Viking Chieftains' Graves Uncovered in Solna: Beneath the Tides of the Past

Mellanjärvsgravfältet is an archaeological site in Solna commune, Stockholm County, Sweden, home to around 175 visible graves dating back to the young Iron Age. Located on the western slope of Stockholm’s hill and stretching down to modern motorway Uppsalavägen, the graveyard likely served as a cemetery for the frequenting chieftains of Vendel Age and Viking Age. The sea level during the young Iron Age was around five meters higher than it is today, with Frösundet or Fröfjärden, 150 meters south of the gravefield, serving as a bay of the Baltic Sea. During excavations, items such as ceramics, brickwork, bone combs, needles, amber, glass beads, and bronze beads were found, with one grave even containing part of a gilded bronze plaque depicting an animal head. Today, visitors can still see visible graves, stone settings, a ship-shaped grave, and mounds.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons