Hune Longhouse: A Great Viking Find

In a field in northern Denmark, archaeologists found the outline of a building longer than a blue whale: the Hune longhouse, a Viking Age hall roughly 130 feet (40 meters) long and 26 to 33 feet (8 to 10 meters) wide, near the village of Hune in North Jutland. Announced at the end of 2022, it is one of the most important Viking finds in Denmark in years. A hall this size was more than a home; it was likely a gathering place for feasts, councils, and ceremony, and it hints that more buildings lie nearby. Between 10 and 12 massive oak posts once held up the hall’s roof.

“We have not seen anything like it before here in North Jutland, even though it has only been partially excavated,” North Jutland Museums Archaeologist Thomas Rune Knudsen says.

Who Owned the Hune Longhouse?

Knudsen suggests that the longhouse could belong to Runulv den Rådsnilde, who had a nearby rune stone erected in his honor. The Hune church has the stone, which was created between 970 and 1020 CE, on its porch. The inscription reads: “Hove, Thorkil, Thorbjørn raised this stone for their father Runulv the Shrewd.”

“It is difficult to prove that the found Viking hall belonged to the family of Runulv den Rådsnilde, but it is certainly a possibility,” says Knudsen. However, “if nothing else, the rune stone and hall represent the same social class, and both belong to society’s elite.”

A Hall from Harald Bluetooth’s Time

The design of the Hune longhouse fits the era of Harald Bluetooth, namesake of today’s connecting technology and ruler in the 10^th century. It resembles other buildings from his reign, the age of the great ring fortresses such as Fyrkat, Aggersborg and Trelleborg. The archaeologists date it to about 950–1050. It belongs on our Viking Timeline, in the last century of the Viking Age.

Archaeologists planned to have carbon dating and more excavations done by the end of 2023. The results had not been released as of the writing of this post in February 2024.

Keep reading: more Viking Age finds in Denmark, from the Asum Viking graves to the Moesgaard Museum graves that may link to Harald Bluetooth.

Asgard Alaska is working to provide Alaskans and visitors to the state an authentic Viking experience. The Viking village will allow guests to experience life as it was for many Vikings. Your donation will allow us to bring history to life. The museum is not open yet. We are raising the Land Fund to buy the site, Phase 1 of our Roadmap.