Temple from Christs time reveals lost powerful society, archaeologists say

Archaeologists have uncovered a 2,000-year-old temple in Denmark — offering a glimpse into the mysterious, once-powerful society that built it.The Museum of Central Jutland (Museum Midtjylland) unveiled the discovery of the temple at Hedegård, an ancient site that contains Scandinavia’s “largest and richest burial site,” according to its website.The latest excavation began last August.Hedegård, located near Ejstrupholm north of the Skjern River, has been identified as Denmark’s largest settlement from the time “around the birth of Christ,” the museum said.Working with researchers from Museum Horsens and Moesgaard Museum, archaeologists found evidence of a vast fortified settlement that once served as a regional power center during the Iron Age.The settlement has yielded luxury goods, weapons from Celtic tribes, and “prestige” items from Roman workshops.Evidence shows the settlement “flourished in the period leading up to the birth of Christ.”The museum said, “This is when we see the rich graves and numerous weapon graves in the cemetery north of the village.”But the crown jewel of the excavation was the temple, which measured roughly 49 by 53 feet. The structure had once burned down.

Beneath the burn layer, excavators found traces of “two temple phases” that offer insight into its history.“At the exact center was a [6 x 6 foot] raised clay platform,” officials said. “In the younger phase, an ornamented hearth was built here, partially covering the earlier hearth.The younger temple was shifted about [30 inches] north compared to the older one, but was otherwise nearly identical.

The older hearth remained untouched — the new one was simply built over it.”Archaeologists also found plaster fragments that suggest the temple’s walls were once painted white.“Preliminary results suggest the temple functioned in the decades around the birth of Christ,” the site stated.“The structure likely appeared as a tall, almost s...