The Vätteryd grave field (Swedish: Vätteryds gravfält), also known as Vätterydshed, is an 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...

 grave field

Grave field

A grave field is a prehistoric cemetery, typically of Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe.Grave fields are distinguished from necropoleis by the former's lack of above-ground structures, buildings, or grave markers.-Types:...

 in Hässleholm Municipality

Hässleholm Municipality

Hässleholm Municipality is a municipality in Skåne County in southern Sweden. Its seat is located in the city Hässleholm....

 in the Swedish

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....

 province of 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...

. It is located in a heathfield between the localities of Tjörnarp

Tjörnarp

Tjörnarp is a locality situated in Höör Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 742 inhabitants in 2005....

 and Sösdala

Sösdala

Sösdala is a locality situated in Hässleholm Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 1,785 inhabitants in 2005....

.

The grave field consists of 183 menhirs

Menhir

A menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...

, 15 stone ships

Stone ship

The Stone ship or ship setting was an early Germanic burial custom, characteristically Scandinavian but also found in Germany and the Baltic states. The grave or cremation burial is surrounded by tightly or loosely fit slabs or stones in the outline of a ship...

 - the largest 25 m long and 8 m wide - and 2 circles

Stone circle

A stone circle is a monument of standing stones arranged in a circle. Such monuments have been constructed across the world throughout history for many different reasons....

. Many of the stone ships are so damaged that all that remains are parts smaller than half the original size.

In the beginning of the 19th century, Vätteryd, with about 600 menhirs, was considered the largest grave field in Scandinavia

Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...

. The research conducted between 1955 and 1957 made clear that the site had been a place of cremation burials. The grave goods

Grave goods

Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body.They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods are a type of votive deposit...

 found - such as bronze jewelry, glass and bronze pearls, and bronze wire - were taken to various museums in Stockholm

Stockholm

Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...

.