<< Our Photo Pages >> Birkas fornborg - Hillfort in Sweden in Uppland
Submitted by Ogneslav on Tuesday, 24 October 2017 Page Views: 4873
Iron Age and Later PrehistorySite Name: Birkas fornborgCountry: Sweden Landskap: Uppland Type: Hillfort
Nearest Town: Södertälje
Latitude: 59.333300N Longitude: 17.544150E
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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External Links:
According to archaeological excavations in 1996-97 this hillfort was built in connection with the foundation of the town of Birka, around 790 AD, and was in use until the beginning of the 11th century, probably even after Birka was abandoned. The wooden palisade with parapet for guards crowned the rampart.
Around 350m in length, 2-3 m in height and 3-5 m in width semicircular rampart with three entrances from North, North-East and South surrounds the highest point of Birka where the Ansgar Cross, erected in 1834 in commemoration of a millennium of Ansgar's mission, stands now. No defense wall was needed on the South-West side as cliff drops there into Lake Mälar.
Researchers in Sweden claim to have found Arabic characters, including 'Allah' woven into burial costumes from Viking boat graves. The discovery raises new questions about the influence of Islam in Scandinavia, more details in the comment on our page
Note: New Book: The Archaeology of Touchstones, An introduction based on finds from Birka, Sweden. Free to view online, see the most recent comment on our page
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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
547m NE 50° Hemlanden* Barrow Cemetery
1.2km ESE 117° Kärrbacka Cairn* Cairn
3.2km NNW 345° Skopintull* Round Barrow(s)
6.7km ENE 65° Sånga 70:1 Cairn
9.1km ESE 119° Nyckelby* Standing Stone (Menhir)
12.4km N 5° Vallbyåsen* Standing Stones
19.6km ESE 118° Slagsta Hällristning* Rock Art
19.9km N 2° Rösaring* Carving
20.0km NNE 12° Upplands-Bro* Carving
20.1km E 85° Björklunds hage* Barrow Cemetery
20.2km WNW 282° Ytterselö 147:1* Barrow Cemetery
21.2km WNW 288° Åsa skeppssättning* Stone Circle
21.4km ESE 109° Skärholmen Domarringen* Stone Circle
22.0km WNW 290° Sverker Runestone* Carving
27.9km NE 43° Smedby* Sculptured Stone
28.4km NE 44° Zamores kulle* Barrow Cemetery
28.6km NE 45° Hammarby 154:1* Sculptured Stone
29.7km E 91° Medelhavsmuseet Museum Museum
29.8km E 92° Gamla stans runsten* Carving
30.3km NNE 32° Runsa (Upplands-Väsby)* Stone Circle
30.5km E 91° Museum of Far Eastern Antiquities* Museum
31.0km E 90° Historiska Museet* Museum
31.2km ENE 59° Täby* Carving
32.9km NNE 17° Sigtuna U 389* Sculptured Stone
33.1km NNE 17° Sigtuna U 390* Sculptured Stone
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