How did trade with the Romans affect Iron Age Denmark?

During the Iron Age, Denmark established more-or-less fixed trading connections with the Roman Empire. These interactions significantly influenced local cultural development, most notably through the introduction of writing systems. By approximately 200 ce, the first runic inscriptions appeared in Denmark, a development likely inspired by the Etruscan alphabet of northern Italy and potentially influenced by the Latin alphabet.12

While these trade links facilitated cultural exchange, it is important to note that Denmark remained outside the direct political control of the Roman Empire, unlike regions to the south of the Rhine. The trade connections were part of a broader network of ancient European routes, such as the Amber Routes, which had historically linked northern Europe to the Mediterranean for the exchange of goods like amber and flint.34