A giant Viking-era textile production center unearthed in Denmark has revealed the Scandinavians' advanced trade connections extending to the Middle East. Excavations carried out by Moesgaard Museum experts in the Søften area uncovered a complex spread over approximately 100,000 square meters.
Production far beyond local needs
The excavation site revealed areas designated for flax processing, numerous loom weights, spindle whorls, glass beads, and ceramic vessels. More than 80 semi-subterranean houses were found to have been used as workshops and shelters. Moesgaard Museum historian Kasper Andersen emphasized that this production capacity far exceeded local needs and was carried out for commercial purposes. Andersen said the findings are a "new piece" for understanding the economic and cultural structure of the Viking Age (AD 793-1066).
Connections with the Middle East and Europe
One of the most striking discoveries at the complex was coins that prove international trade. The site hosted Arab coins of Middle Eastern origin as well as coins from present-day France and Germany. These findings show that the inhabitants of Søften were an active part of trade networks extending as far as Asia.
The city of Aarhus near Søften was Aros, the center of the royal family and international trade during the Viking Age. This location enabled goods produced in rural settlements to be marketed through a wide network. Historical records show that Viking trading ports revived in the late 8th century and that seal skin, walrus ivory, and slave trade were used as a means of exchange with European kingdoms. The Scandinavians later discovered new trade routes extending to Constantinople (Istanbul) and Baghdad.
Questions awaiting answers
Experts have not yet found clear answers to questions such as the exact type of textile products produced in Søften, the Vikings' role on the Silk Road, and their relations with markets outside European kingdoms. Moesgaard Museum officials reported that the analysis of the excavation findings will take months.
