During our stay in Southern Sweden we visited some archaeological sites
I love old stones !
Blekinge’s largest rock carving
At Horsahallen, near Torhamn,
more than 200 figures were carved during the Bronze Age.
The number of figures shows that the place must have been
an important gathering spot for worship.
More about rock carvings here:
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Intricate stone bild labyrinths are found in several places in Sweden,
their age is uncertain,they may be very old
but were also used in the Middle Ages.
They are called Trelleborgen.
We found this one at Vittaryd, Småland
It has 8 walls and the entrance is oriented to the west.
Only a few decades ago it was still possible to find old people who remembered how they used to walk in the ‘Trelleborg’ when they were young.
More about Swedish labyrinths here:
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Also at Vittaryd, Johanneshus, there is an ancient cementry containing 55 ancient monuments and mounds. The mounds are considered to be the latest grave form of the Iron ages, used during the so-called Viking Age (800 - AD). At burial the deceased has first been cremated on a pyre, after which the ashes and bone remains have been gathered in an urn. Urns along with grave goods have been placed in the graves.
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On the Island of Bolmsö (Småland), there are also a lot of old graves and stones.
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The decorated stone ball or rune stone found atop Inglinge Hög or Mound (Ingelstad, Småland) arouses one’s sense of wonder. The granite was shaped by a stonecutter and given a pattern that is symmetrical and creates a sense of motion. Runic inscriptions in Småland inform us that women’s names included Ingeborg, Må, Torlöv and Rodälv, men’s name included Torger, Anund, Sven and Götrad.
According to stories, someone named King Inge (or Queen Inge ?) is buried under this large mound.
Large mounds such as Inglinge Hög are one of the signs that society became increasingly divided during the latter Iron Age. The grave monument shows that this place was of particular importance to the people of the time. The man or woman who is buried here was an important person who probably lived in a dwelling somewhere nearby. The large grave field was a central place for the people of Värend, one of the “Small lands” (eventually called Småland ). During the Iron Age, power and importance were connected to people and families rather than particular areas. Värend was not a country with borders, the designation of important places in the “Small lands” in those times varied depending on who or what was influential at the time.
Different people and functions in society can sometimes be traced to the old place names. For example the place called Törsjo you find the word Tor (Thor) and sjö (lake)
