Archaeologists conducting excavations ahead of the construction of a new section of Road 940 between Rösan and Forsbäck in Onsala, northern Halland, have uncovered evidence of an ancient agricultural landscape dating back more than 2,000 years.
The excavations revealed extensive traces of prehistoric farmland and three large stone monuments which may date back to the Late Bronze Age or early Iron Age. The discoveries are bringing new insights into how prehistoric communities organised their agricultural activity and interacted with the landscape.
The site is separated by Skällaredsvägen and there is evidence of cultivation in the way of clearing cairns, terrace edges, cultivation layers, and a remarkable stone line stretching about 260 metres across the terrain. Archaeologists think this may have served as a boundary marker or barrier to prevent grazing animals from entering cultivated areas.
One of the most interesting discoveries was a group of three large stone structures on a hill above the farmland. Such monuments are considered burial sites; excavators did not find human remains or graves in any of these structures.
The archaeologists stated, “only a small number of artefacts were recovered from the stone settings, including a hammerstone, flint fragments, a scraper and part of a core,”
The monuments were important in the prehistoric landscape, despite the lack of burials, the researchers say. Because of their prominence and careful construction, their presence was symbolic or ritual in nature for the communities that farmed the surrounding land.
More evidence of settlement was found in the form of pits and hearths scattered over the site. Pottery fragments from several features have been tentatively dated to the pre-Roman Iron Age, indicating that people lived and worked in the area during this time.
Among the finds were soot-covered ceramic shards that may have come from a cooking vessel, providing a glimpse into everyday life in prehistoric Onsala.
The stone monuments and agricultural features should be seen as part of a single, interconnected landscape. The stone settings may have been territorial markers—they reinforce claims to cultivated land and also serve ceremonial purposes related to fertility and successful harvests.
As the archaeological team said, “The remains in Onsala provide a unique opportunity to understand the ritual dimensions of the agricultural landscape,”
Sources : Arkeologerna
