Photo Gallery The Vikings' Barrier
Archeologists working at the so-called "Danevirke," a 30-kilometer-long wall which runs through Germany's northern state of Schleswig-Holstein. This summer, they discovered the long-sought for gate through the wall.
The dig also revealed further details about the wall's construction, showing that it is made up of millions of tons of stones collected from the surrounding area.
According to old writings, "horsemen and carts" used to stream through the gate, called "Wiglesdor." Next to it was a customs station, an inn and a bordello.
Astrid Tummuscheit is the project's lead archeologist. She says that in addition to being excellent seafarers, "the Vikings collected millions of rocks."
For a century, archeologists have been dreaming of finding the ancient gateway between Denmark and Charlemagne's empire.
Archeologists now think that the Danevirke was built to protect an overland route connecting the Vikings' eastern trade routes with those to the west.
Parts of the wall are built out of brick and are considered the oldest brick structures in northern Europe. The section in this photograph, which was taken in 2005, was originally two meters (six feet) thick and seven meters (23 feet) high.
The earliest parts of the wall were thought to have been built in the 8th century. The section pictured here was built around 1170.
