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In the provinces of Östergötland and Västergötland, a small group of women’s graves dating to around AD 100 have been found containing long pins, either singly or in pairs. These pins, made of bronze, often feature a distinctively decorated “head”.
Life was harsh for children in the Viking Age. Only about half of them reached the age of ten; their greatest enemies were disease and injury. At the Swedish History Museum you can learn the fate of one child, The Birka Girl.
An unusually rich female grave from the Roman Iron Age was uncovered in a burial cairn during excavations in 1979. The items, dating from around the 2nd century AD, shed light on Iron Age society in south-eastern Västergötland.
This famous little crucifix was discovered in a wealthy woman’s grave in Birka. She had probably worn it as a pendant around her neck. Dating from the 9th century, it is the oldest crucifix known in Sweden. Its form and workmanship suggest that it was made by a Scandinavian smith who was more accustomed to working with pagan animal ornamentation.
Eating is not solely a matter of survival. For many, food is also a source of pleasure, a way to add colour to life, or an opportunity to socialise with others. There is also a long-standing connection between food and religion.
Both the Icelandic sagas and the earliest regional laws provide evidence about thralls during the Viking Age. In Old Norse, female slaves were called ambátt and male slaves þræll.
When it comes to gold finds, Timrå is the richest parish in Medelpad, Sweden. The Sundsvall region, with its rivers Indalsälven and Ljungan, was well-connected to a wealthy hinterland.
In depictions of people from the Iron Age, one is struck by how carefully the hair is rendered. Even when the body is schematic, the faces roughly drawn, or the format very small, the hair and hairstyles are shown in clear detail.
One day in 1818, a labourer named Lundström was digging gravel from a stone mound when he suddenly came across something unexpected: a bronze vase from the Roman Empire. Inside it were burnt bones and melted lumps of glass.
Gold objects from the Iron Age have come to light both through excavations and by sheer chance. In this way, archaeologists as well as ditch-diggers have contributed to the collections of the Swedish History Museum.
Objects from the Roman Empire made their way as far as Scandinavia during the Roman Iron Age. Among the finds are bronze and glass vessels, statuettes, and coins.
There are many archaeological traces of the cult and rituals of Old Norse religion. Archeologists have found remains of burial rites, sacrifices and cult houses where ceremonies to the god were held.
The Gold Room in the Swedish History Museum contain several large gold rings. They were designed to be head and neck rings, and at the same time to constitute a form of "savings account".
Most rune stones were carved in the Viking Age, but runes had been used in Scandinavia many hundreds of years earlier. About 2,500 runestones have been found in Sweden, of which roughly 1,300 are in the Uppland province.
The Gerum cloak is the oldest preserved item of clothing ever discovered within the present-day borders of Sweden. Damage to the cloak suggests that its owner was murdered approximately 2,300 years ago.
The Nordic Iron Age is the period between 500 BC and AD 1100. Järnålder kallas tiden mellan 500 före Kristus till 1100 efter Kristus. Farming, trade and new ideas from the Roman Empire influenced life in both southern and northern Sweden. The end of this period is known as the Viking Age.
In 1993, a man discovered twelve iron objects buried in the ground at Kråknäset, just outside Torsåker in Gästrikland. They revealed high-quality craftsmanship spanning 600 years.
In archaeology, there are several methods for both relative and absolute dating.
Learn about the Viking Age, a historical period during the Iron Age.
Discover fascinating articles and objects in the museum's knowledge database, the History hub.
Captivating stories about people and objects from prehistoric times.
See unique gold and silver jewels and sparkling treasures.
Join us on a journey to the Viking Age. See 2,500 original artifacts, learn about trade, travel, and beliefs – and discover how the Vikings really lived.
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