The Weapon Sacrifice at Løsning Søndermark
At the same time as the weapon offering from Løsning Søndermark was included on the Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces’ list of this year’s finds, we can now reveal that the discovery is even more sensational than first assumed: Alongside the many weapons and the unique chainmail, parts of a Roman helmet have also been found.
During the Iron Age, 1,500–2,000 years ago, a chieftain buried enough weapons for a small army in two structures located just northwest of Hedensted, between Vejle and Horsens in Denmark.
Alongside the numerous weapons, an incredibly valuable chainmail shirt and other items were buried, indicating that the site was home to a powerful chieftain. The manner in which the war equipment was buried suggests it was an offering to higher powers.
These remarkable finds were made during archaeological excavations at Løsning Søndermark in Hedensted, where the Danish Road Directorate is currently expanding the motorway to three lanes.
When the discovery was announced in November 2024, the story spread across global media within days, and for a brief period, the small Jutland town of Løsning was more talked about in the international press than Copenhagen.
From Saturday, February 8, 2025, parts of this extraordinary find, including the plates from the Roman helmet, will be on display at the Cultural Museum in Vejle.
Amazing Discoveries
Close to 200 weapons and many other fascinating items have been unearthed at Løsning Søndermark.
See photos and read more about these incredible finds below.
Exceptionally Well-Preserved Chainmail
Only a very small number of chainmail shirts from the Iron Age have been found in the southern Scandinavian region. The chainmail from Løsning Søndermark is particularly remarkable as it is the first discovered in association with a settlement, rather than in a burial or bog find.
Producing chainmail required expertise, access to resources, and a significant, sustained effort. As a result, these costly pieces of armor were owned exclusively by the highest warrior elite in society.
The chainmail has been excavated as a block, meaning it was removed along with the surrounding soil, allowing for detailed excavation and preservation at the conservation center.
The Oath Rings
In addition to the massive weapon sacrifice, archaeologists have uncovered fragments of two highly distinctive bronze neck rings. These rings bear striking parallels to images depicted on gold bracteates from the Vindelev Hoard and other representations of Iron Age rulers.
The figure of a ring-bearer holding a so-called oath ring in one hand, symbolizing power and influence, is a well-known motif on Nordic imitations of Roman gold medallions and gold bracteates. The rings from Løsning Søndermark likely served a similar purpose and may have been part of the chieftain's personal equipment, alongside the chainmail, sword, horse gear, and other military items that were sacrificed.
Interestingly, the ring-bearer depicted on the Vindelev bracteates is also dressed in a garment with an unusual pattern, possibly representing chainmail similar to the one found at Løsning Søndermark.
Weapons and Equipment for a Small Army
Archaeologists have discovered that the numerous weapons were buried within two different houses, with intriguing differences between the two deposits.
One deposit appears to have been made during the demolition of a house, where the large, load-bearing posts were removed, and the weapons placed in the holes left behind. The other deposit seems to have occurred during the construction of a house, with the weapons and military equipment tightly packed around the load-bearing posts.
The nature of these deposits suggests that the weapons were part of ceremonies or sacrificial rituals associated with a chieftain's residence. This indicates that they are not remnants of a weapons workshop, military barracks, or similar contexts.
Ongoing excavation work and subsequent analysis of the materials will hopefully reveal whether the equipment belonged to local warriors or if it represents spoils of war from a defeated enemy, akin to the large war-booty sacrifices such as those found at Illerup Ådal near Skanderborg.
Press Coverage of the Discovery
Selected Links (Danish media)
- DR.DK | Sensationelt fund af våben til en mindre jernalderhær gravet ud ved Hedensted
- TVSYD | Unik våbensamling under E45: - Den er sjældnere end en guldskat
- VIDENSKAB.DK | Danske arkæologer gør kæmpe fund: Nok våben til at udruste mindre hær
- HORSENS FOLKEBLAD | Arkæologer har styrtende travlt langs E45: - Exceptionelt krigsudstyr fra magtelite dukker op (kræver abonnement)