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Unique crystal amulet, known as an alsengem, unearthed during excavations of medieval Kalmar. Source: Arkeologerna

30,000 Artifacts Found At Medieval Town of Kalmar, Sweden

A whopping 30,000 artifacts dating back to between 1250 and 1650 have been unearthed during excavations in medieval Kalmar, a town in southeastern Sweden. This includes a 15th-century gold ring...
The chamber under excavation. East side mould removed. The plastic tubes are samples for environmental DNA. Source: Karl-Göran Sjögren / University of Gothenburg

Missing Body Parts from 5000-Year-Old Dolmen in Sweden Poses Intriguing Questions

The first analysis results now confirm that the grave in Tiarp is one of the oldest stone burial chambers in Sweden . “It’s an early grave which dates to the Early Neolithic period, about 3500 BC,”...
Burial of tall medieval man with longsword in Sweden.          Source: Kulturmiljö Halland

Huge 500-Year-Old Longsword Recovered from Medieval Grave on Swedish Coast

Researchers digging at the Lilla Torg site in the western Swedish port city of Halmstad unearthed something extraordinarily rare. While excavating a grave in a medieval era cemetery, archaeologists...
Top, an X-ray image reveals carious lesions on posterior molars. Bottom, a filed hole from the crown of the tooth into the pulp. Source: Carolina Bertilsson and Henrik Lund/PLoS ONE

Viking Age Dental Care Was Surprisingly Good, Says Study

Viking Age teeth from Varnhem bear witness to surprisingly advanced dentistry in the Norse population there. The findings of a study carried out at the University of Gothenburg reveal a complex...
Victim of the Battle of Visby in 1361. Source: Gotland Excursion

The Harrowing Remains of the Battle of Visby's Medieval Massacre

The Battle of Visby was a violent medieval battle near the town of Visby on the Swedish island of Gotland, fought between the inhabitants of Gotland and the Danes, with the latter emerging victorious...
Experts claim this may be Europe’s oldest artillery cannon found off the coast of Sweden. Source: Bo Niklasson/Bohusläns museum/University of Gothenburg

Europe’s Oldest Artillery Cannon Found Off the Coast of Sweden

A shipboard cannon, found off the west coast of Sweden, may be the oldest piece of artillery ever found in Europe! Discovered in the waters off Marstrand, the cannon has been crafted from cast copper...
Lake monster. Source: scaliger / Adobe Stock.

The Enigma of Sweden's Great Lake Beast (Video)

Sweden's Great Lake monster, often referred to as "Storsjöodjuret" or the Storsjö Lake Monster , is a legendary creature said to inhabit the depths of Lake Storsjön in Jämtland County. Similar to...
Artist’s reconstruction of the Swedish shaman. Photography by Gert Germeraad, Trelleborgs Museum.

Sweden's Exceptional 7,000-Year-Old Burial That Defied Tradition (Video)

The discovery of 'Burial XXII' in Sweden during the early 1980s generated considerable excitement among archaeologists. This unique Mesolithic grave , located in Skateholm on the southern coast,...
Remarkable Kville petroglyphs found in Sweden. Source: Foundation for Documentation of Bohuslän's Rock Carvings

Stunning 2,700-Year-Old Petroglyphs Found Hidden Under Moss in Sweden

Researchers combing through the countryside near the municipality of Tanum in the province of Bohuslän along Sweden’s western coastline were shocked to discover a set of approximately 40 petroglyphs...
Kulning is an ancient singing technique that calls cattle back from the pastures. Source: Iurii Seleznev / Adobe Stock.

Ancient Nordic Chant to Call Cattle is Hauntingly Beautiful (Video)

Kulning, the ancient Nordic chant to call cattle, is a singing technique that has been passed down through generations. Historically, it was used by Norse women in Sweden to call their cattle back...
One of the mysterious medieval ships found in Sweden. Source: Arkeologerna

Sweden’s Mysterious Shipwrecks Found Full of Medieval Household Goods

When underwater archaeologists discovered the sunken ruins of two medieval-era ships in Sweden’s Baltic Sea coastal waters last spring, they knew it would take some time to find answers explaining...
The Kalmar sword in situ where it was found. The tip is broken. Maybe in connection with battle? Source: Arkeologerna

This Rare Battle-Sword Just Found in Sweden Is “An Evolutionary Leap”

Researchers in Sweden were excavating a 400-year-old cellar floor when they came across this “rare” battle-sword from the Military Revolution. Archaeologists from Arkeologerna were digging at the...
Facial reconstruction of axe-wounded Visby warrior. Source: Cicero Moraes

Axe-Wounded Visby Warrior Brought to Life Over 600 Years Later

A medieval warrior’s skull, recovered from a mass grave outside Visby, a city on the Swedish island of Gotland, has been brought to life by a digital artist. Killed in the 1361 AD Battle of Visby, in...
The silver hoard of neck rings, arm rings and coins found in Sweden.	Source: Acta Konserveringscentrum / The Archaeologists

Rare Viking Treasure Hoard Unearthed In Sweden

Archaeologists in Sweden have unearthed a rare Viking treasure hoard. Found beneath what was a wooden floor, the collection of silver jewellery and coins tell a story of international trade almost...
The moment a Viking sword was excavated from a burial mound near Köping, Sweden Source: Arkeologerna Statens historiska museer

Viking Swords and Bear Claws Discovered in Sweden

Archaeologists in Sweden have discovered a Viking Age burial with bear claws and two swords that look to have served as grave markers. The two Viking Age swords were found by archaeologists...
The Runamo Runes: The Mysterious Runic Inscription that Never Was!

The Runamo Runes: The Mysterious Runic Inscription that Never Was!

Before the invention of paper, humanity often inscribed words, symbols, and images onto the living stone of the surrounding landscape. These images, often commemorating significant cultural events or...
Odin and his brothers defeated Ymir in Norse mythology, and used his body to create Midgard. Odin’s symbol, a raven, seen superimposed on a cosmic background.	Source: jozefklopacka / Adobe Stock

Ymir in Norse Mythology: A Cosmic Creation Story

The story of Ymir and the creation of the universe typifies the emphasis on sacrifice as a theme, in Nordic myth and in creation stories around the world. In Norse mythology, Ymir was the primeval...
Queen Christina of Sweden kept a specially made tiny flea cannon to ward of tiny intruders. Source: Public domain

Queen Christina of Sweden Kept an Itty-Bitty Flea Cannon by Her Bed

If you haven’t heard of the renegade 17th century Queen Christina of Sweden, you’re in for a treat. Remembered for breaking gender norms and abdicating the throne to avoid marriage, Queen Christina...
Coffee beans next to a skull. Source: karnstocks / Adobe Stock

When Sweden’s King Ordered a Clinical Trial of Coffee on Prisoners

Between Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, coffee is everywhere. If you’re a coffee lover, you may have wondered about how coffee came to be throughout history. In early times, however, some people...
Viking ships like these were built, serviced, loaded, and unloaded at Viking shipyards across Scandinavia, and the recent Birka Viking shipyard discovery is a "first of its kind” in the world of Viking ports.	Source: Dimart_Graphics / Adobe Stock

Unique Viking Shipyard Found Showing A “Maritime Cultural Landscape”

An archaeological investigation of maritime remains connected to the Viking Age town of Birka in Sweden carried out since August 2020 has revealed a “first of its kind” Viking shipyard. Birka, also...
Reconstruction of Stone Age woman discovered in Sweden. Source: Oscar Nilsson

Recreating the Face of a 4,000-Year-Old Stone Age Woman

A highly-skilled 3D artist has brought back to life a 4,000-year-old Stone Age woman’s skull. This story can only be written after 300 grueling hours of work by archaeologist and artist Oscar Nilsson...
Divers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden at the site of the Swedish cog ship shipwreck off the west coast of the country, which is one of the oldest cog shipwrecks ever found in Europe. (University of Gothenburg / PHYS)

800-Year-Old Cog Shipwreck Found off Swedish Coast is One of The Oldest

Divers have discovered the oldest Swedish cog ship in Bohuslän province, and one of the oldest cog shipwrecks ever found European waters. The shipwreck of the Swedish cog ship was found off the coast...
In this painting by Joseph Kranzinger Marie Antoinette is 16 years old. It was only later that the Marie Antoinette letters of love were written to the count, when she was unhappy in her marriage.   Source: Joseph Kranzinger / Public domain

X-ray Reveals Someone Censored Marie Antoinette’s Letters

A team of scientists has x-rayed Marie Antoinette’s letters to the Swedish count, Axel von Fersen, which were part of an affair as Marie was married at the time. Now, not only has a new way to unveil...
Lost Swedish Mythical Castle Found In Dry Lake By Clever Archaeologist

Lost Swedish Mythical Castle Found In Dry Lake By Clever Archaeologist

Lost for over three centuries, the so-called Swedish mythical castle of Sörby has been rediscovered in an ancient, ritualized landscape knitted together with sacrificed humans, animals and over a...

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