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Archaeologists find huge Viking textile production site in Denmark
NPR • • world
Key Points:
- Archaeologists uncovered a vast Viking Age textile production site in Søften, Denmark, spanning over 100,000 square meters and dating from A.D. 600 to 950, highlighting the complexity of Viking society.
- The site includes more than 80 pit houses used as workshops and dwellings, with evidence of flax processing and textile production tools such as spindle whorls and weight looms.
- Separate production and craft areas alongside a single residential home suggest centralized control by a powerful individual overseeing resources and manufacturing.
- The discovery complements nearby Viking sites and indicates that Søften was part of a larger economic and international trade network centered around Aarhus, a key hub during the Viking era.
- Experts emphasize that the site challenges stereotypes of Vikings as uncivilized, demonstrating a well-organized society with sophisticated production and market systems.
