Sorte Muld - Wealth, Power and Religion at an Iron Age Central Settlement on Bornholm

Sorte Muld on the Baltic island of Bornholm is unique in Danish archaeology. The settlement complex with its dark cultural soil is best known for its discovery of 2500 tiny gold-foil figurs from the 6th and 7th centuries. During the late part of the first millenium AD Sorte Muld was probably boath a royal seat and a cultic center.

Sorte Muld lies relatively undisturbed in an agricultural landscape with its large central core, surrounded by many smaller satellite settlements. The rich and varied finds show that it was a center with far-reaching contacts.

Dedicated efforts by professional and amateur archaeologists over the past 25 years have significantly increased our knowledge of this unique site. The book is an introduction th the many spectacular finds and also outlines the emerging wider perspectives on an elite iron Age community.