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The four horses of an Iron Age apocalypse: war-horses from the third-century weapon sacrifice at Illerup Aadal (Denmark)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Andres S. Dobat ,
T. Douglas Price ,
Jacob Kveiborg ,
Jørgen Ilkjær  and
Peter Rowley-Conwy
Andres S. Dobat
Affiliation:
Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, Højbjerg, DK 8270, Denmark
T. Douglas Price
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
Jacob Kveiborg
Affiliation:
Moesgård Museum, Moesgård Allé 20, Højbjerg, DK 8270, Denmark
Jørgen Ilkjær
Affiliation:
Moesgård Museum, Moesgård Allé 20, Højbjerg, DK 8270, Denmark
Peter Rowley-Conwy
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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Abstract

The Illerup Aadal weapon sacrifice mirrors the material world of a Germanic army from c. AD 210. Apart from the personal equipment and the weaponry of more than 400 warriors, it comprises four horses. The present paper gives the first conclusive analysis of the skeletal remains of these animals, involving osteological investigation and strontium isotope analysis. The results shed new light on the character of the sacrificial ceremonies which unfolded in the aftermath of Iron Age battles; on the nature of cavalry and its significance in Iron Age warfare; and on the much debated question as to where the army of Illerup Aadal had originally come from.

Keywords

ScandinaviaDenmarkIllerup AadalRoman Iron Agehorsessacrificewarfare
Type
Research articles
Information
Antiquity , Volume 88 , Issue 339 , March 2014 , pp. 191 - 204
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2014

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