Central Norway’s Largest Burial Mound Probably Contains Ship’s Grave

[By Frid Kvalpskarmo Hansen]

In late June, excavators performed what they assumed would certainly be a small examination of Herlaugshaugen, a funeral pile on the island of Leka in north-central Norway.

Herlaugshaugen is pointed out in Snorre’s legends as the last relaxing location ofKing Herlaug He picked to be hidden in this interment pile rather than sending to Harald Fairhair.

The objective of the examination was to date the interment pile extra specifically as well as possibly establish whether the interment pile might have been a ship interment. The examinations were performed by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage in partnership with the NTNU University Museum as well as the Tr øndelag County Municipality.

Seated skeletal system as well as sword

The interment pile has a size of over 60 metres as well as is just one of the biggest interment piles inNorway It was dug deep into 3 times throughout the late 18th century.

According to accounts, discovers were made back then, consisting of a sort of wall surface, iron nails, a bronze pot, pet bones, as well as a seated skeletal system with a sword.

“Unfortunately, these finds disappeared in the early 1920s. The skeleton was displayed for a while at Trondheim Cathedral School as King Herlaug, but no one knows where it went,” stated Geir Gr ønnesby, job leader for the examinations. “All the other finds are also gone. It is said that the bronze kettle was melted down to make shoe buckles,” he stated.

It has actually long been questioned whether Herlaugshaugen might have a ship, considering that both nails as well as residues of a wall surface were discovered in the 18th century. Ship interments usually consist of bigger frameworks inside the pile, such as wall surfaces as well as timbered boxes. However, no person might claim for sure.

Archaeologists are still not completely certain, however allow’s place it by doing this: It is extremely, likely that Herlaugshaugen housed a ship interment– although the ship itself has actually deteriorated away over the centuries. This year’s examinations exposed solid-sized nails.

“It is not possible to determine the exact size, but the size of the nails tells us that there was a ship,” Gr ønnesby stated. “In this kind of examination, you can discover whatever as well as absolutely nothing, as well as I can ensure you that we ought to have had a video camera prepared when the initial nail was discovered: We were with the roofing with enjoyment!”

The excavators additionally discovered residues of maintained timber, a layer including charcoal as well as an equine’s tooth. Photo: Geir Gr ønnesby, NTNU University Museum (left)

He stated that the group has actually discovered an unusual quantity from a little examination. In enhancement to nails, the excavators discovered residues of maintained timber, a layer of charcoal, as well as an equine’s tooth.

“This means that we have a good basis for dating the grave,” states Gr ønnesby. “The pile has actually been described as a Viking Age tomb, however it shares resemblances with an additional interment pile–Storhaug– that is dated to the late Merovingian duration, indicating the duration prior to theViking Age The dating will with any luck offer us with solutions pertaining to the age of the tomb.”

Hanna Geiran, Director of the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, states the discover is unbelievably amazing as well as intriguing.

“Although this is a known site, the findings from the investigation make it more likely that this could have been a ship burial. Now the findings will be reviewed, and over the summer, we will learn more about the history of this fantastic cultural heritage site,” Geiran stated.

This write-up shows up thanks to Gemini News as well as might be discovered in its initial kindhere

The viewpoints shared here are the writer’s as well as not always those of The Maritime Executive.