Anundshög Burial Mound
Anundshög · Anundshog
Iron Age to Viking Age·Late Germanic Iron Age / Viking Age Svear·🇸🇪 Västmanland, Västerås Municipality, Sweden
About
About Anundshög Burial Mound
Sweden's largest burial mound (14 m high, 64 m diameter) with adjacent runestone Vs13 (Anundshögstone) and five stone ships (largest 53 m). Iron Age-Viking royal burial ground with 14 mounds, 12 smaller graves and 15 stone settings showing use from 5th to 11th centuries. Legend associates with King Anund (Bröt-Anund, 7th century). Assembly site (thing) in medieval times.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Identity of Anund — historical king or legend?
Theories
- 01Västerås as early Svear power centre pre-Uppsala
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 5th–9th century (mound); Viking Age ships 800-1000 CE
- Period
- Iron Age to Viking Age
- Culture
- Late Germanic Iron Age / Viking Age Svear
- Purpose
- Royal burial and assembly (thing) place
- Abandoned
- c.1100 CE (Christianization)
- Rediscovered
- Medieval records 14th century; excavation 1900s
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
5th–9th century (mound); Viking Age ships 800-1000 CE
Initial construction
c. 1601 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
59.6306° N · 16.6460° E · 20 m · 3 mapped features
Great Mound
mound64 m diameter mound 14 m high
59.6306° N · 16.6460° ELargest Stone Ship
stone ship53 m ship setting southeast of mound
59.6303° N · 16.6465° EAnundshög Runestone Vs13
runestoneRunestone with futhark inscription beside mound
59.6305° N · 16.6458° E
Gallery