Historic places in Viby
For those of you who live in or are visiting Viby, I have made a map with reference to some historical places. The time period covered is from 6000BCE (BCE=before year zero) to 1050CE (CE=after year zero). I want to describe visible memories (e.g. burial grounds), important objects and their place of discovery, the history of important farms, etc. In addition, sites for archaeological excavations that usually lack visible remains but whose history is interesting.
A brief instruction
1 To get larger text and clearer images (full screen), you should click on the "Slideshow" button above (applies to Google environment). Any return to the normal screen is done with "Esc".
2 The overview map with the historical sites can be accessed via the link below.
3 The text for the historical places can be accessed by clicking on the respective star in the map.
Extra introduction
In order to better interpret the description of the various historical sites, I am attaching some short text sections about plain lakes, roads and grave forms.
Extra introduction
Plain lakes (slättsjöar)
The map to the right shows the plain lakes that have existed. The shallowest ones soon became overgrown, but were flooded in the spring and during heavy rains. Most of the lakes disappeared during the late 1800s during the large lake lowering projects.
Older trails in Viby
The oldest trails on the Vibyslätten began to be used by the Stone Age hunters around 6000 BCE. They are marked with light blue color and consist of long ridges formed by ice rivers.
The Snavlundaleden runs from Askersund via Viby to Fjugesta.
Brändåsleden runs from Motala to roughly Hardemo. In addition, it divides at Tomta to the east via Hallsberg, Kumla to Örebro.
After the first farmers settled on the plains, simple roads were formed between the main settlements but the ridge paths were still important. The local roads are marked with green color and were formed during the period 4000 - 2000BCE. Notice how the roads are adapted to the spread of the plain lakes.
Grave forms
500 BCE
1000 CE
Vreten, house and graveyard
Where the highway intersects the southern part of the ridge, a settlement and a burial field have been excavated. The area has been part of Skävi.
7 houses have been located on the settlement. They have existed in various periods from approximately the 4th century to the 6th century. The houses were 3-nave and with lengths of 30, 20, 18, 16 m and less. At the houses there was a hearth area for, among other things, cooking.
48 cremation graves were found in a previously unknown burial ground. This is the only fully excavated burial ground in Viby. The graves are very damaged after plowing. Burials have taken place from approximately the middle of the 6th century to the beginning of the 10th century and the burial ground is thus not contemporary with the house area. Some graves that have belonged to important people have had extensive burial gifts. As an example, two graves next to each other can be mentioned.
In one grave there was an elderly man and four animals (a dog, a horse, a calf and a sheep) as well as a number of grave goods. Some examples: Five or six richly decorated bronze rectangular fittings for straps probably from the Seldon, An iron strap fitting perhaps from the same Seldon, An iron tweezer, A comb in horn, a glass bead which may have served as a collar button in a shirt, up to 25 game pieces in whale bones, etc.
In the second grave there was an elderly woman (perhaps the man's wife) and four animals (a dog, a horse, a pig and a sheep) as well as a number of grave goods, for example: 127 pearls, A decorated pearl spreader that held together the pearl strings on the chest, two small oval buckles in iron with bronze coating, fittings for a dog leash, a horn comb, a short scalpel-like knife, etc.
Mer detaljer finns i uppsatsen E20 Viby
A
G
C
B
The Skävi area with finds from the Hunter Stone Age to the Viking Age.
The find sites at Skävi are marked with stars. Click on the star and you will get to the respective text section.
In the map below from 1820, you get a picture of what the geography looked like in the Iron Age.
A Camp site for Stone Age hunters (before 4000BCE)
B Ironmaking area
C House area
G Graveyard area
Back to Overview map
A Skävi gathering place for Stone Age hunters
A group of perhaps 10 - 30 people were scattered along Storvibysjön's southern shore. They traveled via the Snavlundaleden from the Askersund area where they wintered.
On a small hill, near the shore of Lake Viby, the hunters set up a camp site during their seasonal visits for hunting and fishing. The camp site contains remains from campfires, worked quartz, flint, quartzite and local rocks. Such visits could take place as early as 6000 BCE when the plain lakes in Viby had been formed. When the farmers arrived around 4000 BCE, the hunters settled in the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea (near Mosås).
Back to Skävi map
B Skävi blast furnace area
During the period 400CE to the end of the 9th century, Skävi developed into a center for iron production which, together with agriculture, created economic prosperity. On both sides of a small bay of Vibysjön, an area with blast furnaces arose. A total of 16 ovens have been found, but there may have been considerably more. A few ovens from the early Iron Age have also been excavated at mound A. During the Viking Age, the production of iron ceased. Perhaps due to a lack of the raw material marsh ore or that the business was moved south towards, for example, Lerbäck. Skävi continued to be an important food supplier to Bergslagen.
C Skävi house area
House K6 together with a nearby cultural remain can be linked to the Late Bronze Age. Most of the houses belong to the older Iron Age (K1, 2, 4, 5). A kiln for pottery production was located near the houses. Only K3 existed during the Younger Iron Age when, after some time, the habitation was probably moved to the medieval village site. There must have been several outbuildings nearby that left no traces behind.
There may have been additional settlements with houses in the area. For example, south of find site A during the Bronze Age and southeast of C during the Iron Age, where a large hearth area has been excavated.
G Fåfängbacken grave area
The part of Snavlundaåsen that is closest to Skävi is today mostly built-up. It has also been used as a gravel pit. In the northern part, near Skävi, there is a burial ground that is partially destroyed. The burial field was probably considerably larger and extended towards the south.
Today there are 30 round stone graves and 15 mounds, all of which are unexcavated. Some grave finds from destroyed graves have been collected.
A find was made in 1883 which is now in the Swedish State Historical Museum. It consists of a damaged Eastern-type bronze cauldron, a double-edged iron sword that was folded 3 times, a double-edged iron sword with a bronze button on the hilt, an iron spearhead with barbs, another iron spearhead, a damaged iron shield dent and a rectangular bolt of iron. The find is tentatively dated to the Early Iron Age. So many weapons point to the owner being a very important person who was both a leader and a warrior.
A bronze burial urn has been found north of Fredriksberg's old school. The urn is probably from the Early Iron Age.
On farmland, near Snavlundaåsen, behind Fredriksberg's old school, there are 2 "stone rings" that are 11 and 7 m in diameter and a freestanding stone. It is uncertain what function the facility had and when it was built. My suggestion is that the stone rings showed travelers who came along the Snavlundaleden from the south that this was where the Skävihövdingen's area of power began.
In connection with the burial area and the Snavlundaleden, there may have been an ancient gathering place (festivals, sacrifices, tings, etc.).
Sågebol, early iron handling in Sweden
During the end of the Bronze Age, there were only a small number of iron production sites in Sweden. An early blast furnace from 925 - 811BCE has been unearthed on a low island in Storvibysjön (now under the motorway). Only a few such ovens from that time have been excavated in Sweden (see the map). The extensive knowledge and technology to build a furnace and then manage the operation was of course not available in nearby Skävi. The knowledge was mainly found at the central locations in Mälardalen and Östergötland. I judge that some significant family from eastern Östergötland has been responsible for prospecting and construction in collaboration with the Skävi family.
During the Iron Age, blast furnaces continued to exist in Västra Backa, Sågebol, Skävi, Vreten and Tycke.
Västra Backa and Sågebol, remains from the Hunter Stone Age
Between 6000BCE and until about 3500BCE, the shore areas of Lake Storviby were visited seasonally by groups of Stone Age hunters. Towards the end of the period, the visits became fewer and the hunters chose to visit the coastal areas along the Baltic Sea. After farmers settled in the area (after 4000BCE), the coastal meadows were increasingly used for grazing.
At Västra Backa, on the beach and in the nearest slopes, traces of temporary visits by the hunters have been found. A large number of stone age quartz fragments. These are sporadic activities over a long period of time. Scattered finds, somewhat concentrated towards the drumline.
On a low island, which today lies under the highway (near Sågebol), beaten quartz, also quartzite, tuffite and flint have been found. Finds of an ax, a quartz scraper and a microchip of flint. One pit is dated to 5578-5318BCE.
Gropakärret find site for the Vibybracteaten
Gold bracteates were used as status gifts between chiefs. The Viby bracteate is one of the most important in central Sweden. It is about 7 cm in diameter and was hung on a chain around the neck. The manufacturing time is somewhere between 500CE to 600CE. It probably comes from an important chieftain in Östergötland and was a gift to the chieftain of Skävi. The bracteate was found in 1937 in Gropakärret, which is approximately 5 km west of Skävi and remote from built-up areas. It may be a question of a sacrificial gift.
Mer detaljer finns redovisade i uppsatsen Vibybrakteaten
Vikby large farm
What is there to tell about the place before Viby church was built? Knowledge is limited. There is no burial ground and no archaeological excavations have been carried out. I am still trying to sketch a possible earlier development.
Sometime between 1000 and 500 BCE, a permanent settlement was established south of today's church (lower part of the cemetery). Cultivation was carried out on the silt soils around the church hill and cattle rearing on the coastal meadows.
During the Iron Age (500 BCE - 1050 CE), Vikby developed into a large farm that over time came to dominate the area of Lundby, Körtinge, Väla and Sjörs. Adjacent to the large farm on the hill where the church is located, there may have been a burial ground.
The Vikby family came to have close contacts with relatives in Snarvi (Edsberg). From about 500 CE, the Vikby family was part of a network of influential families from Sweden and Norway.
At the beginning of the 11th century, the Vikby family was Christianized and the dead were buried in a separate place at the old burial ground.
After about 1050 CE, the royal power forced the separation of land from the estate and Husby was formed. Probably one of the king's closest bigwigs came to take over ownership of Vikby. A rune stone was erected at the courtyard to show that the owner was connected to the king. Perhaps a simple wooden church was built on the old burial ground.
The Vikby area and fords
The word väla is the same as the old word vädla which means vad or ford place. The farm Väla got its name from the ford that crossed a bay of the plain lake Skarbysjön. The northern border of Vikby's area was probably there.
Välakärret, which lies west of Vibysjön, got its name from the two fords that existed after the Snavlundaleden south of Lundby meadow. That was probably where the border between Vikby's and Skävi's properties was. Around the 11th century, road embankments and bridges began to be built over important fords.
Lundby meadow
Around the farm Lundby, there has been cultivation and livestock farming since the early Stone Age. South of the farm, the old Snavlundaleden follows a high ridge that has a distinctive location by Lake Vibysjön. There has probably been an old gathering place for parties and sacrifices. There is a damaged burial field that may have been 300 m long. 1 “stone ring”, 1 square stone setting (over peated, partially damaged), 1 stone setting of unclear shape (over peated, partially damaged), 1 mound or cairn 15 m in diameter (partly damaged). The southern part of the field is damaged by a gravel pit.
Frotorp, early agriculture
Around 4000 BCE, a farming population immigrated to Sweden. Around 3900BCE a group arrived via the Snavlundaleden to Frotorp where they settled on the shore of a plain lake. In the meadows by the lake there was good grazing for the domestic animals and a simple grain cultivation took place near the settlement. They also lived by hunting and gathering berries. For storing food and cooking, they made earthenware vessels. Hence the name funnel cup culture. Wood, stone and bone were used for tools and weapons. Two simple dwelling huts have been excavated. After 400 years the soil was depleted and the settlement was moved, probably to a nearby location. The settlement for farmers at Frotorp is the earliest known in Närke.
The settlement is now a few hundred meters east of Markatorp, under the motorway. Slättsjön (plain lake) was to the south, between the motorway and the railway.
Around 700BCE, at the end of the Bronze Age, people grew their grain on small, narrow plots of land that were on the slope of a drumlin. The field was worked with a wooden plow pulled by an ox or horse. In the past, people had to move to another place when the soil became depleted after a while. Now they started to fertilize the soil and thus they did not have to move around, but the cultivation area became stationary and fixed farm locations began to form. The excavated fields are today under the highway east of the funnel-beaker settlement.
During the Wendel period, around 700CE, iron-reinforced wooden plows began to be used and the narrow plots of land could now be plowed over and larger fields formed. A revolutionary development which meant that grain cultivation now became much more efficient.
Mer detaljer finns i uppsatsen E20 Viby Back to Overview map
Finnbäcken, funnel cup ceramics
Near the Brändåsenleden and just south of the road crossing at Tälle, funnel cup ceramics and flint remains have recently been found, which are estimated to be from the early Peasant Stone Age. The place is far from the plain. It may be remains from a rest area along the trail.
Nalavi estate and Ting's place
Early in the Neolithic period (4000 - 2000 BCE), cultivation was carried out on the light silt soils southwest of Lake Nalavi (now overgrown) and cattle rearing on the lake meadows. Around 1000 - 500 BCE, a permanent settlement arose at the foot of Sörbyhammarn. Before 500 CE, the Nalavi extended their territory to the west and north of Lake Nalavi. Sörbyhammarn was used as a burial place and general gathering place for parties and sacrifices. Nalavi, Vallby and Salsbro were probably owned by the same family.
During the period 500 - 1050 CE, Nalavi was the dominant large estate in the area east of Vibysjön and Skarbysjön. Sörbyhammarn first became a meeting place and later the place of the Ting for the area and over time also for the whole of Viby. The burial field was now moved to the ridge on the east side of Lake Nalavisjön.
Nalavi coordinated the construction of the defense facilities at Odensvi. After 900 CE when Västernärke was divided into three districts, Sörbyhammarn became the gathering place for Grimstens district.
In the middle of the 11th century, the king's power asserted itself, and possibly then Västernärke formed a defense organization with a common seat at Sörbyhammarn. Nalavi was now part of the royal power. The burial of the Sandtorp treasure may have been due to the royal power's encroachment on the local sphere of power.
Red cross = Nalavi large farm. Black oval = 1 stone ring. 1 black graveyard symbol=1-9 graves, 2=10-49, 3=50-99, 4=100-199, 5=200- . Red graveyard symbol = possible graveyard.
Stensätter Närke's largest burial ground
Närke's largest burial ground consists of approximately 209 reported graves. These consist of 66 mounds, approx. 140 round filled stone settings, several of which are mound-like, 2 raised stones and 1 rectangular stone setting. It is estimated that there may have been up to 400 graves.
A total of 25 graves have been excavated. Of these, 12 graves have been timed within 2 areas in the north and south. Both areas have graves from the Vendel period (blue and light blue), but in the southern part there are also graves from the Viking age (green). The stone circle (grey) may date from the Late Roman Iron Age and has an estimated diameter of 18 m. New graves have later been built on top.
The grave finds in several graves indicate middle or upper middle class, and grave 94 indicates status near the upper echelons of local society. To the east of grave 91, two remains of hollow roads were discovered.
In grave 94, the remains of a child, a girl and a middle-aged man were found. The grave goods are abundant and of a female character but none of a male character. It could be a burial of the daughter in the house together with a slave.
In the burial field at Stensätter, the people at Nalavi, Salsbro and Broby began to use the field from the late Roman Iron Age until the late Viking Age. Wallby and Falkatorp began to bury there during the younger Vendel period (possibly in another place).
Oxaryggens burial ground
The Oxaryggens burial ground is suitable as a starting point if you want to visit the Ekängen and Stensätter burial grounds. The southern part of Oxaryggen with its nature area is very beautifully situated with a view of the Närkesslätten.
Adjacent to Oxaryggen (53:1) there are some smaller burial grounds.
(53:1) Oxaryggen burial ground with 60 round stone graves, partly covered with peat and difficult to discover. Some have center stones. In the south, the burial field is damaged by a large gravel pit. Note that the stone collections on the eastern side of the ridge are the cultivation mounds from more recent times. (50:1) 5 round stone graves, 2 of which are approx. 11 m in diameter. (156:1) 1 round peated stone grave
In Oxaryggen's grave field and the smaller field at Bölltorp's meadow, the dead from Wallby and Falkatorp were buried during the period 0 – 400 CE and during the older Vendel period. The three graves examined are considered to be from the older Iron Age.
P
Ånnebrunn stone rings
Burial field, 60x35 m consisting of 7 ancient remains. These consist of 1 pile, 3 stone rings (diameter 7, 12 and ? m) and 3 raised stones. The shed is in the middle of one of the stone rings.
The stone ring east of the burial field has a diameter of 13 m and consists of 9 stones.
The stone rings are probably graves but may have the additional function of showing travelers that this is where Nalavi's area of power begins. The facilities are not time-bound but can be from the 6th century onwards.
Ybby Hällkista (stone grave) and burial field
Viby's oldest grave is a stone coffin. Today it is very badly damaged and difficult to discover. Several people have been buried there and the remains of bones are both unburnt and burned, which indicates that the grave was used several times from the late Peasant Stone Age/Bronze Age onwards. The grave also contains ceramics, processed bone material, a bronze button and ring, a flint chip and a resin ring.
The adjacent burial field is 110x60 m and consists of approx. 125 ancient remains. These consist of approx. 25 piles, approx. 100 round filled stone settings and 1 standing stone. The grave field is damaged by cultivation in the field edges and newly dug pits as well as heavy vegetation.
Sandtorp treasure
Already during the Stone Age, the Snavlundaleden split at Snuten and one path went past Källstugan, Sandtorp, Lund and on towards Frotorp or Salsbro. The stream at Källstugan starts at a natural spring by the roadside. The stream forms Skävi's eastern border. The spring was formerly called Onswi spring and may have been an old sacrificial spring. There was probably a resting place here. The treasure was found a couple of hundred meters to the east near the stream in a wetland.
During the Viking Age, there were large quantities of silver in the Nordic countries that had come to us as a means of payment in trade, as salary or tribute, but also as gifts between influential families.
The Sandtorp Treasure, Närke's second largest known Viking Age treasure, consists of coins, jewelry and silver pieces. The coins were mainly German (Atlantic coast to inner and southern Germany), 310 coins, English (also Ireland), 208 coins and Arabic, 5 coins. There are also 53 Swedish, Danish and Norwegian coins in the treasure. The nearly 600 coins can be dated from 941/42 to about 1034. Several coins and silver jewelry are cut to pieces, which indicates that they mainly come from trade transactions. Salsbro may have been a trading center during the Viking Age and the silver may have been collected there or in Nalavi.
The youngest coin is from 1034 and the treasure should have been buried soon after. Times were troubled with increasing royal power affecting the position of the local grandees. The Christian faith began to be introduced, which also created uncertainty.
The Sandtorp treasure was buried in a wetland, which is common in Närke. It may have been a sacrificial ritual. The wetland is believed to have been part of the world on the other side where the gods ruled. By leaving the silver in the custody of the gods, the local leader was able to access the treasure after his death.
Odensvi defense facilities
South of Odensvi there are 3 defense facilities built of stone (see map). It is uncertain when they were constructed, but around 500 BCE or later is a common assumption. They are unexcavated and have been built in a rugged mountain area one to two km from the plain, which indicates that they are refuges used by the farmers east of Vibysjön in case of danger of war. There are a large number of similar defense installations on the heights around the Närkesslätten, which between them have had a signal system for warning in the event of war. It indicates that some form of political coordination existed in Närke.