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Detector find Herslev. Finds, research and common ground – A medieval farm is being unearthed among Viking Age finds.

In a smaller exhibition, Museum Vestsjælland shows finds from Herslev

Every year, keen detectorists find thousands of finds in West Zealand. But what can we actually use them for? In a series of smaller exhibitions in 2023, we will show what some of the many finds have led to from archaeological investigations and further research.

In Herslev, south of Tissø, a large amount of fine and rich finds, mainly from the Viking Age, have been found with a detector. An archaeological investigation was launched to clarify where the many finds came from, and the results were surprising. In addition to a number of post traces from a Viking Age settlement, the archaeologists also came across rarely well-preserved traces of a medieval farm. Here were both traces of the house's construction in the form of post tracks and siltstones that have supported wall posts, in addition to traces of ovens, hearths and wells. Most surprising, however, were the remains of a clay-tamped floor. Over the past six years, Museum Vestsjælland has carried out several research excavations of the farm and the surrounding areas. It is very rare that such a clay-stamped floor has been preserved after almost 1000 years. It provides a unique opportunity to get an impression of the life lived on the farm in the 1100th and 1200th centuries. It is not only the preserved floor layer that makes Herslev something very special. With the many detector finds, we can see that people lived on the same field from around the 700th century until they moved from the farm at the end of the 1200th century. This is also where Herslev both challenges and contributes to research. There is a big difference in the quality of finds from the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. The rich and unique finds from the Viking Age testify that a wealthy and respectable Viking Age settlement was located here, while the finds from the Middle Ages seem more ordinary and less respectable. The investigated medieval farm also does not seem to stand out or impress in its size or design. It raises a number of questions about the development from the Viking Age to the Middle Ages. Is the difference in the quality of the finds due to differences in the material expression, or has there been a decline in prosperity from the Viking Age to the Middle Ages? Should we look for other signs of prosperity in the medieval farm than we just imagine, e.g. a special production, special contacts or a special way of setting up? These are some of the important questions the detector survey and subsequent archaeological surveys can shed new light on.