The Oseberg Mound, Tønsberg

Vestfold · Norge · Natural site

For generations the district had said a ship lay in Revehaugen. In 1904 they dug — and found it, with two women in the burial chamber.

Out on the plain north of Slagen church rises a great burial mound, and local people knew what was in it long before anyone dug. The name Oseberghaugen is new; until the 1904 excavation the mound was called Revehaugen, and for generations the district had said that a ship had once been laid down in it and was still there. The archaeologist Haakon Shetelig, who took part as an assistant, noted the local tradition — and it proved exactly right. Beneath the turf lay a richly carved Viking ship from around 834, together with carved sledges and wagons, textiles, horses and dogs. In the burial chamber lay two women. Who they were, which of them was the greater, and why the other went with her into the grave are still debated. The mound has been rebuilt and stands silent in the field, as if nothing had happened.

FAQ

Hvor ligger The Oseberg Mound, Tønsberg?

The Oseberg Mound, Tønsberg ligger i Vestfold, Norge.