<< Our Photo Pages >> Garberg - Barrow Cemetery in Norway in Oppland
Submitted by kenntha88 on Sunday, 14 November 2010 Page Views: 2643
Neolithic and Bronze AgeSite Name: Garberg Alternative Name: EinangenCountry: Norway
NOTE: This site is 0.194 km away from the location you searched for.
Fylke: Oppland Type: Barrow Cemetery
Nearest Town: Slidre Nearest Village: Lillehammer
Latitude: 61.090821N Longitude: 9.007673E
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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lichen visited on 22nd Jun 2017 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 3
The Garberg burial cemetery is probably the largest barrow cemetery in Norway, and one of the largest in Scandinavia. Covering more than 2 square kilometres, the Garberg in Vestre Slidre in Valdres is of great archeological variety. It may well contain more than 1000 burial mounds and cairns.
About 550 of these burials have been excavated. The more than 900 finds date back to period stretching from the Roman iron age to towards the viking age. (about 800ad) The majority of the finds has been dated back to early iron age. It has not been fond any artifacts dated to any later period than about 850AD. Valdres had a considerable iron and coal production before, during and after the iron age. Among the finds is a Roman style sword from the early iron age with a stamp containing letters in latin, probably the signature stamp of the maker, suggesting the people buried here had trade contacts far outside this area!
In one part of the site there is a stone, which may have been used in ritual or sacrificial activities. It has more than 70 cup-marks, and is believed to be from the Bronze age. It should suggest that this area has been populated for a very long time, as early as bronze age! Unfortunately I could not find the stone on my trip because its located in a area of the burial cemetery that is overgrown with small brush and smaller and large trees. Close to the stone there are houses from the 17th century. People have probably been farming in this area for 4-5000 years.
In the part with the forest is cleared are 8 larger burial cairns, they vary from 10 to 18 metres in diameter, and from 1 to 2 metres in height. The Einang Rune stone is on top of one of these cairns. In the main part of the cemetery, the cairns vary is size from only 3 to about 17 metres in diameter. You cant walk for 1 minute without seeing several of them spread around on the forest floor!
The area has several charcoal pits, probably been used in the process of making iron, the pits vary in size from about 1 to 5 metres in diameter and from 1 to 2 metres deep.
In the south-east end, just outside the cemetery is three house foundation marks, they have been dated to early iron age. I could not find these housings because of the very thick vegetation.
The runestone Einangssteinen is located in the very southern end of this extensive burial cemetery, it is in a small area which contains some of the largest burial cairns. This small part of the total cemetery is the only part made easy for visitors to visit. The largest part of the burial cemetery is located north of the road leading trough the site, it is however located in areas with very thick forest growth, and it is hard to get good photos, however if you walk inside the forest, burial cairns litter the ground!
It is 1700 years since Gudgjest carved the runes on the Einang stone. Where had he The roman sword stamped with the smith`s mark and name ended up on the Garberg site at the same time. A people wealthy both culturally and materially lived here. At this time, beacons on mountaintops seen from miles were set aflame to warn of unrest or war. The best known beacon, Olberg, is strategically placed and visible on the other side of lake Slidrefjorden, opposite of the Garberg site.
The site is in a beautiful location overlooking the Slidre valley down below, and the surrounding mountains. A trip here is well recommended!
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