Table Of ContentACTA ARCHAEOLOGICA LUNDENSIA
SERIES IN 8°, No. 48
Continuity for Centuries
A ceremonial building and its context
at Uppåkra, southern Sweden
Edited by:
Lars Larsson
UPPÅKRASTUDIER 10
Published with grants from the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation
The following information can be found in the printed version:
The cover picture shows the glass bowl from the deposition in the house with a part of the
house stratigraphy as a background
© The Department of Archaeology and Ancient History
Layout: Ottosson Media
Printed by Grahns Tryckeri AB, Lund 2004.
Distribution: Almqvist & Wiksell International, Box 7634, S-103 94 STOCKHOLM
ISBN 91-22-02107-8
ISSN 0065-0994
CONTENTS
PREFACE
Lars Larsson & Karl-Magnus Lenntorp
The Enigmatic House 3
Birgitta Hårdh
The Metal Beaker with Embossed Foil Bands 49
Lena Grandin
How and where was the beaker from Uppåkra made?
Some indications from chemical analyses. 93
Berta Stjernquist
A Magnificent Glass Bowl from Uppåkra 103
Berta Stjernquist
A Glass Beaker with Cut Decoration, Found at Uppåkra 153
Margrethe Watt
The Gold-Figure Foils (“Guldgubbar”) from Uppåkra 167
Bertil Helgesson
Tributes to be Spoken of Sacrifice and Warriors at Uppåkra 223
The Enigmatic House
Lars Larsson & Karl-Magnus Lenntorp
Abstract
During removal of the topsoil a remarkable house was found at the central place of Uppåkra, southernmost
Sweden. Remains of a small, high timbered house were found with deep wall trenches, two pairs of large roof-
supporting posts and large poles in all four gables. Th e excavation documented a sequence of almost identical
houses in altogether seven stages. A forerunner and a successor were also present, showing somewhat diff erent
shapes in relation to the sequence of houses.
Not only the structure but also the fi nds were remarkable. In an early stage of excavation a deposition of a bea-
ker of bronze and silver with gold foil decoration and a glass bowl was found. A large number of fi nds of special
character were made including more than hundred gold-foil fi gures, small gold objects, glass sherds and a ring
handle. Not only the houses but the area around them display an extremely large number of deposited weapons.
Th e house sequence with an overdimensioned support of posts and walls and its contents makes it unique. It
is compared to a variety of houses with somewhat similar shape and combination of fi nds interpreted as buil-
dings of ritual or ceremonial importance. Th ese comparisons include small cultic buildings as well as halls.
Th e enigmatic house is viewed as a building of extraordinary height in relation to its size, founded during
the Roman Iron Age and rebuilt until the early Viking Age. Th rough the centuries the building became a core
representative of a solidly established social order. Th e shape of the building went out of fashion and might even
have been viewed as ancient but it continued to be used.
Lars Larsson & Karl-Magnus Lenntorp, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Lund,
Sandgatan 1, SE-223 50 Lund
Introduction
Th e majority of the work forming the basis Iron Age. In the following years the work
of this article was conducted during the years proceeded, and in 2004 the excavation of the
2001–2004. Th e excavation of the unique house was completed.
house remains began in 2001 with the exa- Th e chosen excavation area is situated
mination of sections of large roof-supporting south of Uppåkra parish church (Fig. 2). Th e
post-holes and a spectacular cache. Th e well- area was chosen for several reasons. Part of
preserved remains and the fi nds warranted the area was on a ridge that today is highest
further excavation (Fig. 1). Th e expectation elevation within the settlement. Another cir-
was that this would illuminate and deepen cumstance was the occupation layers up to 2
our understanding of ceremonies and struc- metres thick on the site and the close proxi-
tures for ceremonial purposes during the mity to the church, which dates back to at
THE ENIGMATIC HOUSE 3
Fig. 1. Aerial photograph of the remains of the high timbered house. Th e photo was taken from east
during summer 2001. Th e remains of the house are seen in the central view of the photo. Parts of the
western post-hole pairs are under excavation. Photo by Perry Norräng.
least the 12th century. Th e site also contained tensive that the foundation erased almost all
four known burial mounds, two preserved traces of older structures. Th e problem then
and two destroyed (Fig. 2). Th e abundance of arises of whether it is possible to conclude
detector fi nds gathered indicated the existen- that older structures on the site resembled
ce of magnifi cent fi nds within the area. Th ere the youngest ones. In order to describe the
was also a fairly large amount of glass sherds development of the structure, the creation of
present. Several circumstances thus indicated a new fl oor surface and a new fi replace has
that the site had contained a manor for the been interpreted as a new house, despite the
leading family at the site (Larsson 2002). fact that the element of the structure has not
Examining a complex sequence of occu- been validated. Several of the preserved fl oor
pation layers like this one leaves many ques- surfaces were damaged by younger trunca-
tions unanswered and allows, in general, for tions, and it is not possible to defi ne exactly
several possible interpretations. In this exa- how many fl oor surfaces actually were in use
mination there are a number of issues that on the site since at least one surface had been
should constantly be re-examined. Th e most destroyed by agriculture. Th e excavation area
obvious of these is whether the alteration of has been cultivated for more than a thou-
one fl oor surface and a new fi replace also sand years.
involved a new building. In the present exa- From the start in 2000 and onwards all
mination the youngest structures were so ex- occupation layers and structures at Uppåkra
4 LARS LARSSON & KARL-MAGNUS LENNTORP
Fig. 2. Map of the excavation area during the fi eld campaigns 2001–2004 (grey). Th e house remains
are marked black. Th e parish church from the 19th century is seen in the centre. Th e two existing grave
mounds Storehög (A) and Lillehög (B) and two destroyed mounds (C and D) are marked on the map.
THE ENIGMATIC HOUSE 5
Fig. 3. Th e youngest stave house, house 2, had all elements such as post-holes and wall trenches well
preserved, but there were no fl oor horizons or fi replaces preserved. Black represents the standing timber
construction and grey represents the cuttings for wall trench and post-holes. Th e fi gure also illustrates
where sections were documented in profi les and the letters A–D refer to sections illustrated in Fig. 8.
were examined by the single context metho- and slightly bowed walls 13,5 metres long
dology (Larsson 1996). Th e occupation layers and 6 metres wide, and four large post-holes
in connection with the house remains were placed in pairs had supported the roof. Th e
sieved without exception. All contexts were post fi llings were clearly visible against the
documented with digital techniques and all yellow clay of the fl oor surface. Th e house
information was collected and processed in had three entrances, one facing north and
Intrasis (Intrasis.com). Early in the excava- two facing south. In the centre of the house
tion, three section banks that aff ected the were the remains of a fi replace. Obviously it
house remains were saved, one longitudinal was a distinctive structure.
and two transversal (Fig. 3). A yard with an exceptional abundance of
fi nds surrounded the house. Th e surface was
littered with an accumulation of fi re-cracked
The high timbered house
stones and a considerable amount of artefacts.
Th e house remains were so well preserved Th e excavation of the cleared remains was
that the plan could be established already initiated with the help of a metal detector scan.
in connection with the initial clearance of In the fl oor surface south of the fi replace was a
the intact surface (Fig. 1). It later turned rare cache fi nd consisting of metal beaker and
out that further structural details could be a glass bowl (Hårdh this volume; Stjernquist
distinguished. Th e house had straight gables this volume). From what could be gathered,
6 LARS LARSSON & KARL-MAGNUS LENNTORP
