Uppåkra Produces Marvels

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Without much fanfare, the Department of Archaeology in Lund continues its excavations at the insanely large and wealthy 1st Millennium settlement at Uppåkra parish church outside Lund. This place was clearly a royal seat and the finds are unbelievably rich both in number and quality. A week-by-week fieldwork diary in Swedish is available here, and that's where I've nicked the photographs of gold finds from recent weeks: one of two gold bracteates and a gold filigree cross pendant, all dating from c. AD 500. The two new bracteates are identical to each other and to one found at the site and published a few years ago.

At the start of excavations at Uppåkra, the wise decision was made to get urban archaeologists used to Medieval stratigraphy to do the dig. Therefore, the uniquely complicated and thick stratification at this prehistoric site is being teased apart by people who really know what they're doing. Large burnt-down long houses are appearing, several sitting on top of each other, at least one still with fire victims inside, covered by remains of collapsed wattle-and-daub walls. Digs like these make most sites that Swedish archaeologists spend their time on look like a complete waste of resources!

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Via Arkland.


One more thing: I've got seven eight entries for the Your Nearest Site carnival now. Gimme two a single one more and it goes live!


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I don't think there's anyting on-site, but Uppåkra is only ten minutes' bike ride from the archaeological museum in central Lund. They exhibit a lot of Uppåkra goodies.

I would recommedn anyone to go to Uppåkra in order to try to fathom the vast area of the site. It is incredible!