A treasure find and its interpretation
A small silver and gold hoard brings Fraugde-Kærby’s archaeological history to life. Its discovery in 2007 led to the identification of a new Iron Age manor. The find comprised 196 grams of precious metal and was located in a posthole in a main building. It is best interpreted as a precious-metal hoard: the material was intended for melting down and making new pieces of jewellery. The focus, then, is not a finished piece of jewellery, but precious metal as a raw material for further processing. The find may also indicate that a goldsmith worked at the manor seasonally; there was probably no permanent connection.
Bronze Age and Viking Age graves
The Late Bronze Age burial ground at Tietgen Byen comprised 42 cremation graves between two older burial mounds. Two rows of cooking pits roughly marked the western boundary of the burial ground. The graves and cooking pits served different purposes: the burials made up the burial ground, while the pits only approximately marked its western edge. The Viking Age burial ground at Tietgen Byen comprised a total of 49 graves. Ten of these were chamber graves, where the deceased had been buried in rectangular, wooden-built chambers. The remaining graves were located in an approximately rectangular area measuring about 50 × 100 metres; a single grave lay 30–40 metres east of the others. The figure 49 refers to the total number of Viking Age graves; the ten chamber graves are part of that total. This makes it possible to compare the periods and burial forms: Late Bronze Age cremation graves alongside a Viking Age burial ground with chamber graves. Three periods provide a chronological overview: the Late Bronze Age, represented by the cremation graves at Tietgen Byen; the Iron Age, represented by the manor north of Fraugde-Kærby; and the Viking Age, represented by the chamber graves at Tietgen Byen.
The site and its landscape
The archaeological site of the Iron Age manor lies about 1 kilometre north of Fraugde-Kærby on a nearly level moraine plain that runs from east to west. Watercourses bound the plain to the west and east. Distance, orientation and natural boundaries together characterise the site’s location. Near Fraugde-Kærby, Kærby Mose was transformed into a wetland area of about 38 hectares. As part of the Kærby Mose project, a network of paths was improved, expanding recreational opportunities. The manor and the wetland area thus offer different points of interest: archaeological history on the one hand, and landscape and improved recreational opportunities on the other.
Plan your journey
A FynBus timetable revised for 11 October 2024 lists Fraugde-Kærby-Vej as a stop on Route 195 between Nyborg, Langeskov and Odense. Check the latest departures for your travel date.
Discover more destinations: Fraugde, Odense C, Højby, Odense Sv
For the overview of destinations in the wider area: Odense.
