She was a beautiful and young woman, the Egtved girl. 18 years old, 160cm tall, slim and with long, blonde hair. She was buried in her finest outfit – a short sweater with ¾ length sleeves, a cord skirt and shoes of the time which were pieces of clothing elegantly wrapped around her feet.

She wasn’t just anybody. An exclusive person. She could have been the daughter of a rich, powerful man or she may have had a special role in the community. She could have been a religious person – we are in the Bronze Age where the sun was worshipped, perhaps people were sacrificed…

The Egtved girl’s grave was found by the farmer, Peter Platz, in the small village near Vejle on 24 February 1921. Platz and his neighbour showed due care and ploughed around it. The National Museum initiated an excavation and a hollowed-out oak tree trunk was found with the body wrapped in cow skins. The skeleton itself was dust, but the skin, hair, nails and crowns on the teeth were preserved. And those kinds of things can reveal a great deal. The Egtved girl is one of Denmark’s most significant archaeological discoveries. A national treasure.

The girl’s jewellery was an essential part of the mosaic the researchers worked with. A large, decorated plate used as a belt buckle and an earring and two bracelets – all of it in bronze, naturally. And the beautiful girl also had two small containers in her grave. The one container, a box made of bark rope containing an awl and a hairnet.