Ullandhaug Iron Age Farm
The Iron Age farm Ullandhaug ( Norwegian Jernaldergården på Ullandhaug ) is a farm complex near Stavanger in Rogaland in Norway with longhouses from the Nordic Iron Age (around 350-550 AD). Large stable houses , as they also occur elsewhere, experience local forms in northern Atlantic Europe , initially in Norway, and later also in Iceland and Greenland .
On a southern slope of the Ullandhaug sloping down to the fjord , three houses stand at the point where they were excavated in 1967 and 1968 under the direction of Bjern Myhre. The remains of the flat, overgrown ramparts are clearly visible in the area. Three long houses, two about 35 m and one 45 m, surrounded a courtyard, the open side of which was limited to the fjord by a low wall. During the excavation, facts could be obtained about the construction of the houses, which the responsible persons considered sufficient to risk a reconstruction.
Findings and reconstruction
Outer wall
After the fallen stones had been cleared away, the lowest stone layers of the outer wall, which had remained in their original position, came to light, from which one could see the structure of the approximately one meter thick wall using clamshell technology . A filling of stones of different sizes lay between bowls made of larger and smaller stones. The original height of the walls could be determined by installing all the stones again - initially in drawings, later actually. The result was a height of about 1.5 m.
Interior walls
However, this strong wall did not have the task of supporting the roof, which would be possible with an interior width between 4.5 and 5.5 m. This task was incumbent on two rows of inner posts that divided the narrow space into three aisles. In addition to the post pits , there was evidence of another wooden structure. A ditch in front of the inner wall with wedge stones in it indicates that the interior was delimited by a wall of vertical planks. It should have been strong enough to take the rest of the roof load. Other excavation findings that show the load-bearing function of palisade walls, for example Iron Age boathouses ( Naust ) on the Norwegian coast, also justify this assumption .
Roof scaffolding
A construction was chosen for the roof-bearing inner framework in which two uprights were connected with a crossbeam and, together with the pair of rafters placed on top, form a "bundle". The containers were connected by longitudinal bars. There is an old container-building tradition (grindbygg) in Norway, which continues into modern times. It is therefore obvious that this tradition goes back to the Migration Period and perhaps even further. Two archaeological observations helped with the reconstruction of the roof. From the lack of the interior studs at the ends, it could be concluded that the pairs of rafters and the roof ridge end earlier. Accordingly, it cannot be a roof with steep gable walls, but only a roof with a full hip at both ends.
cover
How steep a roof is laid out depends on what it is covered with. The remains of burnt birch bark that were found helped further. Birch bark (Never) is a building material for peat or sod roofs. Applied in several layers to a wooden roof cladding made of boards, it is crucial for waterproofing. The sod pack is placed on the birch bark. Sod roofs are usually inclined around 25 degrees.
use
In no other place in Norway have buildings been reconstructed from the original floor plans. Their fire pits have been preserved and are still in use. Craft techniques and archaeological research methods are demonstrated here. The system can also be rented for closed companies. The excavation area also includes a burial mound from the Bronze Age and numerous graves from the older and younger Iron Age.
literature
- Claus Ahrens: Reconstructed prehistoric times - Archaeological open-air museums in Europe . Wachholtz, Neumünster 1990, ISBN 3-529-01838-4
Web links
- With an article about the Ullandhaug (PDF; 355 kB)
Coordinates: 58 ° 56 ′ 29 " N , 5 ° 41 ′ 38.2" E