18 July 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Mythical Viking stronghold Jomsborg could be on Hangman’s Hill near Wolin, archaeologist say

A new hypothesis about the location of the mythical Viking stronghold on Hangman’s Hill near Wolin (West Pomerania) has been put forward by archaeologist Dr. Wojciech Filipowiak.

According to archaeologist Dr. Wojciech Filipowiak from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology PAS, Jomsborg was a fortress, and at its foot was the city of Jom.

Wolin is an island at the mouth of the river Oder. It was almost certainly the location which the sagas depict as the home of the Jómsvikings: a band of elite Vikings who sold their services to the highest bidder.

Sagas tell of a magnificent fortress with an artificial harbor that could hold 360 ships. However, archaeological evidence yet does not bear this out. Soon this may change.

Hangman’s Hill is one of the largest early medieval cemeteries in northern Europe, located south of Wolin.

‘During the research, we conducted there in 2021 and 2022, we were surprised to discover almost entire burial mounds under a half-meter layer of sand. The hill was covered with forest until World War II, the sand was carried there by the wind. This means that there may be more objects that still have their original form, but they are not visible on the surface, Dr. Filipowiak tells PAP.

He adds that the archaeologists also found two objects that did not resemble burials. One of them is located on the top of the hill, on the side of the city, and has the shape of a ring(in cross-section there are two embankments). The second one, several meters away, is a linear embankment with burn traces and fragments of wood on both banks.

Archaeological research at the Hangman’s Hill Cemetery near Wolin. Photo: PAP/Marcin Bielecki

‘They could be a part of a burnt fortification, for example, an embankment,’ says Dr. Filipowiak. He adds that the possible course of the embankments is difficult to determine without further research. The archaeologist explains that he compared the topography of Wolin with two Viking centres – Hedeby in Denmark and Birka in Sweden, and points out that there are great similarities between the three.

In Hedeby, there is Hochburg Hill covered with burial mounds to the north of the centre, and there is also a small rampart dating back to the Viking period. ‘According to one theory, there was a garrison on the hill that controlled the city,’ says Dr. Filipowiak.

To the south of the center of the trade center Birki, on a rock, surrounded by a 350-meter semi-circular embankment, there is the Borgen Fortress. Next to it, on the terrace, there was (as confirmed) a garrison of warriors.

Hangman’s Hill is located south of the city, at the mouth of the Zalew Szczeciski to Dziwna, i.e. on the main shipping route to Wolin; it provides a panoramic view of the entire city. As the archaeologist pointed out, this is an ideal location for a fortress controlling a trading center.

He explains that after formulating the hypothesis, he also looked at the earlier findings of researchers (work on the hill had been carried out since the 19th century) and written sources about Jomsborg.

The only alleged Scandinavian burial under the barrow is at Hangman’s Hill. A skeletal grave without a head and tied hands was also discovered nearby; it was previously associated with the hill’s name and interpreted as a convict’s grave. The archaeologist speculates that the Vikings may have performed a ritual burial here.

One of the arguments for the location of Jomsborg on Hangman’s Hill is the topography.

Hangman Hill range is alongside Dziwna, south of Wolin Center. Photo: Wolin Museum

‘The power of Wolin was based on sea trade. The main route to it runs not through Dziwna from the north and through Świna and Piana from the west. Controlling the entrance to Wolin would therefore be most effective from Hangman’s Hill,’ Filipowiak says.

He adds that in the sources there is also the name ‘Jom’, which caused interpretation problems for chroniclers, skalds, and researchers. The proximity of the fortress and the city may have been the reason for confusing the names Jom and Jomsborg. The archaeologist extended the hypothesis to include this issue, pointing out that Jomsborg is a fortress on Hangman’s Hill, and the city at its foot is Jom, after which the entire region was also named.

He also says that in his opinion, the establishment of the fortress in the place of burials was neither accidental nor dictated only by defensive value.

‘I think there was also symbolic violence at play here. Placing military force literally on the graves of ancestors must have carried a huge message for the local population,’ he says.

Researchers are currently planning an extensive project, consisting of several stages, including large excavations in the city center and Hangman’s Hill, which could clarify the relationship between the city and the fortress (if it did exist).

PAP

Cover Photo: Hangman Hill Barrows. Wolin Museum

Related Articles

New evidence for early regional exchanges in Eurasia: Ice skates made of animal bones over 3,000 years old

9 March 2023

9 March 2023

Chinese archaeologists have discovered ancient ice skates made of animal bones at the Gaotai Ruins in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous...

Well-Preserved Wooden Houses Over 2,000 Years Old Discovered in Zhejiang, China

15 March 2025

15 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological find, researchers in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China, have uncovered exceptionally well-preserved wooden houses dating back over...

More evidence shows Vikings came to North America before Columbus

22 May 2023

22 May 2023

Although the discovery of North America is synonymous with Christopher Columbus, new research reveals that Viking sailors landed on the...

Itbaraks in Turkic Mythology: The Human-Bodied, Dog-Headed Beings Who Defied Oghuz Khagan

5 July 2025

5 July 2025

In the mist-shrouded realms of ancient Turkic epics, there exists a race that haunts both myth and memory—the İtbaraks. These...

Ancient Cymbals Unearthed in Oman Reveal Shared Musical Traditions Across Bronze Age Cultures

8 April 2025

8 April 2025

Recent archaeological discoveries in Oman have unveiled significant insights into the musical practices of Bronze Age societies, suggesting a rich...

The 7th-Century Lombard Kings’ Tombs Found in Pavia, Italy

24 December 2024

24 December 2024

The excavations, conducted between September and October by the Catholic University, uncovered numerous burials attributed, on the one hand, to...

“Oracle Bone Inscriptions”, the world’s oldest writing system that has not disappeared in history

5 June 2023

5 June 2023

“Jiaguwen,” or the oracle bone inscriptions, are thought to be the earliest fully-developed characters as well as the source of...

Largest ever Roman silver hoard in Germany found in Augsburg

12 November 2021

12 November 2021

Archaeologists in Augsburg, Germany, revealed unearthed a historical hoard including 15 kg of silver coins from the Roman Empire’s era....

Ancient Greek Marble Workshop Unearthed on Paros Island

20 May 2025

20 May 2025

The world of ancient Greek art continues to amaze modern scholars, with recent excavations on Paros Island unveiling a long-lost...

From Bronze Age to Buddhism: Xinjiang’s Archaeological Journey Through Time and Recent Discoveries

4 March 2025

4 March 2025

Recent archaeological investigations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have significantly enhanced our understanding of the area’s historical context and...

Young Maya Maize God’s Severed Head found in Palenque

4 June 2022

4 June 2022

Archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH), an approximately 1,300-year-old sculpture of the head of the Young...

A relief of a man holding his Phallus was found in Sayburç, one of the Taş Tepeler

18 October 2021

18 October 2021

In Sayburç, one of the Taş Tepeler in Şanlıurfa, a five-figure scene consisting of humans, leopards, and a bull was...

Ancient Guests, Exotic Gifts: Wild Boars Traveled Miles to a Prehistoric Feast in Iran

15 July 2025

15 July 2025

New research suggests prehistoric communities in Iran’s Zagros Mountains transported wild boars over 70 kilometers to participate in elaborate communal...

Archaeological Dig at Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulchre Corroborates New Testament Account of Garden

3 May 2025

3 May 2025

A significant archaeological excavation nearing its conclusion at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City has yielded...

Impressive proof of technology transfer in Antiquity times “2700 year- old a Leather Armor”

20 July 2022

20 July 2022

Design and construction details of the unique leather-scaled armor found in a horse rider’s tomb in northwest China indicate that...