A King's Grave in Uppland the Larger

Ottar's mound in Vendels socken in Tierps kommun in Uppland dates back to the elder Vendel period. According to local beliefs, it may be the burial place of a king named Ottar, who is thought to be linked to the Saga king Ottar Vendelkråka. The mound, measuring 37 meters in diameter and 6 meters high, is classified as a grave site, as it is believed to be the burial place of a king. Around it lies a cemetery from the same time period. The mound was excavated in 1914 and 1916, with a wooden casket filled with ashes found in the center.

The casket had bronze bands and traces of gilding. Amongst the ashes were found the remains of a man and a woman, as well as offerings of animals like a dog and a bird. While the finds were relatively sparse, they were of good quality. Some metal fragments were found that resembled the press bricks that had been discovered in the Vendel period graves in the vicinity. A notable find was a chamber with a box amongst the grave items.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons