The Bronze Age Ølby woman with Egyptian glass bead was probably Danish!

What is it about?

Although the Bronze Age woman grew up in Zealand, the jewelry in her grave probably is made of metal from both Slovakia, Austria, Italy, as chemical analyzes show. Recent studies have in recent years indicated that similar Bronze Age finds like the Skrydstrup woman and the Egtved girl were immigrated to Denmark, but now the latest analysis shows that this was not the case with the Ølby woman. She probably lived a large part of her life in Zealand. In addition, new studies show that the copper and tin found in the bronze objects of the Ølby burial originate from regions such as the Austrian Alps, Slovak ore mountains and Trentino in Italy.

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Why is it important?

The new study of the Ølby woman adds another exciting dimension to our understanding of mobility in the Bronze Age. Combining studies of her teeth and the origin of the metal indicate that this is a woman with a wide network both in the local South Scandinavian area and over long distances, while she herself was local.