Uppåkra
Encyclopedia
Uppåkra is a village located five kilometres south of Lund
in Scania
in southernmost Sweden
.
and Helsingborg
in what was to become the Danish kingdom
. The original foundation of Uppåkra is dated to the first century AD
, although its importance appears to have increased in the fifth century. It seems likely that the rulers of Uppåkra by then wielded influence over most or all of West Scania, i.e. the land along the Trelleborg–Helsingborg main road, known for extraordinarily fertile plains.
After having been burnt down, possibly by "Norwegians
" in connection with power struggles between different magnates during the process of unification of Denmark, the town of Uppåkra was relocated to Lund in the 990s. Hence Uppåkra is held to be the direct predecessor of the city of Lund.
, a better known site where digs have taken place for a longer time. One reason is that Uppåkra is not mentioned in records from the Viking Age
or earlier. In contrast Lund
and Dalby
both have a long history by Scandinavian standards, dating to the 10th century, and have thus attracted more attention from both historians and archaeologists. In addition, Uppåkra is situated on one of the most fertile areas in Scania, which means that agricultural concerns have prevailed over historical.
What has been known for a long time is that Uppåkra has been a settlement since very early times. Geological studies carried out in the 1930s revealed that the site around the church of Uppåkra was extremely rich in phosphate
, the highest concentration of it in Scania
. Since excrement contains phosphate, this indicates the presence of many cattle and people over time. Some excavations were carried out at that time.
Archaeological excavations in a 100-acre
(0.40 km²)field, intensified in 1996, show Uppåkra to have been the richest and largest Iron Age
–Viking Age
town on the Scandinavian Peninsula
. For centuries, maybe for most of the first millennium, Uppåkra was a place of religious and political power; remains of a pre-Christian temple
found in 2000–2004 demonstrated that it was also an important cult place.
In 2007 archaeologists digging at Uppåkra found a decorative object from the 10th century that has a peculiar resemblance to Mickey Mouse
. It is believed to represent a lion. Other artefacts found include a glass bowl and a bronze, gold and silver beaker.
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
in southernmost Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
History
Uppåkra was situated on the ancient main road between TrelleborgTrelleborg
Trelleborg is a locality and the seat of Trelleborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 25,643 inhabitants in 2005. It is the southernmost town in Sweden.-History:...
and Helsingborg
Helsingborg
Helsingborg is a city and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 97,122 inhabitants in 2010. Helsingborg is the centre of an area in the Øresund region of about 320,000 inhabitants in north-west Scania, and is Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city...
in what was to become the Danish kingdom
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. The original foundation of Uppåkra is dated to the first century AD
Anno Domini
and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....
, although its importance appears to have increased in the fifth century. It seems likely that the rulers of Uppåkra by then wielded influence over most or all of West Scania, i.e. the land along the Trelleborg–Helsingborg main road, known for extraordinarily fertile plains.
After having been burnt down, possibly by "Norwegians
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
" in connection with power struggles between different magnates during the process of unification of Denmark, the town of Uppåkra was relocated to Lund in the 990s. Hence Uppåkra is held to be the direct predecessor of the city of Lund.
Archaeology
Archaeological investigations have only recently begun at Uppåkra, compared to for example BirkaBirka
During the Viking Age, Birka , on the island of Björkö in Sweden, was an important trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Orient. Björkö is located in Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers west of contemporary Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö...
, a better known site where digs have taken place for a longer time. One reason is that Uppåkra is not mentioned in records from the Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
or earlier. In contrast Lund
Lund
-Main sights:During the 12th and 13th centuries, when the town was the seat of the archbishop, many churches and monasteries were built. At its peak, Lund had 27 churches, but most of them were demolished as result of the Reformation in 1536. Several medieval buildings remain, including Lund...
and Dalby
Dalby
Dalby is a Scandinavian place name meaning "valley settlement", during the Viking Age, the name was brought to England and it later also became an English surname...
both have a long history by Scandinavian standards, dating to the 10th century, and have thus attracted more attention from both historians and archaeologists. In addition, Uppåkra is situated on one of the most fertile areas in Scania, which means that agricultural concerns have prevailed over historical.
What has been known for a long time is that Uppåkra has been a settlement since very early times. Geological studies carried out in the 1930s revealed that the site around the church of Uppåkra was extremely rich in phosphate
Phosphate
A phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
, the highest concentration of it in Scania
Scania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
. Since excrement contains phosphate, this indicates the presence of many cattle and people over time. Some excavations were carried out at that time.
Archaeological excavations in a 100-acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
(0.40 km²)field, intensified in 1996, show Uppåkra to have been the richest and largest Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
–Viking Age
Viking Age
Viking Age is the term for the period in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, spanning the late 8th to 11th centuries. Scandinavian Vikings explored Europe by its oceans and rivers through trade and warfare. The Vikings also reached Iceland, Greenland,...
town on the Scandinavian Peninsula
Scandinavian Peninsula
The Scandinavian Peninsula is a peninsula in Northern Europe, which today covers Norway, Sweden, and most of northern Finland. Prior to the 17th and 18th centuries, large parts of the southern peninsula—including the core region of Scania from which the peninsula takes its name—were part of...
. For centuries, maybe for most of the first millennium, Uppåkra was a place of religious and political power; remains of a pre-Christian temple
Heathen hofs
Heathen hofs or Germanic pagan temples were the temple buildings of Germanic paganism; there are also a few built for use in modern Germanic neopaganism...
found in 2000–2004 demonstrated that it was also an important cult place.
In 2007 archaeologists digging at Uppåkra found a decorative object from the 10th century that has a peculiar resemblance to Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
. It is believed to represent a lion. Other artefacts found include a glass bowl and a bronze, gold and silver beaker.