The Egtved Girl was discovered on Thursday, February 24, 1921. Farmer Peter Platz was removing the last remnants of a burial mound on his field when he came across a heavily carved oak trunk.
The excavation was conducted by the National Museum, and thus the oak coffin was subsequently transported to Copenhagen. When opened, it revealed a cowhide bag at the top. Beneath it lay a woven blanket of brown wool, and beneath the blanket lay the deceased herself—a 160 cm tall young girl, her semi-long hair almost concealing her face, and a small bronze earring.
The girl later became known as the Egtved Girl.
Belt plate of bronze and cord skirt
She lay on her back, her skin well-preserved, but no bones remained. She wore a brown wool blouse, and on each wrist was a bronze ring. Under the blouse, the iconic bronze belt plate could be discerned. A skirt made of twisted brown woolen cords was wrapped twice around her waist.
At her left shin, there was a bundle of clothes containing the burnt bones of a 5-6-year-old child. At her feet stood a birch bark container with remnants of a kind of sweet honeyed beer.
A flowering yarrow in the coffin indicated that the burial took place in the summer months. The girl died at the age of approximately 16-18 years.
The World of The Egtved Girl: A new experience center in progress
The Vejle Museums are actively working on realizing a large new museum project that aims to tell the fascinating story of the Egtved Girl. Right there, where she was laid to rest on a summer day 3,500 years ago.
The entire original Egtved find is exhibited at the National Museum in Copenhagen. So, you'll need to visit the capital to see Egtved Girl herself.
