- Bornholm is a Danish Island in the Baltic Sea, located to the east of Denmark’s other islands, south of the Swedish coast and north of the Polish Coast.
- Two groups of Bronze Age Standing Stones are located on the island, and a large Find of Medieval gold foil figures was discovered here.
Roman Brooches
- Approximately six Roman brooches known as fibulae, dating from the 1st-3rd century CE, and usually worn by Roman soldiers have been found on Bornholm.
- Similar brooches are normally found on the river Elbe up to southern Jutland, a route followed by Germanic soldiers serving in the Roman Army, returning to the Baltic.
Standing Stones
- Two groups of Bronze Age Standing Stones are located on the island, and a large Find of Medieval gold foil figures was discovered here.
- The Standing Stones are from the Bronze Age:
- Louisenlund has 50 Megalithic standing stones.
- Gryet, originally, had 60 Megalithic standing stones.
Gold Foil Figures
- Over 2,400 gold figure foils have been found on the Island. Some are from the same die as the gold foil figures found at Uppakra in Sweden.
- They date from the Period of the Merovingian Dynasty (c.457 CE – March 752 CE). Some of the figures appear to be of Kings with long hair. The Merovingian Kings were known as the ‘long-haired kings’.
Pliny the Elder (21-79 CE)
- Pliny the Elder mentions three islands in the Baltic, one of which may have been Bornholm.
- The Isle of Abalus
- Pliny the Elder in his Natural History, quotes Pytheas and mentions the Isle of Abalus as being one day’s sail from the coast of Scythia, from the estuary of the Vistula into the sea of Mentonomon (the Baltic). It being one thousand stades to the Skagerrak.
- Baunonia
- Pliny the Elder refers to ‘Baunonia’ as being one day’s sail from the coast of Scythia, where Amber was washed up by the sea and collected.
- Basilia
- Pliny the Elder also refers to another island, three days sail from the coast of Scythia, and called ‘Basilia’ by Pytheas. It is thought that he meant the ‘Isle of Abalus’ mentioned by Pytheas.
Bornholm