Papers by Mikael Manøe Bjerregaard
Danish Journal of Archaeology, 2022
The influx of prestigious foreign objects into Southern Scandinavia throughout the Iron Age and V... more The influx of prestigious foreign objects into Southern Scandinavia throughout the Iron Age and Viking Age has been studied by many. For example, Roman or Frankish luxury objects would find their way north via trade or through dynastic gift exchanges as part of a conspicuous elite culture. Access to crucial raw materials was in many ways formative for both prehistoric and historic societies. The availability – or lack thereof – of specific resources could determine technological developments, and the need for nonlocal raw materials could shape evolving networks. For prehistoric and early historic times in Southern Scandinavia, the written sources and typological studies have limited value in determining the provenance of various raw materials. A typological deduction based on design can indicate the area of production for certain artefacts, but the raw materials used might originate from elsewhere.
Based on scientific methods, this study sets out to map and analyse the geography of the available provenances of materials used in archaeological objects with special focus on iron in the period c.200-1050. From where did the raw materials found in Southern Scandinavia
originate? Was there a connection between the flow of raw materials and the political situation?
Årbogen 2022, Odense Bys Museer, p. 38-53, 2022
Artikel med fokus på udgravningsprojekterne ifm. omdannelsen af Odense (Fra Gade til By) og den f... more Artikel med fokus på udgravningsprojekterne ifm. omdannelsen af Odense (Fra Gade til By) og den forskning og formidling det har medført.
Anthropologischer Anzeiger, 2019
In 1982, archaeologists recovered seven skeletons at the site of Søndergade, OBM8230 in Odense, D... more In 1982, archaeologists recovered seven skeletons at the site of Søndergade, OBM8230 in Odense, Denmark. The skeletons were isolated burials outside of cemetery context. This article examines the osteological and historical data of these seven skeletons and their burial location with the aim of examining the circumstances of their deaths. The chronological dating of the skeletons suggests that the seven individuals were buried around or after the Lutheran Reformation (AD 1536) up until the middle of the 17th century. From historical evidence, we can place the skeletons outside the western city gate, which is also where the wheel and gallows were located in Renaissance Odense. Based on the burial location and position in the grave of these skeletons, we hypothesize that the seven individuals were executed criminals. The results of the skeletal analysis show that all were young males. Two of the individuals have osteological evidence of decapitation. The remaining five individuals were most likely hanged based on historical and archaeological evidence, possibly for the crime of theft (Secher 1929). The historical, archeological and osteological analyses of these seven skeletons support the hypothesis that being buried in unconsecrated ground was a punishment in the form of expulsion of the community in death as the law indicates, rather than the absolution of the criminal's sins in life.
Fynske Årbøger, 2020
I denne artikel undersøges det, hvordan bygherren, biskop Jens Andersen Beldenak, kan have brugt ... more I denne artikel undersøges det, hvordan bygherren, biskop Jens Andersen Beldenak, kan have brugt træk fra borgarkitekturen til at skabe et aristokratisk landskab omkring sin bispegård som en manifestation af hans tilkæmpede position i samfundet. Biskoppen, der ikke var af adeligt ophav, lærte sig at udtrykke magtens sprog med den bolig, som han lod opføre i Odense.
Acta Archaeologica, 2019
In the 16th century, establishing and maintaining one's status and position in society was an imp... more In the 16th century, establishing and maintaining one's status and position in society was an important social factor and motivator. This article examines to what extent such efforts can be deduced from archaeological material. The subject is the 16th‐century bishop's palace in Odense, Denmark. This case study has been encouraged by the unprecedented large‐scale archaeological excavations that have taken place in the Odense city centre in recent years. The new archaeological data allows for a contextual analysis in which the finds and structures are considered as evidence for negotiated identity expressed through materiality. The main conclusion is that a unique socioeconomic identity is expressed in the building structure, while evidence from the portable objects is more ambiguous.
Life and cult of Cnut the Holy The first royal saint of Denmark, 2019
This article presents the known archaeological sources on the killing and burial of King Cnut. It... more This article presents the known archaeological sources on the killing and burial of King Cnut. It consists of two parts. The first part deals with the actual killing of King Cnut, and is concerned with investigations of the preserved bones. Can we be certain that the bones are in fact those of King Cnut, and if so, do the bones reveal how he was killed? The dating and style of the reliquary shrine are also touched upon, as are the bones believed to be those of Benedikt, and his shrine. The second part of the article deals with the archaeology concerning the scene of the killing, the long gone medieval wooden church of St Alban, and is focused on the construction and dating of that church in which king Cnut is said to have been slain.
Vends, 2018
During an archaeological excavation at Middelfart's former cemetery an unfinished gravestone for ... more During an archaeological excavation at Middelfart's former cemetery an unfinished gravestone for Johanne Marie Eilschou was uncovered. Another gravestone for this woman exists in the cemetery. Why did she have two gravestones and who was she?
Radiocarbon, 2018
Multiple burial in medieval burial grounds are often interpreted as a result of disease, but it i... more Multiple burial in medieval burial grounds are often interpreted as a result of disease, but it is difficult to test such hypotheses, as most acute infectious diseases leave no visible evidence on skeletal material. Scientific dating can potentially associate multiple burials with historically documented epidemics, but the precision required to exclude alternative explanations would normally be attainable only by dendrochronology. Here, we argue that by combining archaeological, osteological and paleodiet research in a Bayesian framework, we can exploit differences in dietary reservoir effects to refine the dates of multiple burials, and potentially date such events to within a range of <20 years. We present new radiocarbon (14C) and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) results from a medieval multiple grave at St Alban’s Odense, on the island of Funen in central Denmark. We show the ca. 150-yr spread in 14C ages of the five juveniles is compatible with differences in the amount of fish they consumed. Our chronological model, which combines marine reservoir effect correction with calendar age offsets based on osteological evidence, dates the multiple burial to cal AD 1425–1445 (95% probability), an interval in which two plague epidemics took place in Denmark.
Vejhistorie, 2017
A recent discovery of an early 16th century moat and bridge at the late medieval Odense bishop's ... more A recent discovery of an early 16th century moat and bridge at the late medieval Odense bishop's palace gives the palace an unusual fortified character that is not a common feature in medieval Danish towns.
Key Features of the Development of Viking Age and Medieval Odense.
Man kan tilegne sig viden om fortiden på mange måder. Bøger, foredrag, tv-udsendelser, film, reen... more Man kan tilegne sig viden om fortiden på mange måder. Bøger, foredrag, tv-udsendelser, film, reenactment eller computerspil giver på forskellig vis et indtryk af fortidige landskaber og liv. På det område skiller museerne sig ud blandt de andre platforme for historieformidling. Her står beskueren nemlig ansigt til ansigt med de originale genstande fra fortiden, som er blevet overleveret til os gennem århundreder eller endog årtusinder. De genstande, som fortidens mennesker skabte, fungerer for arkaeologen som et sprog, der gør, at vi kan bringes i øjenhøjde med fortiden og berette om menneskers handlinger og tanker i en for laengst svunden tid.
i: Bjerregaard & Runge (red.) At være i centrum - højstatusbegravelser i udvalgte centre 950-1450, Odense, s. 28-43
This article presents the recent find of a eucharistic set discovered in a late eleventh cenury b... more This article presents the recent find of a eucharistic set discovered in a late eleventh cenury bishop's grav in Odense, Denmark. Through a typological analysis the set is compared to similar finds from Northern Europe. With English summary.
This article describes an analyzes the recent find of a eleventh century bishop's grave at the si... more This article describes an analyzes the recent find of a eleventh century bishop's grave at the site of the demolished medieval church of St Alban, Odense, Denmark. Historical and archaeological evidence suggest that the grave might be that of bishop Eilbert who died in 1072. With English summary.
Based on the recent archaeological excavation at the site of the demolished St Alban's Church in ... more Based on the recent archaeological excavation at the site of the demolished St Alban's Church in Odense this article accounts for our present knowledge of the medieval church building and cemetery. With English summary.
Knuds Odense - vikingernes by, 2017
The recent discovery of a moat and bridge in front on the sixteenth century bishop's residence in... more The recent discovery of a moat and bridge in front on the sixteenth century bishop's residence in Odense, Denmark, sheds new light on a historical source that mentions a raid on the residence by angry citizens in 1534, and suggests that the bishop's residence has been fortified. With English summary.
Bath-houses in Medieval Denmark – A Cultural History
The subject of this article is bath-houses ... more Bath-houses in Medieval Denmark – A Cultural History
The subject of this article is bath-houses in medieval Denmark. The text is based on all available written sources from Denmark but in order to get a fuller perspective on some aspects of the history of bath-houses it has also been necessay to use German sources as a supplement.
Based on the scarce historical records dealing with the course of the actual bathing activity, it is argued that the most common bath was the sweat bath (similar to modern sauna) rather than tub baths. A stove covered with granite boulders was heated and the bathers would produce sweat using either the direct heat of the stove or from steam produced by pouring cold water onto the hot stones. The sweating was further stimulated by beating the body with bundles of birch twigs and the bath culminated with a rinsing in cold water. It is argued that, similar to the situation in Germany and Sweden, bath-house staff would offer haircuts, bleeding and treatment of wounds in addition to the actual bath (fig. 5-6). Referring to specific medieval illustrations some argue that men and women would bathe together in the public bathhouses which would lead to sexual excesses. However the relevant illustrations often depicts brothels and not public baths.
It is evident from historical records that members of all social classes frequented the public bath houses – even royalty. From the early 14th century onward we have historical evidence of so-called soul baths i.e. donations by wealthy people to the poor to enable the latter to have a bath, often including a meal. Such donations were common in the late 15th century but disappeared abruptly with the reformation. The use of bathhouses was also considered important in order to maintain health according to medieval records.
The earliest indications in historical records of the existence of bath houses in Denmark are found in Saxo’s chronicles from the last 12th century. From the 1260’s onward specific bath houses in town appear in the historical records. Judging from the number of bath houses mentioned in the Danish towns it is argued that public bath houses was a common feature in the urban landscape of medieval Denmark.
The number of public bath houses in towns declined in the beginning of the 16th century and even though a few bath houses existed in the major cities up until the 1700 the popularity of these institutions went down. Reasons for this are epidemics of syphilis from the 1490’s onward, the phasing out of soul baths and possibly a change of attitude towards nudity and personal hygiene that resulted in a decline in the general cleanliness in post medieval times.
In the Fall of 2015 Odense City Museum excavated a prominent grave in the 11th.-century Cathedral... more In the Fall of 2015 Odense City Museum excavated a prominent grave in the 11th.-century Cathedral of St. Albany in Odense.
The grave contained the skeleton of a man and a fine set of paten and chalice. The paten and chalice emphasizes both time and origin of the deceased - believed to be bishop Eilbert, who was ordained from Hamburg-Bremen and served as bishop in Odense from 1048 to 1072. (The article is written in Danish)
This article presents some preliminary observations of burial practice, pathologies and life cond... more This article presents some preliminary observations of burial practice, pathologies and life conditions made possible from an excavation at a medieval cemetery in Odense, Denmark in 2015-2106.
Skalk, Oct 2015
Om fundet af et bryghus og et hjemmebryggeri i Odense
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Papers by Mikael Manøe Bjerregaard
Based on scientific methods, this study sets out to map and analyse the geography of the available provenances of materials used in archaeological objects with special focus on iron in the period c.200-1050. From where did the raw materials found in Southern Scandinavia
originate? Was there a connection between the flow of raw materials and the political situation?
The subject of this article is bath-houses in medieval Denmark. The text is based on all available written sources from Denmark but in order to get a fuller perspective on some aspects of the history of bath-houses it has also been necessay to use German sources as a supplement.
Based on the scarce historical records dealing with the course of the actual bathing activity, it is argued that the most common bath was the sweat bath (similar to modern sauna) rather than tub baths. A stove covered with granite boulders was heated and the bathers would produce sweat using either the direct heat of the stove or from steam produced by pouring cold water onto the hot stones. The sweating was further stimulated by beating the body with bundles of birch twigs and the bath culminated with a rinsing in cold water. It is argued that, similar to the situation in Germany and Sweden, bath-house staff would offer haircuts, bleeding and treatment of wounds in addition to the actual bath (fig. 5-6). Referring to specific medieval illustrations some argue that men and women would bathe together in the public bathhouses which would lead to sexual excesses. However the relevant illustrations often depicts brothels and not public baths.
It is evident from historical records that members of all social classes frequented the public bath houses – even royalty. From the early 14th century onward we have historical evidence of so-called soul baths i.e. donations by wealthy people to the poor to enable the latter to have a bath, often including a meal. Such donations were common in the late 15th century but disappeared abruptly with the reformation. The use of bathhouses was also considered important in order to maintain health according to medieval records.
The earliest indications in historical records of the existence of bath houses in Denmark are found in Saxo’s chronicles from the last 12th century. From the 1260’s onward specific bath houses in town appear in the historical records. Judging from the number of bath houses mentioned in the Danish towns it is argued that public bath houses was a common feature in the urban landscape of medieval Denmark.
The number of public bath houses in towns declined in the beginning of the 16th century and even though a few bath houses existed in the major cities up until the 1700 the popularity of these institutions went down. Reasons for this are epidemics of syphilis from the 1490’s onward, the phasing out of soul baths and possibly a change of attitude towards nudity and personal hygiene that resulted in a decline in the general cleanliness in post medieval times.
The grave contained the skeleton of a man and a fine set of paten and chalice. The paten and chalice emphasizes both time and origin of the deceased - believed to be bishop Eilbert, who was ordained from Hamburg-Bremen and served as bishop in Odense from 1048 to 1072. (The article is written in Danish)
Based on scientific methods, this study sets out to map and analyse the geography of the available provenances of materials used in archaeological objects with special focus on iron in the period c.200-1050. From where did the raw materials found in Southern Scandinavia
originate? Was there a connection between the flow of raw materials and the political situation?
The subject of this article is bath-houses in medieval Denmark. The text is based on all available written sources from Denmark but in order to get a fuller perspective on some aspects of the history of bath-houses it has also been necessay to use German sources as a supplement.
Based on the scarce historical records dealing with the course of the actual bathing activity, it is argued that the most common bath was the sweat bath (similar to modern sauna) rather than tub baths. A stove covered with granite boulders was heated and the bathers would produce sweat using either the direct heat of the stove or from steam produced by pouring cold water onto the hot stones. The sweating was further stimulated by beating the body with bundles of birch twigs and the bath culminated with a rinsing in cold water. It is argued that, similar to the situation in Germany and Sweden, bath-house staff would offer haircuts, bleeding and treatment of wounds in addition to the actual bath (fig. 5-6). Referring to specific medieval illustrations some argue that men and women would bathe together in the public bathhouses which would lead to sexual excesses. However the relevant illustrations often depicts brothels and not public baths.
It is evident from historical records that members of all social classes frequented the public bath houses – even royalty. From the early 14th century onward we have historical evidence of so-called soul baths i.e. donations by wealthy people to the poor to enable the latter to have a bath, often including a meal. Such donations were common in the late 15th century but disappeared abruptly with the reformation. The use of bathhouses was also considered important in order to maintain health according to medieval records.
The earliest indications in historical records of the existence of bath houses in Denmark are found in Saxo’s chronicles from the last 12th century. From the 1260’s onward specific bath houses in town appear in the historical records. Judging from the number of bath houses mentioned in the Danish towns it is argued that public bath houses was a common feature in the urban landscape of medieval Denmark.
The number of public bath houses in towns declined in the beginning of the 16th century and even though a few bath houses existed in the major cities up until the 1700 the popularity of these institutions went down. Reasons for this are epidemics of syphilis from the 1490’s onward, the phasing out of soul baths and possibly a change of attitude towards nudity and personal hygiene that resulted in a decline in the general cleanliness in post medieval times.
The grave contained the skeleton of a man and a fine set of paten and chalice. The paten and chalice emphasizes both time and origin of the deceased - believed to be bishop Eilbert, who was ordained from Hamburg-Bremen and served as bishop in Odense from 1048 to 1072. (The article is written in Danish)