Gudme: Iron Age Settlement and Central Halls

The Gudme Iron Age Settlement and Central Halls exhibit numerous findings and structures from extensive excavations in the central part of the Gudme locality on southeast Funen, Denmark. The site, known for its richness since the 19th century, has over 1,000 Roman coins, 600 fibulas, and small mask and animal figurines. From AD 200 to AD 600, the site expanded rapidly, covering one square kilometer with up to 50 farmsteads. The large halls, with the largest being 47 m long and 10 m wide, dominated the hilltops east of Gudme Lake. A smaller building accompanied the large hall, and was purposely demolished and rebuilt several times. The unusual large entrances to the two adjoined buildings testify to a duality of buildings that defined aristocratic localities throughout Scandinavia for the next 800 years. Gudme represents a significant architectural ideal and the first generation of central places.

Format: Hardback
Length: 472 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2022
Publisher: Oxbow Books

The Gudme: The Iron Age Settlement and Central Halls exhibition presents, describes, and interprets a wide range of findings and structures discovered during extensive excavations in the central parts of the Gudme locality on southeast Funen, Denmark. The head of excavation, Palle Østergaard Sørensen, extracts, combines, classifies, dates, and temporalizes a vast array of artifacts and houses from the excavations at Gudmehallerne, Gudme III, Gudme IV. Since the 19th century, the Gudme area has been renowned as one of the richest prehistoric localities in Scandinavia. Over 1,000 Roman coins, nearly 600 fibulas, and several small mask and animal figurines are part of the Gudme find assemblage. From AD 200 to AD 600, the site experienced rapid expansion, covering as much as one square kilometer and comprising up to 50 farmsteads. At these individual farms, specialized craftsmanship can be observed, with abundant debris and tools belonging to goldsmiths, silversmiths, and bronze casters. Bronze fragments, often from statues imported from the Roman Empire, constitute a distinct category of finds, showcasing a flourishing and innovative world of craftsmanship and an extensive trade network.

During this period, the unique and monumental halls, with the largest measuring 47 meters in length and 10 meters in width, dominated the hilltops east of Gudme lake. Just to the south, a smaller building accompanied the large hall and had been purposely demolished and rebuilt multiple times at the exact same spot. The unusually large entrances to the two adjoined buildings lead directly from one to the other, witnessing a duality of buildings that would define aristocratic localities throughout Scandinavia for the next 800 years. Thus, Gudme serves as a significant starting point for a particular architectural ideal.

Weight: 1672g
Dimension: 288 x 222 x 29 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789259070