Just north of the church in Tungelsta you will find a grave field from the Late Iron Age. It consists of 25 stone graves. The people living in the village, close to the burial site, were farmers and hunters. The dead were cremated on funeral pyres. In one grave here archeologist have found remains from a bear. The conclusion is that the person who was cremated here was resting on a bearskin. After the cremation, the bones were put in a a clay urn and a tomb were built over the cremation layer. The modern brick church was built in 1974.
Taphophile Tragics.
14 comments:
Thats very interesting about the Bear Skin!!
There are not many places that can boast of an iron age graveyard - with a seventies church included!
Can you still see anything of the tombs/graves. I find these sites really interesting.
Fascinating burial practice. I wonder if the Stone Age people could dig through the frozen ground during the winter.
My husband watches all the 'digging' shows on the History channel and there are so many interesting stories like this.
What an interesting place. I find it incredible that our remains last so long. I'd like to see more of this cemetery, take us for a walk around.
I love stories like this! So good that all concerned respect and care for the site.
Not with all the snow Ann, I might go back later in the year, if I do I will post a comment here about it. Probably not Oakland.
Interesting traditions. I like the look of the church too.
Very interesting post Steffe, what a great find!
Great post!
Pardon my ignorance, Steffe, but when was the Iron Age? I will go look it up. Aha .. about 250AD to about 500AD is the LIA, more recent than I had thought.
Yes, please, I would love for you to go back when there is less snow. The entire area looks fascinating.
Is that a Christian church built on the site? I wonder why that was allowed. Did you replace an already existing Christian church?
Really enjoyed this post today, Steffe. I apologise for being so tardy in my visits to everyone this week. Things just got on top of me a little. I do enjoy and appreciate the many and varied posts that I read, none moreson that this one. Thank you.
Actually, there was a plant nursery here on the property where you today can see the church. It was owned by two families over the years. My sisters husbands family, the Klasenius owned it for many years. I have a photo of Svenerik standing on that new found rune stone from last year. The other family was called Pettersson. The one remaining Pettersson now lives in Canada since 40 years or so, and he reads this blog most every day. A few years ago he asked me to take a photo of his parents gravestone which was the first one at the cemetery here. And it is a Christian church.
cool, the bear skin!
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