Lyngsmose – an Iron-Age fort

2000 years ago, the West Jutland landscape looked quite different. The view over the vast, flat heathland was unobstructed and in fair weather the North Sea was visible in the distance. 1-2 km apart were the small villages and surrounding fields of the Iron Age farming communities.

Settlements were located close to rivers and meadows where hay could be cropped in abundance for livestock. This would also have been the layout of the Iron Age village of Lyngsmose. However, unlike hundreds of settlements of this period, it was fortified by a moat and banks.

The fort was placed at a crossroads, where the river Hover Å was crossed by an ancient road connecting the north and south. In its northbound direction, on the other side of the river valley, the road follows an array of barrows called Kvindhøje. On this side of the river valley too, there are barrows near Lyngsmose.