Massive Viking Textile Workshop Discovered in Denmark

WHO:

NPR - Archaeologist Liv Stidsing Reher-Langberg led the 10-month dig.

ABC News - Moesgaard Museum historian Kasper Andersen provided insights on the discovery.

WHAT:

NPR - Archaeologists discovered a huge Viking Age textile production site.

ABC News - The site spans 100,000 square meters (more than 1 million square feet) and features an area for processing flax and over 80 pit houses.

NPR - The site includes spindle whorls, weight looms, silver coins, glass beads, and pottery.

ABC News - The discovery suggests that work was overseen by a powerful individual with control over resources and production.

WHERE:

NPR - The site is located in Søften, 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of Aarhus, Denmark, on the Jutland peninsula.

ABC News - Another Viking site was discovered in Lisbjerg, just 4 kilometers (2½ miles) away from Søften.

WHEN:

NPR - The site dates back to the late Iron Age and early Viking Age, sometime between A.D. 600 and 950.

ABC News - The Viking Age is considered to run from A.D. 793 to 1066.

NPR - A trial excavation occurred 1½ years ago before construction work began on a new road and industrial area.

WHY:

NPR - The discovery underlines the sophistication of Viking society and contributes to understanding the local economic, cultural, and political structure.

ABC News - The textiles from Søften are part of a larger international trade network, indicating a well-organized society.

HOW:

NPR - The discovery was made through a combination of metal detector findings and archaeological excavation techniques.

(UPDATED June 24, 2026 11:55 UTC)

Archaeologists have uncovered a significant Viking Age textile production site in Søften, Denmark, led by Liv Stidsing Reher-Langberg and supported by historian Kasper Andersen from the Moesgaard Museum. Spanning over 100,000 square meters, the site features an area for processing flax, more than 80 pit houses, and a variety of artifacts including spindle whorls, weight looms, and silver coins, suggesting a sophisticated society with centralized control over resources. This discovery, dating back to the late Iron Age and early Viking Age, sheds light on the economic and cultural structures of the time, indicating that the textiles were part of a larger international trade network.