Dendrochronological Dating of Bronze Age Oak Coffins

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Conclusions and problems

VIII. DATING OF THE OAK COFFINS
Of the 30 oak coffins investigated, 28 could be dated. The coffins not dated are only those from 19. Snder nlev sb. 20 grave 9 and 15. Sortehj, plus two of the three wood fragments from 19. Snder nlev sb. 20 grave 8. For 19 of the 21 oak coffins for which the last growth year could be determined precisely or approximately, this date lies within a period extending from c. 1391 BC (11. Mllehj) to c. 1344 BC (2. Borum Eshj B). For the seven coffins where it was possible only to determine the earliest possible latest growth year for the trees, the date for six of them probably falls within the same period. This latter group also includes the coffin from 19. Snder nlev sb. 20 grave 8 which could be earlier than 1391 BC. However, as this coffin may lack many of its heartwood rings, it is much more likely that it is contemporary with the majority of the oak coffins. Three coffins (12. Nybl, 13. Nragerhj, 14. Rnhj) were made from trees that definitely were felled later than 1344 BC (Fig. 3). The fact that the great majority of the oak coffins (25 out of 28 dated coffins) were, therefore, definitely or with great probability, made within a period of less than 50 years (c. 1391-1344 BC) is surprising and it is difficult to give a ready explanation as this burial tradition existed for a period of more than a thousand years ( Jensen 2002:188). However, an expert on the Mound People, P.V. Glob, estimated already in 1970 long before the dendrochronological dates were available that The golden age of the Mound Peoplecomprises perhaps only a century, four to five generations (Glob 1970:97). The dates now available suggest that this period was even shorter than Glob imagined. The majority of the dated coffins originate from Southern Jutland and Schleswig, but the six dated coffins found outside this area (2. Borum Eshj A and B, 10. Muldhj inner and outer coffin, 17. Storehj at Barde, and 22. Ungstrup) fall within the same narrow period as the others. The narrow period to which they are dated and the restricted geographical distribution of the preserved coffins make it seem likely that several of the persons interred in the coffins knew each other while they were alive. This was probably the case for the people who were buried in 5. Guldhj and 21. Trindhj, as we have from both mounds three burials which (presumably) took place in the same year (1389 BC in 5. Guldhj and 1347 BC or a few years later in 21. Trindhj). The people buried in 5. Guldhj could also have known the man from 16. Store Kongehj: These two mounds stand only 1 km apart and the burials took place with an interval of a few years (1389 BC and c. 1385 BC). The people from 21. Trindhj could have known the man from 7. Jels; these two mounds are c. 12 km apart and the burials occurred at almost the same time (1347 BC or a few years later and 1348 BC). Similarly, the men from 10. Muldhj and 17. Storehj at Barde, buried eight years apart (1365 BC and 1373 BC), could also have known each other (the mounds stand c. 15 km apart). And if they travelled a little further afield they could both have known the Egtved Girl (buried 1370 BC).