Where is the Borre mound cemetery located?
The Borre mound cemetery is situated in Horten, Norway within Borre National Park. The site covers forty-five acres and contains seven large burial mounds alongside twenty-one smaller cairns.
Questions about Borre mound cemetery
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When were the oldest mounds at the Borre mound cemetery built?
Archaeologists date the oldest mounds to around 600 AD before the Viking Age began. This places their construction during the Merovingian period rather than the later Viking era.
Who examined the damaged grave remains from the Borre mound cemetery in the mid-1800s?
Antiquarian Nicolay Nicolaysen examined the damaged remains left behind after road crews dug into a richly equipped grave between 1851 and 1852. He found weapons and riding equipment that survived the heavy machinery work and documented these pieces for history.
What did ground-penetrating radar reveal about the Borre mound cemetery in October 2007?
Ground-penetrating radar measurements taken by the Swedish Central National Heritage Board in October 2007 revealed buried hall buildings near the cemetery. These scans identified two prehistoric structures near the cemetery for the first time ever without disturbing the soil.
Why is the Borre style craftsmanship significant to the Borre mound cemetery?
The recovered items feature distinctive animal and knot ornaments known today as Borre style craftsmanship which appeared on harnesses and other riding equipment. The artistic quality of the surviving objects provides evidence of local power centers existing from the Merovingian period onward.