Lecture held at the Conference "Gemstones in the first Millennium AD. Mines, Trade, Workshops and Symbolism", October 21 2015, at the Römisch Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz, Germany.

1. Gamla Uppsala
John Ljungkvist, Daniel Löwenborg, Per Frölund, Joakim Kjellberg, Jonna Sarén Lundahl
Department of Archaeology & Ancient History Uppsala University, i samarbete med Upplandsmuseet
Fincanced by: Berit Wallenberg foudation, Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien (KVHAA), and National heritage
Ancient monuments map
from 1709

2. A monumentalized landscape
550­650/700 CE
(and exotic gems)
Approx. Location of gold
mound

3. Uppsalen

4. An emerging center
Divided in three general
zones
•Manor/palace area
•Village area
•Surrounding landscape with
road/border monuments
7th c. situation
(on basis of known settlement
areas and burial ground from
the phase.
Covering 40­60 hectares.
Red – palace/manor area
Blue – surrounding
settlements and
burial grounds
Black features and lines –
monumental houses,
roads and walls.

5. Monumental features
Construction and abandonment
(of constructions not areas)
ID Object Built Abandon
ed
A South terrace house 550-
600/625
Around 800
B North terrace houses 600-700 700-800
C Western terrace,
house? Excv. June
2015
Probably
after 550
Latest find
c. 740-780
D East mound 560/70-610
E West mound 590-620/30
F Gold mound
(Gullhögen)
600-700
G North mound. Excv
2013/15
Around
650?
(bones in
mound fill)
H North
rampart/palissade
550-650 Around
800?

6. Hall details

7. Northern plateau, workshop 1 house(es)
14th c. manor cellar
6th c. workshop house
(estimation)
Large scale garnet production, iron smithing, bead making, comb production.

8. A. Older house 7th house exposed
floor layer (with garnet finds).
B. Younger 7th c. house wall trench
C. Older 7th c. house wall trench
D. 14th c. manor cellar pit.
B. Layers and features related
to the younger house
C. Layers and features related
to the older house.
Two 7th c. buildings. Younger function uncertain, older,
workshop house.

9. Excavations 2015
3D photogrammetry by
Daniel Löwenborg, Uppsala
University
North mound
New great mo

10. Photogrammetry by: Daniel Löwenborg, Uppsala
University
Norrhögen ­ The plateau with a mound that became a great
7th c. mound superceded by a 12 th c. terrace.
Currently 33 m wide mound, inner cairn 31 m wide.

11. Medieval building
Stone pavings
found beneath
medieval house,
6th­7th c.of metalwork, amber,
garnet production in
0,3­0,5 m layer on
min. 2 m high
terrace, 6th­8th c.
(date partly prel.)
Kungsgården 2015

12. Terraces seen from the South
Workshops c. 15 m from great
hall

13. Modelling a new landscape
The artificial house terraces made of between 2­7 m thick layers of
gravel and clay. Workshop areas/houses are placed on very prominent terraces. They are essential for the
milieu.
Terrain view from SW
Photogrammetry by Daniel Löwenborg.

14. The Western terrace/workshop 2
Perspective from West
3D photogrammetry
by Daniel
Löwenborg, Uppsala
University

15. Current known
elements of the manor
area standing c. 650 AD
Datings of feature D, G (north) and
some E features still vague.
A. Great hall.
B. Workshop A, large house.
C. Workshop B (thick layers,
high terrace, probable
house)
D. Stone paved surfaces and
probably roads.
E. Stone foundations for
walls/roads/large fences
and a road.
F. Great mound confirmed
2015.
G. Mounds and known grave
field areas.

16. 3D koncept picture by Daniel Westergren, Disir productions

17. Workshop 2,
1, fragmentary gold and garnet object.
2. Partly molten silver cell­work.
?
Wijnaldum
Sword pyramids West mound and
Sutton Hoo 1
1. 2.

18. The Gamla Uppsala pendant and parallels.
Tibble by Badelunda
Mix of typical male and
female goods.
Double burial?
Grave 1, Trosa Vagnhärad.
St Denis

19. Current known workshop activity in Gamla Uppsala
manor area during 6th­8th c.
Craft/
Area
Northern terrace 7th
c., Workshop 1
Western terrace 6th­7th
c. Workshop 2
Area N of workshop 1, 8th
c.
Area W of workshop
2, 6th
c.
Garnet 1 2
Casting ? 1 3 3
Bead making 3 3 2 ­
Antler 3 ­ ­ 3
Amber ­ 2 3 ­
Smithing 1 1 3 3
Gold jewellery ­ 3 ­ ­
1= Large material (in relation to excavated layers), 2= Strong evidence, 3=

20. Handling of garnets and the
garnet jewellery in Gamla Uppsala
•Import of probably regional garnets embedded in other
mineral (Workshop 1).
•Refining of those garnets (Workshop 1).
•Import of raw garnets of other colour (Workshop 2)
•Refining those garnets (almost finished garnet in Workshop
2).
•Part of gold cloisonné object with inserted garnet.
•Part of cloisonné cell work in silver, partly melted
•and fire damaged (production of cell work in gold).
WE MAYBY NEED TO RETHINK
LATE 6th
AND 7th
C. JEWELLERY
PRODUCTION IN
MIDDLE SWEDEN.
Frisia own character
Staffordshire etc.
own character
Middle Sweden/Gotland own
character.