Archaeologists in Sweden have uncovered the grave of a woman buried between 8th and 9th century AD, during the early Viking Age, at a site that had already been inhabited more than two thousand years earlier. The discovery was made in Rogsta, a village southwest of Stockholm, where a large burial field was found built on top of a Bronze Age settlement.
The burial field contained around 70 graves, used from the early Iron Age through the Viking Age. Beneath these graves, researchers uncovered evidence of extensive Bronze Age activity, including a settlement and a bronze foundry dating back to around 1300 BC.
Archaeologists working on the site – photo courtesy Arkeologerna / Swedish Ministry of Environment
“It is a large area that has been used for a long time,” said Louise Evanni, project manager at Arkeologerna. “We knew that there were graves and sherd mounds from before, but it was a surprise that the Bronze Age remains, which lie beneath the graves, were so extensive and exciting.”
A Woman’s Final Rest
Among the most significant finds was the burial of a woman whose cremated remains were interred in an urn. Before being cremated, she had been dressed with a set of glass beads and placed on a pyre along with personal belongings. After her body was burned, the ashes and fragments from the pyre were gathered into a small urn and placed in the burial field, marked by a rounded stone setting and a burial globe.
Shield handle fitting – photo courtesy Arkeologerna / Swedish Ministry of Environment
Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the grave indicates that the woman was buried between 780 and 883 AD—making her one of the last individuals laid to rest in the Rogsta cemetery, which had been in use for several centuries.
Life Before the Vikings
Long before it became a burial ground, the site had been home to Bronze Age settlers. Excavations revealed traces of domestic life and craftsmanship, including pottery and tools. The most notable find was a bronze needle, remarkably well preserved thanks to the pastureland’s undisturbed soil.
Stone bead – – photo courtesy Arkeologerna / Swedish Ministry of Environment
“We found a lot of pottery, other objects and a bronze needle,” Evanni explained. “The metal finds were in very good condition because it was mainly pasture land and they were well protected because the area was not plowed or cultivated.”
The excavation was carried out in 2024 ahead of construction work for the Ostlänken high-speed railway project. The findings are now published in the report Brons- och järnålder i Rogsta – arkeologi inför Ostlänken, which documents the site’s long history of human activity—from its earliest settlement over 3,000 years ago to the burials of the early Viking Age.
Top Image: Remains of an urn – photo courtesy Arkeologerna / Swedish Ministry of Environment
Archaeologists in Sweden have uncovered the grave of a woman buried between 8th and 9th century AD, during the early Viking Age, at a site that had already been inhabited more than two thousand years earlier. The discovery was made in Rogsta, a village southwest of Stockholm, where a large burial field was found built on top of a Bronze Age settlement.
The burial field contained around 70 graves, used from the early Iron Age through the Viking Age. Beneath these graves, researchers uncovered evidence of extensive Bronze Age activity, including a settlement and a bronze foundry dating back to around 1300 BC.
“It is a large area that has been used for a long time,” said Louise Evanni, project manager at Arkeologerna. “We knew that there were graves and sherd mounds from before, but it was a surprise that the Bronze Age remains, which lie beneath the graves, were so extensive and exciting.”
A Woman’s Final Rest
Among the most significant finds was the burial of a woman whose cremated remains were interred in an urn. Before being cremated, she had been dressed with a set of glass beads and placed on a pyre along with personal belongings. After her body was burned, the ashes and fragments from the pyre were gathered into a small urn and placed in the burial field, marked by a rounded stone setting and a burial globe.
Radiocarbon dating of charcoal from the grave indicates that the woman was buried between 780 and 883 AD—making her one of the last individuals laid to rest in the Rogsta cemetery, which had been in use for several centuries.
Life Before the Vikings
Long before it became a burial ground, the site had been home to Bronze Age settlers. Excavations revealed traces of domestic life and craftsmanship, including pottery and tools. The most notable find was a bronze needle, remarkably well preserved thanks to the pastureland’s undisturbed soil.
“We found a lot of pottery, other objects and a bronze needle,” Evanni explained. “The metal finds were in very good condition because it was mainly pasture land and they were well protected because the area was not plowed or cultivated.”
The excavation was carried out in 2024 ahead of construction work for the Ostlänken high-speed railway project. The findings are now published in the report Brons- och järnålder i Rogsta
– arkeologi inför Ostlänken, which documents the site’s long history of human activity—from its earliest settlement over 3,000 years ago to the burials of the early Viking Age.
Top Image: Remains of an urn – photo courtesy Arkeologerna / Swedish Ministry of Environment
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