Skrydstrup Woman

The Skrydstrup Woman was a young woman of the Nordic Bronze Age whose remains were buried in an oak coffin beneath a burial mound near Skrydstrup, in southern Jutland, Denmark. She died at about 18 or 19 years of age, sometime between 1382 and 1129 BCE. Her grave, excavated in 1935, is one of the best-preserved Bronze Age burials found in Denmark, with surviving hair, soft tissue, clothing and other organic material.

She was about tall and was buried wearing finely made wool clothing, an elaborate hairstyle and gold spiral earrings. The exceptional preservation of her hair and teeth has allowed researchers to investigate her life using radiocarbon dating and isotope analysis. Studies published in 2015 and 2017 concluded that she spent much of her childhood outside the Skrydstrup area, moved there at about 13 or 14 years of age, and travelled again during the final two years of her life before returning shortly before her death. These findings have made the Skrydstrup Woman an important case in the study of mobility, dress and social connections in Bronze Age Europe. Discovery

The Skrydstrup Woman was discovered in 1935 during the excavation of a burial mound about southwest of Vojens in southern Jutland. The excavation was directed by Christian M. Lund, manager of Museum Sønderjylland. thumb

Sometime after her burial, the original mound was enclosed within a larger mound measuring about in diameter and high. During this later phase, the mound was reused for two additional burials, when two men were interred in separate oak coffins near its edge.

Condition and preservation

The remains of the Skrydstrup Woman were unusually well preserved for an Early Nordic Bronze Age inhumation. The oak coffin created a low-oxygen environment containing natural tannins that slowed the decay of soft tissue, hair and other organic materials.

Fragments of soft tissue were also preserved, including parts of the cheeks, eyebrows, eyelids and eyelashes. Her approximately hair survived intact, although prolonged exposure to moisture, acidity and the anoxic burial environment caused its original pigment to fade, leaving predominantly yellow and red tones, which are the most stable under these conditions.

The study concluded that she spent most of her childhood outside the Skrydstrup area before moving there at about 13 or 14 years of age. After her arrival, analysis of successive segments of her hair reconstructed the final 23 months of her life. The results suggested that she remained in the Skrydstrup area except for a journey lasting about six months before returning shortly before her death.

Her clothing and ornaments offer further clues about her social background. The finely woven wool blouse, embroidered details, large square wool garment and horn comb reflect a level of craftsmanship associated with higher-status households. Her gold spiral earrings, made of high-purity metal, are rare finds in Nordic Bronze Age burials and indicate access to long-distance trade networks or elite craft specialists.

Professor Karin Frei from the National Museum of Denmark described her as an elegant, queen-like figure.