Prehistoric cult site uncovered along edge of a river in Norway. See the burial ground
The river waters lapped at the edge of a peninsula in Norway. Buried under the surrounding patchwork of grass, remnants of an ancient cult site sat quietly — until now.
Archaeologists uncovered the prehistoric site along a river in Sunnfjord, the Vestland County Municipality said in a May 16 news release. The site is located at a prominent spot easily visible from the water.
Digging into the dark brown soil, archaeologists unearthed remnants of structures, several graves and fire pits — indications the area was once a cult city and burial site, the release said.
The graves and cooking pits were grouped together in a small area of the site, archaeologist Andrea Skrede said in the release. The arrangement suggests that the cooking pits were used for ritual meals over 1,200 years ago.
The finds are probably from Norway’s Late Iron Age, the release said. This was a period from 400 to 800 A.D. when Nordic art flourished and “the first images of the Nordic gods” emerged, according to the National Museum of Denmark.
Archaeologists were especially interested in some nails and iron fragments uncovered from one of the graves, Lars Jølle Berge said in the release.
The nails were just over an inch long and might have come from a coffin or a boat grave, the release said. Boat graves were a burial custom where the deceased was placed inside and subsequently buried in a boat.
Boat graves were usually located near a water source during the Late Iron Age, experts said. The burial custom honored the deceased’s journey into the underworld.
Archaeologists will continue excavating the site and will more precisely date the finds, the release said.
Sunnfjord is a district in the Vestland region and about 250 miles northwest of Oslo.
Google Translate was used to translate the news release from Vestland County Municipality.
This story was originally published May 24, 2023 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Prehistoric cult site uncovered along edge of a river in Norway. See the burial ground."
