2,500-year-old burial mound for elite woman uncovered in Sweden. See its treasures
Brushing away some dirt in southern Sweden, archaeologists carefully revealed a 2,500-year-old gravesite of an elite woman. Photos show a few of its treasures.
Archaeologists spent several months surveying and excavating a massive swath of land in Trelleborg, city officials said in a Sept. 30 news release. The area — spanning roughly 2.1 million square feet — was chosen as the site of a new correctional facility.
The excavation uncovered countless finds spanning thousands of years.
One of the most unique finds was a Bronze Age burial mound likely belonging to a wealthy, important woman, officials said. Inside, archaeologists found a bronze dagger, bronze bracelets and two gold rings.
A photo shows one of these rings. It looks almost like a delicate gold spring and still seems slightly shiny.
Another photo shows the blue-green bangles still partially buried. The bracelets appear quite fragmented.
Archaeologists did not specify the burial’s exact age but dated it to the Nordic Bronze Age, a period that ended about 2,500 years ago, according to the Large Norwegian Encyclopedia.
Excavations also uncovered a well-preserved 4,000-year-old home, officials said. The Stone Age dwelling had tools, pottery and arrowheads scattered around, suggesting it was abandoned suddenly.
Other finds included a cellar pit from the Neolithic age as well as graves and houses from the Iron Age.
Archaeologists finished excavations in Trelleborg but plan to continue documenting and analyzing their finds.
Trelleborg is a coastal town in southern Sweden, a roughly 400-mile drive southwest of Stockholm and across the water from Denmark.
Google Translate was used to translate the news releases from the Trelleborg Municipality and article from the Large Norwegian Encyclopedia.
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 2:37 PM with the headline "2,500-year-old burial mound for elite woman uncovered in Sweden. See its treasures."
