Archaeologists in Sweden’s Halland County discovered a huge Viking Age burial mound during an excavation in the little settlement of Tvååker! They discovered 139 burials with ships, clay pots, bonfires, costume jewelry, and human and animal bones. This discovery might only be a small part of what can be found at the location.
According to Petra Nordin, project manager for the Archaeologists at the State Historical Museums, “we have only excavated about six percent of the burial field.”
In 2017, the scientific team started studying the location in Tvååker, although at first they had no idea what an amazing finding would be made. Significant discoveries were not anticipated at first, but investigators soon began to assume that the region was of great historical significance.
The site was excavated in phases because the municipality intended to build a roundabout and install new water pipes. A furnace and flint were among the first findings, but they were only forerunners to a much more important discovery.
When bones from Viking Age burials were discovered in the first year, Petra Nordin realized that the site’s significance went beyond early projections. This discovery was a turning point in our knowledge of Tvååker’s and the surrounding area’s rich history.
“We discovered five burials with layers of fire and bone remnants. Both human and canine bones were found. The scientists team stated in a press release, “Then we realized that we had to concentrate on a large Viking burial ground.”
The cemetery is ideally located on a level ridge where two important transportation routes cross. The Tvååkersån river, formerly known as Uttran, empties into Galtabäck to the east. This burial place is also crossed by the historic country road, Järnbärarvägen, which runs from Spannarp to Gamla Köpstad.
Early historical documents mention the village name Tvååker as well as other place names such as Järnmölle, Järnvirke, Gamla köpstad, Vare, Galtabäck, and Utteros.
But as Nordin notes, there is a problem since the terrain has been leveled and plowed for the growth of pastures and farmland. All above-ground structures have been destroyed, and the graves have been broken up by this action.
As a result of this widespread damage, archaeologists have been forced to rely on subsurface interpretations. Investigations have located bonfires and found what is thought to be a 50-meter-long shipwreck on top of the ridge, despite these difficulties.
A ship-shaped mound and three sizable shipwrecks were discovered by the archaeologists. With just around 6 percent of the burial field explored, a large amount is probably under contemporary structures.
According to Petra Nordin, the project’s scientific methodology makes it special.
“You already know how huge a grave is from the beginning when you labor as normal. However, the cremation sites are the main emphasis here, where we had to interpret things from below. We understood an area to be the location of a dig and a fire.
In another place, we discovered a square grave with a shard packing and three large fire pits. Iron arrowheads, woven weights, human and animal bones, and seventeen containers were found in the burial. According to her, “we thought the square was a supply air structure for an aboveground fire.”
It has frequently been challenging and troublesome for archaeologists to decipher what emerged after the earth’s masses were removed.
It’s thrilling but very challenging to search for bones and locate trenches where the raised stones could have been or the bases of mounds where the superstructure is absent. Anders Kjellin of the Archaeologists adds, “On occasion, we have used a metal detector and found objects in a place that allow us to say this is probably a grave.”
The majority of the items found at the location exhibit severe fire damage. These items include pottery, a clip of an Arab silver coin from 795 to 806 AD, and costume buckles including fibulae and clasp buckles. The earliest burials discovered at the site are consistent with this date. Alongside human remains, scientists have also discovered animal bones from pigs, dogs, cattle, and birds. It was common practice at this time to cremate the dead on a bonfire.
Cattle, such as cows, were frequently sacrificed for what are thought to be food sacrifices, and unburned animals were put on top of the cremated graves before the tombs were sealed.
Researchers still have a lot of questions in spite of these discoveries. Determining the residence of the buried during their lifetime is one of the most fascinating mysteries.
Although archaeologists are still baffled by this feature, they speculate that a settlement in Tvååker may have grown significantly in the early Viking Age. As a result, the burial field is essential to comprehending Iron Age research in this area. Although the precise site of this settlement is still unknown, Petra Nordin points out that there are a number of suggestions as to where it may have been.
The possibility that there was a Viking-era trade post at Galtabäck port or Gamla Köpstad, south of Varberg, has been discussed, among other things. Is the settlement close to the graveyard or at the mouth of Tvååker? We’re not sure. However, Nordin adds it’s intriguing to watch what will come up in the future.
Tvååkersån River
The Varberg municipality in Halland, Sweden, is home to the little yet quaint Tvååkersån river. Tvååkersån has a unique, almost personal character that makes it a tranquil location for both locals and tourists, despite its tiny size in comparison to other Scandinavian rivers.
The river flows through lush, wide farmland and attractive scenery, filled with typical Swedish cottages and barns, after starting in the woodlands and meadows of inland Halland.
Numerous fish, bird, and other animal species have made their homes in and around the river, which provides a peaceful habitat for the local fauna due to its slow-moving waters. Birdwatchers, wildlife lovers, and photographers hoping to catch a glimpse of Halland’s abundant natural beauty are drawn to this diversity.
There is also a faint historical charm to Tvååkersån. The river, which connected inland villages to the coast, was once used for local trade and transportation, as is the case with many Scandinavian waterways. The river has quietly flowed through many generations as the area around it developed and changed over the ages.
Today, it’s a place of leisure for locals—a spot for quiet walks, picnics, and the simple enjoyment of nature. In the spring and summer, the river’s banks come alive with wildflowers, creating a vibrant, colorful landscape, while autumn adds rich tones of amber and gold to the surrounding trees. And even in winter, when frost settles on its banks, Tvååkersån holds a serene, almost magical beauty.
Despite its modest size, Tvååkersån is a treasure in the center of Halland that is loved by the locals and anyone fortunate enough to encounter its understated charm.