Archaeology
The remains of a Viking hall complex were uncovered southwest of Lejre, Denmark, in 1986–88 by Tom Christensen of the Roskilde Museum. Wood from the foundation was radiocarbon-dated to about AD 880. It was later found that this hall was built over an older hall which was itself dated to 680. In 2004–05, Christensen excavated a third hall located just north of the other two. This hall was built in the mid-6th century, exactly the time period of Beowulf. All three halls were about 50 meters long.
In Gudme, Denmark, two similar halls were excavated in 1993. Of the so called "Gudme Kongehal" (King's hall) only the post holes were found. The larger of the two was 47 meters long and 8 meters wide. Gold items found near the site have been dated between 200 and 550. The Iron Age graveyards of Møllegårdsmarken and Brudager are close by. The halls may have been part of a regional religious and political center serving as royal feasting places with Lundeborg serving as harbor.
A similar large hall has been found next to the church of Gamla Uppsala, Sweden, on a clay plateau called Kungsgårdsplatån. This was the feasting hall of the Swedish kings. Together with the religious center (Temple at Uppsala), nearby royal estates (husaby/Uppsala öd), and the royal grave mounds, it was part of the religious and political central region of the Swedish people.
From around AD 500 up until the Christianization of Scandinavia (by the 13th century), these large halls were vital parts of the political center. They were superseded by the Medieval banquet halls of later times.
Other such halls may have been found at Högom (Medelpad) and Borg, Norway, on the Lofotens. One excavated here from the Iron Age measured 67 meters long and an even later finding (from the Viking era) measured 83 meters long.
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