Archaeologists from Arkeologerna have been investigating the remains of several longhouses and Iron Age farms in Stora Hammar, Sweden.
The site is situated on the outskirts of Höllviken in southwestern Skåne, where new housing developments are planned for late 2024.
The area around Stora Hammar has been occupied since the Prehistoric period, with various stages of settlement dating to the Iron Age, Viking Age, Medieval, and up to present-day.
In a recent study, archaeologists found traces of longhouses, pits, hearths, and postholes, that date from the Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Roman Iron Age (around 500 BC to AD 400).
The longhouses are located adjacent to a large settlement of over 50 dwellings, which emerged due to settlement’s strategic trading location with access to both the Öresund and the Baltic Sea.
“The site we are investigating is likely a continuation of the building complex that was excavated more than 10 years ago. We are at the easternmost edge of the settlement”, said Fredrik Strandmark from Arkeologerna .
According to a press statement issued by Arkeologerna, excavations also unearthed a head-shaped pendant or fitting from the Viking Age (circa AD 800 to 1050), buckles from the Middle Ages (AD 1050 to 1500), ceramics from various periods, and a glass object dating to the Migration Period (AD 400 to 550).
“It’s a fascinating environment with numerous old communication routes passing through the area. We even have evidence of an ancient road visible in old maps,” Strandmark adds, emphasising the site’s strategic and coastal significance for trade.
Header Image Credit : Arkeologerna, SHM
Sources : Arkeologerna
