18 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Thousand-Year-Old Christian Viking-era Graves Found in Sweden

Seven Christian tombs dating to the Viking Age have been found at Sigtuna. According to archaeologists, the tombs date to the city’s earliest times, to the late 10th century.

They were most likely the first generation of Christians, says archaeologist Johan Runer.

“What is unique is that several of the people are buried in wooden coffins that are covered with stone, a construction we haven’t seen in Sigtuna before,” Johan Runer of the project Assignment Archeology told national broadcaster SVT.

The tombs, which date back over a thousand years, were uncovered during excavations for a residential building.

The tomb served as the final resting place for eight persons who were buried with various things such as knives, belts, and combs. One of the graves most likely held two infants. At birth, he died. The objects will eventually be shown in the Sigtuna Museum.

The tomb was located on a hill overlooking the bay a thousand years ago. There was a port that might have played a significant part in the development of Sigtuna. Archaeologists are looking forward to learning more about the foundations of Sigtuna and their links with other Birka. The settlement from the Viking era…

Eric the Victorious founded Sigtuna in the 970s. Later, his son Olof Skötkonung, Sweden’s first Christian king, minted the first Swedish coins at Sigtuna. Signuna’s church remains are thought to date from the late 1000s. Sigtuna also served as an episcopal see from the 1070s until the 1120s.

Cover Photo:Uppdrag arkeologi

Related Articles

Researchers solve the mystery of Mayan 819-day calendar

24 April 2023

24 April 2023

Researchers at Tulane University in Louisiana have solved the mystery of the 819-day ancient Mesoamerican calendar used by ancient Mayans....

Fragments of the World’s Oldest Known Rune Stone Discovered in Norway

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have found fragments of the world’s oldest known rune stone at the Svingerud burial field in Norway and fitted...

Israeli researchers have found evidence of cooking fish 780,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov

14 November 2022

14 November 2022

Hominins living at Gesher Benot Ya’akov 780,000 years ago liked their fish to be well cooked, Israeli researchers revealed Monday,...

More than 50 pairs of tweezers found during an excavation of a 2,000-year-old Roman settlement – Romans to blame for no-body-hair trend

31 May 2023

31 May 2023

More than 50 pairs of tweezers were found during the major excavation in Wroxeter City, Shropshire, one of the largest...

Archaeologists may have uncovered a 13th-century castle in Shropshire

7 August 2021

7 August 2021

Archaeologists have been working on a mound of land in Wem, Shropshire, that belongs to Soulton Hall, Elizabethan mansion and...

A 130,000-year-old Stingray Sand Sculpture on South Africa’s Coast May Be the World’s Oldest Animal Art

4 April 2024

4 April 2024

Analyzing this object, which at first glance looks like a symmetrical rock, the research team speculated that it could be...

Alone Against Time: The 3,000-Year-Old Last Hittite Monument of Western Anatolia Awaits Rescue

8 July 2025

8 July 2025

Carved into the cliffs of western Anatolia over three thousand years ago, the Karabel Rock Monument is the last surviving...

Madagascar’s Enigmatic Rock-Cut Architecture may have been of Zoroastrian origin

13 September 2024

13 September 2024

An international team of researchers found an enigmatic rock-cut architecture at Teniky, a site in the remote Isalo Massif in...

Persian plateau unveiled as crucial hub for early human migration out of Africa, study suggests

29 March 2024

29 March 2024

60,000 to 70,000 years ago, our species Homo sapiens walked out of Africa and began to find new homes around...

In western Turkey, inscriptions and 2,500-year-old sculptures were found

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Two 2,500-year-old marble statues and an inscription have been found during excavations at the ancient city of Euromos, in Turkey’s...

1400-year-old gold foil figures found in pagan temple

19 September 2023

19 September 2023

Archaeologists have discovered a votive gold hoard during road development works in Vingrom, south of Lillehammer on the shores of...

The ‘extraordinary’ Roman mosaic depicting scenes from Homer’s Iliad unearthed in a Rutland farmer’s field is the first of its kind in England

25 November 2021

25 November 2021

The 1,500-year-old mosaic discovered by a farmer was considered Britain’s “most exciting” Roman find. The artwork was discovered on private...

Spanish Water Worker discovered 2,500-Year-Old two Gold Necklaces

14 September 2023

14 September 2023

A worker at a local water company in Spain discovered two gold necklaces thought to date back 2,500 years. Sergio...

Intricate Design Revealed on 1100-Year-Old Gold-Inlaid Ritual Spear from Japan’s Island of the Gods

13 June 2025

13 June 2025

A recent archaeological breakthrough on Japan’s sacred Okinoshima Island has unveiled an ornately decorated iron spear from the late Kofun...

Ukraine says Russian forces stole Scythian treasures from Melitopol Museum

11 May 2022

11 May 2022

Invading Russian troops have stolen items of ancient Scythian gold and other historical and cultural valuables that were stored in...