On our way from Oslo, Norway to Mariestad, Sweden, only 30 minutes from our vacation home, you’ll find some historical treasure almost hidden in the landscape (click here to see on GoogleMap). The present day open man-made landscape here in the valley of Visman has agrarian traditions, as a place of farming and human settlement, going back to pre-historic time. When passing by the other day, my wife said: ‘You have to share this with the rest of the world’. So I jumped out of the car, grabbed my Nokia mobile phone and capture some of it to document this post – enjoy:
Perching on separate peaks of north-south boulder ridge, conspicuously silhouetted against the surrounding flat country, are four burial grounds with total of about 100 burial mounds and stone-settings. Archaeological examinations have shown these graves to date from the Iron Age (500 B.C. – 1050 A.D).
On Vall is the largest prehistorical ground in the area, with total of 26 burial mounds and nice circular stone-settings. A number of graves have been eliminated, party by gravel-quarrying and construction of a road through the burial ground area.
Click these two pics to enlarge!
A couple of graves were archaeologically excavated in the 1960s. The finds – charcoal, incinerated bones and potsherds – have been dated to the Iron Age. The dead were cremated on pyre, and the grave mounds constructed over the ashes.
North of Vall is Barbrohöyden hill with a burial ground consisting of three burial mounds and 12 circular stone-settings. This burial ground has not been examined archaeologically.
Blogging to Fame
My regular and recent readers knows I’m pre-nominated among 500+ others in a blog contest. Thanks to all who have famed me so far! Scroll down to read all about it and see the list of all my supporters so far! If you’ll like to be on the list yourself, click here to fame both Me and My Blog:
Famed you! :-) I’m sure it’ll be scary to go that place, Renny. Ghosts!!! :-|
RennyBA
Thanks Mark and you are listed on my post of course!
I didn’t think it was scaring when being there, but since you mentioned it :-!
Hi renny, just tagged you!! I hope you’ll join us:) please see details
RennyBA
Thanks CheH, that’s an honor! You’ll have to be patient though as my vacation is over and I have a work overflow.
oh i am glad diane suggested it and glad you listened to her. this sort of thing is fascinating. i wonder so may times when i am out in the woods if i am in some place that maybe was significant such a long time ago and who the people were that were there. how many places do we pass by and just have no idea?
RennyBA
Diane is a great co-blogger you know and very supportive!
This strikes me from time to time to when walking around in the nature – we should pay more attention I think!
How cool! Great pics by the way.
RennyBA
Thanks for the compliments ET!
We have Native American Indian mounds here in Arkansas as well as other archaeological sites. There is an Indian mound about 2 blocks from my apartment, inside the city limits technically but in actuality in a cotton field. A few years ago flooding on a ditch about 2 miles from my apartment unearthed mammoth bones and teeth.
Like Lime, I always wonder about the people who made those mounds like the ones you photographed, and what happened to them.
Neat pictures and narrative, Renny. :-)
Love and hugs to you, Diane and your family,
Diane
RennyBA
Thanks for filling us in from your part of the world – it enriches this subject you know!
Glad you liked the pics too!
Thanks for your greeting – all the best to you and your family too!
How interesting! and what fun that your wife has the blogger incentive as well :)
RennyBA
Glad you liked it and yea, my wife is a great supporter to my blogging!
Thanks for sharing this information. You know we have passed by these graveyards a couple of times and it is really interesting to have more knowledge about them.
RennyBA
Yea,, I know you’ve seen this when passing by to our vacation home. Thanks to Diane who finally got me to share these historical treasure!
cant wait to visit Sweden soon… or Oslo to see Al maybe you!!!
RennyBA
Like I always say: ‘Blogging Connecting People’! Please let me know in advance as I would love to meet you and AL too of course!
Do you think it is a bad sign when you see something interesting and immediately want to blog about it?
That is very interesting!!! Wow, dated back to the Iron Age how amazing! I love grave sites for some reason they make me feel calm. I love how you include the Google location!
RennyBA
Good to know you find it readable and yea, it was quiet and calm around. Glad you liked the Google Map direction – I’ll use it more!
it’s not obvious that they are graveyards. and cremation was already popular back then?
i hope i can vote more than once for the same blog :)
RennyBA
These places are clearly marked now, so you can’t miss them.
I wish that was the case too :-)
That was interesting ! Here the the sea is still of an unreal blue the seagulls shout and these old english coast towns are just lovely. I have 4 cats at my disposal and a computer in my room which I use early mornings when everybody is still asleep, cats included ! When I come back I will write for the Cyber Cruise, so I only write what we have done but can’t make a detailed report because I cannot post my pictures. Today we will go to London doing some shopping and visiting my friend’s daughter.
RennyBA
Glad you liked it!
It’s great to follow your trip on your blog and I’m looking forward to the Cyber Cruise post!
Great old stuff ;-) As oldie and goldie as I am… Feeling like it sometimes anyway… *giggles*
It’s very interesting with all those old graves – and the findings. I lived very nearby several of such before I moved here. It get me thinking of how their lives could have been….
So, have you congratulated Gattina on her birthday yet? *hint*
RennyBA
I take it you feel like me sometimes; A bit like oldies but young at heart!
I was at Gattinas and song her Happy Birthday in Norwegian:-)
I saw some burial grounds in Fredrikstad as well. I will check on that Blogging to fame and sign up so I can fame your blog as well
RennyBA
I know they are all over in Norway too!
I can tell you have checked and thanks for Faming both Me and My Blog! You’r listed on the post of course!
That looks like Baguio to me :D
RennyBA
If you say so:-)
Your Diane has a good eye! I am glad she reminded you to share this with us. I am a big fan of historical sites and this is fascinating.
RennyBA
I can’t agree with you more when it comes to my lovely wife!
Glad you liked the post too:-)
I love such finds, however Pookie has always be somewhat bored with such things. I often go on walks around the island looking for artifacts, ancient runes, etc. So far I have found a few small things, already found and just not widely published. Stord is a greatly famous island – why don’t they say more? Sigh . . .
RennyBA
Good luck with your hunt and please keep us dated!
Hi Renny, What fascinating photos of history. I love anything like that and the mystery that goes with it.
Iron age…that’s a looooong time ago! It’s amazing what can be found around these old sites, too.
Thank you for that, I enjoyed it.
RennyBA
Your welcome – I’m glad you liked the post and the story in it – I agree it is fascinating!
great finds, Renny! I hope someday I’ll have the chance to visit Norway!
btw Renny, if I may ask you to link this personal blog of mine? (just click this url) thank you :)
RennyBA
You welcome any time – tell me in advance as I gladly guide you around!
Your listed on my blogroll in the Link page – thanks for listing me too!
Finally I manage to fame you!
RennyBA
Thanks for Faming both Me and My Blog! I’ve returned the favor of course and you are listed on the BtF post!
So you’re an archaeologist as well, Renny! You go!! :)
RennyBA
:-) an amateur, but anyway!
I love old gravestones and graveyards … the stories they could tell!
Thanks for sharing!
RennyBA
Yea, if we took time to listen, they could tell a lot!
Wow, totally interesting. I visited many cliff dwelling of the ancients this summer in the American Southwest. I love the culture and the history behind it all. Aztec, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, etc… were all linked together in some manner. Thanks for sharing a wonderful piece of history!
RennyBA
Sounds great – wish I could go there with you.
Glad you liked it – I love to share you know:-)
Very interesting ! I have seen here a lot of very old historical things castles, churches, old graveyards it is a very interesting coast full of history due to the closeness of France just on the other side of the sea. I will report about it when I am back. Today is my last day tomorrow I will go home and miss the seagull’s screams in the early morning. There are such a lot of them that people here consider them as a serious annoyance. They steal everthing they can find even when you sit at a table and attack people !
My brain must be on holidays too, lol I just see I commented twice mustn’t have read correctly the first time !
Sooo…. Now we’re just waiting for you to take us to the Rolling Stones – behind the stage would be just fine…. *giggles*
Good night – I’m going to bed now to sleep for some hours – at 08.05 in the morning…!
I am crazy. I’ve said it before…. *giggles*
This is a very intersting post! All these old graves and we can imagine people at this time when we learn more about them with the archeologic work. Now I’m waiting for the concert of rolling Stone! I can’t wait!
Fascinating history Renny……
The photos and google location make it a very informative post….
regards Kim
WOW! Those are pretty old graves! I wonder if their spirits were hanging out there?!!
RennyBA
It was pretty and I felt a special atmosphere, yes.