Oldtidsagre - Genstandskundskab

152 Nr. 1
with an arð, and the loose stones of handsize were hardly any obstacle to this implement.
Neither did the stones represent any hindrance to the reaping with sickle.
They might, however, be in the way of a scythe. And, in STEENSBERG,S opinion, a
short scythe was used in the Early Iron Age, not for the corn, but for other plants,
e. g. polygonum, which probably filled the fields in many places during the years
when they were lying fallow (not used for corn) (STEENSBERG 1943, p. 249).
Also in later times, field-stones were collected and placed upon the balks. In
stony regions, fields are often separated by rows of stones, which does not, of course,
prove that the fields are prehistoric. In a previous work, I have referred certain
parallel stone-rows in Fogstrup heath to the Pre-Roman Iron Age, because some
adjacent stone-heaps contained pot-sherds from that period (HATT 1931, p.121).
A later investigation (cf. above, p. 113) has proven that the stone-heaps with potsherds
belong to a system of typical >>Oldtidsagre« in Fogstrup, while the parallel
stone-rows are younger than the “()ldtidsagre".
In one instance, No. 113, Ølgaard, the balks consisted of heath-turf in several
layers. This instance is, however, not typical and could not be dated.
In the locality No. 91, Harild, there were remnants of heath-turf in the innermost
part of some of the balks. This instance is, however, not typical and somewhat
doubtful-the balks or ridges being mainly a result of sand-drifting.
In several cases, a small temporary hearth was found beneath the edge of a
balk (see e. g. Fig. 2, from No. 25, Gundersted). This might give rise to the idea,
that the balk was originally an earthen wall which had subsided, sliding down over
the fire-place. However, this is probably not the true explanation. It is more likely
that the balk has grown in height and breadth and in that way has covered the
fire-place.
The ridge-shaped balks of the “Oldtidsagre“ were probably never very much
higher than they are now. This is corroborated by the find of ancient fields beneath
the Nørre Fjande village-site (HATT 1941, p. 159 seq.), where the balks have preserved
their original form, covered by drifting sand two millenniums ago.
V. Dating of the ancient fields.
In some localities where ancient fields occur together with burial-mounds from
the Later Stone Age and the Early Bronze Age, it seems evident that the burialmounds
must have been in existence at the time when the fields were laid out, as
the direction of the balks seem to be determined by the position of the mounds
(c.f. No. 19, Fald, p. 35, No. 20, Vindblæs, p. 36, No. 27, Skørbæk, p. 41, No. 60, Fly.
p. 77). However, the Stone Age and Bronze Age mounds do not tell us anything more
definite about the age of the ancient fields. It should also be observed that most of
the burial mounds in the Jutland heaths are without any connection with ancient