Vendel Boat Grave Field
Vendel 14 graves · Vendel churchyard
Vendel Period (550–800 CE)·Vendel Period Svear·🇸🇪 Uppsala County, Tierp Municipality, Vendel parish, Sweden
About
About Vendel Boat Grave Field
Eponymous Vendel Period cemetery in Vendel churchyard with 14 intact boat graves 550–800 CE excavated 1881–93 by Hjalmar Stolpe. Vendel I–XIV yielded helmets with crest and nose guard, ring swords and elaborate animal art that defines Vendel Style. The boats were buried intact with horses, analogous to Valsgärde and Sutton Hoo. Finds are in Statens Historiska Museum, Stockholm, giving the period its name.
Why it mattersEponymous Vendel Period cemetery in Vendel churchyard with 14 intact boat graves 550–800 CE excavated 1881–93 by Hjalmar Stolpe. Vendel I–XIV yielded helmets with crest and nose guard, ring swords and
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why all Vendel boats are clustered inside later church enclosure
- 02Link to Beowulf Vendel?
Theories
- 01Vendel as royal retinue of Tierp plain elite directly preceding Vendel kingship
- 02Helmet crests as Odin cult display
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 550 CE – 800 CE
- Period
- Vendel Period (550–800 CE)
- Culture
- Vendel Period Svear
- Purpose
- Elite cemetery giving Vendel Period its name
- Abandoned
- c. 1050 CE (churchyard supersedes)
- Rediscovered
- 1881 Stolpe during churchyard enlargement
- Excavation
- Excavated
c. 550 CE – 800 CE
Initial construction
c. 1414 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
60.1628° N · 17.6017° E · 25 m · 2 mapped features
Vendel I – Helmet Burial
boat graveEarly 7th c. boat with crested helmet and shield
60.1629° N · 17.6019° EVendel XII – Late Vendel Grave
boat graveLate 8th c. boat with ring sword
60.1627° N · 17.6015° E
Gallery