Opstad burial ground
Coordinates: 59 ° 17 '37.4 " N , 11 ° 2' 42.1" E
The 450 × 300 m measuring cemetery of Opstad ( Norwegian Opstadfeltet ) is located on both sides of the Opstadveien, the road between Grålum and Greåker, near Sarpsborg in Viken in Norway .
The Bronze Age and Iron Age burial ground with around 130 round mounds with a diameter of up to 20 m, 10 long mounds, 17 building stones , three stone circles , a grave ball and an 11 m high Treudd (triangular mound), is one of the largest in Østfold . In the years 1898 to 1901 and 1975/1976 archaeological excavations were carried out on around 70 sites. Several ravines cross the burial ground. Many burial mounds are located on these paths, especially near the top of the moraine .
In 1823 the archaeologist LD Klüwer described the monuments on Opstad. Many monoliths have been lost since then. In addition to the visible monuments, there are earth graves . Some of the oldest cremation graves in the country were found on Opstad and dated to the Early Bronze Age. Spinning whorls , game stones for board games and clay jugs were found in graves . Traces of a 20 m long house from the earlier Iron Age have also been found.
literature
- Pia Skipper Løken: Hunn, Store-Dal, Opstad, Tune-Grålum. Sporen etter ritual activity knyttet til gravfelt i Østfolds jernalder. Avhandling, Universitetet i Oslo 2002
Web links
- Opstadfeltet on ostfold.kulturnett.no (Norwegian)
- Description and pictures on ostfold-f.kommune.no (Norwegian)
- Description and pictures on vikingetidenskonger.dk (Danish)