Then there is news about the comb from Ringsted!
Barely a year ago, archaeologists found a very fine comb. It was taken up from the bottom of a post hole for a house from the Late Iron Age (around 200-500 AD). The comb has since been under the microscope at Heimdal archeometry and there is exciting news.
A smaller sample from the comb showed that it is made of steel. It is quite unusual for this period, as there is nothing to indicate that steel was known as a separate material at home. It has only been found in items that are presumed to have been imported. Furthermore, the steel turns out to come from somewhere in the North Alpine area. Here there was one Roman province in particular called Noricum (in present-day Austria) that was known for its steel production, which was also said to have been the best you could get! There is of course some uncertainty in connecting the crest to this particular province, but the similarity to the steel is striking.
A comb like this has no doubt been very valuable to its owner. It was probably placed in the post hole as a house offering to protect the house. The locality contained several house offerings in the form of small clay vessels, but this is the first time (at least in West Zealand) that we have excavated a comb from a post hole.
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