The largest Burial Mound in Northern Europe - Kulturnett Akershus ...

urial mound.
While it was common to bury people with their jewelry,
tools or weapons during the Roman periode and the Viking
Age, mounumental burial mounds of the 6–8th centuries are
rarely richly furnished.
Other archeological finds
of the region
Rakni’s mound is located close to
one of the most significant crossroads
of its time where the roads
from would meet. Burial mounds
were usually located close to the
main roads to be seen. In the Merovingian
and Viking periods several mounds were
constructed along the road passing Rakni’s
mound. Artifacts from the Viking age have
been recovered from some of these.
Visit Rakni’s mound
and experience
its historic
atmosphere
The area around
Rakni’s mound has
recently been upgraded
with more informative
boards explaining how the
mound was constructed and
how the region was populated
and cultvated over time.
A ring-brooch and a sword
guard from Gislevoll, and a bone
comb and an oval brooch from
Haug - all objects from the
Viking age..
You can find more information on Rakni’s mound here:
http://akershus.kulturnett.no/Historie/Raknehaugen/index.html
See artifacts from the Stone Age to the
present at Ullensaker Museum
At Ullensaker Museum the exhibition «Ull´s Kingdom - life
and work through 10 000 years» displays artifacts from the
Stone, Bronze and Iron ages as well as modern times.
Visit:
http://www.akersmus.no/ullensaker/
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35
"® P
0 1 2 4
km
Gardermoen
"® P
E
Hovin sk. P
P
178
To find Rakni’s mound, follow signs from country road RV 178,
2,5 kilometers west of Jessheim center. Parking is located at
Hovin School. Access: 500 metres along a farm road. Please
treat farm property and animals with courtesy.
Ullensaker Museum is located by highway RV 35, west of
Gardermoen airport, follow signs. Parking is located at the
museum.
AKERSHUS
F YOSL L K E S KGardermoen O M M U N E has contributed financially to this folder.
35
Hovin krk.
E6
178
174
Jessheim
Raknehaugen
Foto: Fotograf Tærud AS, Kulturhistorisk museum, Dagfinn Skre Design: Frode Åkenes-Johnsen Tekst: Morten Thoresen Trykk: Knoph & Langeland AS
Rakni’s mound
The largest
Burial Mound in
Northern Europe

Rakni’s mound – A symbol of power and dominion
This monumental barrow is located close to the center
of Jessheim and Gardermoen airport, only 6 kilometers
from highway E6. The mound is larger than any other
burial mound in northern Europe and its construction
is also exceptional; between soil and sand, 75000 logs
are piled in three pyramid shaped layers.
From Sigurd Grieg’s excavation in 1939-40. Grieg discovered a layer of
coal at the centre of the mound containing fragments of a human skull.
The person had been cremated, and it is unknown if the whole body or
the skull only was buried here.
The Migration and Merovingian periods
Rakni’s mound is located close to an ancient center of power.
However, the first settlement in the area dates back to the
Neolithic period, more than 2800 years BC.
The name of the area - Romerike - originates from the
ancient Raumaricii. The ending of the name suggests that it
was a petty kingdom during the Migration and Merovingian
periods. The local king would rule over the people, and in
return he would maintain law and order and provide millitary
protection.
Farming and the aristocracy
In the aerial photography to
the right, a longhouse and
several smaller mounds
located close to Rakni’s
mound is visible. The
archeologists believe that
the long house is 50 to 200
years older than the burial mound. At this
time (the Late Roman and Migration periods)
the area was already intensively cultivated.
The smaller mounds were constructed later
than both the longhouse and Rakni’s mound.
Key facts about Rakni’s mound:
•The original height was more than
18 meters and the diameter about 77
meters
•The log construction consists of
approximately 75 000 logs
•The burial mound was built during one
winter and summer, some time between
533-551 AD
•The mound contains the grave of one
cremated person
•The person was 20-40 years old
From top: wooden spade found in the
mound. A key and glass and bronze beads from
mounds in the Sandshaugen area. The artifacts
are dated to the Merovingian period, 600-700
AD. Below: an axe dated to the Viking age 900 AD,
found at Gislevoll.
The longhouse located close to Rakni’s mound was probably a guildhall,
a place where the local petty king would welcome guests and host
banquets for the aristocracy.
We know when the mound was built, but
do we know why?
Tree-ring analyses and radio carbon dating of the logs have
been carried out. They tell us that all the logs, mainly pine
trees, were logged during one single year. Why do people
commence such a monumental project? Folklore recounts
the story of a big 6th century battle at Steinsjordet (the
stony field) close to the burial mound. King Rakni and his
four sons were killed there. The king was buried in his armor
between two white horses in the mound and his sons were
buried close to Hovin church. What are the archeologists
saying?
Rakni’s mound has been excavated three
times by archeologists
The mound was investigated at the end of the 18th century
and during the period 1939-40. It was however not until
1990 the cremated human remains were positively identified
and one could conclude that Rakni’s mound in fact was a
ca 10 000 BC 3 800 BC 1 800 BC 500 BC AD 400 AD 570 AD 800 AD 1030 AD
1537 AD
Mesolithic Neolithic Bronze Age Pre-Roman Iron Age Roman Iron Age Migration Period Merovingian Period Viking Age Middle Ages