Open Access‘The coldest case of all’
Author(s) -
Eva Ljungkvist,
Benny Thomsen,
Søren M. Sindbæk,
Jonas Christensen,
Nanna Holm,
Maja Kildetoft Schultz,
Jens Ulriksen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
danish journal of archaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2166-2290
pISSN - 2166-2282
DOI - 10.7146/dja.v10i0.121916
Subject(s) - fortress (chess) , excavation , documentation , archaeology , danish , history , benchmark (surveying) , geography , forensic engineering , engineering , computer science , ancient history , cartography , linguistics , philosophy , programming language
During excavations of the Viking-age ring fortress Borgring, Denmark, traces of a devastating fire was uncovered. The National Forensic Services of the Danish Police were invited to participate in a novel collaboration, applying contemporary forensic fire investigation to an archaeological site. This paper presents the results and sets a benchmark for future applications. The investigation leads to a revised reconstruction of the fortress and the development of the fire. The application of fire investigation methods, following the Daubert standard criteria, enhance the documentation and analysis of archaeological sites, while archaeological methods show significant potential at modern fire scenes.