Imagine the scene. A Bronze Age chieftain lies in his oak coffin. Around him, the people of Bornholm begin to build Skelhøj.
Skelhøj is no ordinary mound. It is a portal to our island’s ancient past. Here stories lie buried beneath layers of earth and time.
This burial mound dates back to the early Bronze Age around 1350 BC. Skelhøj stands as a testament to the people who once called this island home.
Archaeologists fully excavated Skelhøj between 2002 and 2004. They sought to understand its secrets. How was the oak coffin preserved? How was the mound constructed? What did the surrounding landscape look like then?
The mound was built in one push over a few months. Eight groups of workers built it. Each group brought turf from their area. The mound looked like an eight-spoked wheel.
First, the area was burned. Then the oak coffin was placed and covered by a cairn. Finally, the barrow itself was built.
Skelhøj once stood taller. It was originally seven to 7.5 meters high. Now it is only five meters. It had a diameter of 30 meters.
Sadly, Skelhøj was robbed twice. Once shortly after construction. Again in the 19th century.
But the excavation revealed a fascinating detail. Water covered the coffin soon after burial. This created an iron capsule around it through a chemical reaction.
Skelhøj is one of many mounds built across Denmark during the Early Bronze Age. Scholar Jørgen Jensen estimated about 85000 mounds.
As you stand here feel the echoes of the past. Think of the people who built this mound. They honored their leader with Skelhøj. This monument has stood for millennia. It connects us to Bornholm’s ancient history.