Denmark's long coast-line, with its fjords, sounds, minor waterways, and small islands, provides every need and opportunity for a marine aspect to society. The maritime settlements of the early centuries AD, a special case within the north European pattern of seatrading, are being studied by a new Centre for Maritime Archaeology at Roskilde, whose projects include a study of the shore of Roskilde Fjord.

This study explores the underlying reasons behind the construction and topographical location of the Viking Age ring fortress, Borgring and the impact it had on the society on a regional scale. A key question is whether this manifestation of power is also expressing a disruption of the existing power structure in the region. The evidence from Borgring will be compared to the other four ring fortresses as well as other fortifications and large structures of the Viking Age in Denmark. In the end we will propose a new theory explaining the Viking Age ring fortresses along with other monumental structures dated to the reign of King Harald Bluetooth (c. AD 958 – AD 986/987) represent a manifestation of a new order of society instigated by the conversion of the King in AD 963. The shape, the size and the positioning of the structures in the landscape were premeditated to impress both locals and travellers following important roads throughout the realm and to remind them of the King´s presence and his power based on a new ideology.

Viking Age ring fortresses were some of the largest construction projects in Danish prehistory. In this article we reconstruct the amount of turf and timber used in the construction of the Borgring ring fortress and estimate the resource area needed to supply the building materials. Using REVEALS pollen data modelling, we quantify the regional oak land cover and estimate the resource area. The results show that even though Borgring was built in an open cultural landscape, sufficient supply of oak for the construction would have been accessible within a few kilometres from the fortress.

During excavations of the Viking-age ring fortress Borgring, Denmark, traces of a devastating fire was uncovered. The National Forensic Services of the Danish Police were invited to participate in a novel collaboration, applying contemporary forensic fire investigation to an archaeological site. This paper presents the results and sets a benchmark for future applications. The investigation leads to a revised reconstruction of the fortress and the development of the fire. The application of fire investigation methods, following the Daubert standard criteria, enhance the documentation and analysis of archaeological sites, while archaeological methods show significant potential at modern fire scenes.

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