconstructed for an exhibit at the Moesgård Museum. The woman was determined to have died in the 10th century at approximately 42 years of age.〔 Though the average height for Viking women was 1.58 meters, this woman measured only 1.5 meters tall. She showed signs of hard work and disease, which was not uncommon either in the Viking Age or in the skeletons excavated at Hesselbjerg.〔 Signs of anemia in her skull were indicative of poor nutrition as a child. Damage to her spine was likely linked to her relatively advanced age, and, like most of the women in the cemetery, she had lost several of her lower molars.〔 In her grave, several artifacts were found: an iron knife (a common grave good) and a bronze pendant inlaid with gold foil and 21 glass beads.〔 Strontium isotope analyses of her bones revealed that, unlike several other women buried in the cemetery, she spent her entire life in Randlev, never traveling outside the immediate area.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Randlev and Hesselbjerg」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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