Anundshög, Västerås, Sweden - SpottingHistory.com

Anundshög is the largest tumulus in Sweden. It has a diameter of 60 metres and is about 9 metres high. Assessments of the era of the mound vary between the Bronze Age and the late Iron Age. A fireplace under it has been dated by radiocarbon dating to sometime between AD 210 and 540.

Some historians have associated the mound with the legendary King Anund, while others regard this as speculative. It is purported also that the name is taken from the large runestone at the site, the central stone in a row of 15 alongside the mound, re-erected in the 1960s and apparently marking out the route of the Eriksgata. The inscription on the runestone reads: "Folkvid raised all of these stones after his son Heden, Anund's brother. Vred carved the runes."

At the foot of the mound are 2 large stone ships placed end to end, 51 metres and 54 metres long. The site was a thing-place and the ship settings may be associated with this function.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Akos Kiss (3 years ago)
A nice place to visit and spend some time wandering around. History and nature mixed. It is reachable by public transportation but if time and weather (and physical condition) allow, it is definitely possible and worth to make it a hike out there from the city centre (of Västerås).

lee jun-hoe (3 years ago)
Pretty cool and interesting place to check out if you like history and archaeology. It's great that it's an open park so you can walk all over it, compared to Stonehenge where you can only glimpse it from afar. There is also a pleasant short nature trail to walk explore, with many signs giving a brief description of history and geography of the area.

Samuel Hill (3 years ago)
We toured through the area and were delighted to find this site. There were englishmen practicing sword fighting and people seemed to really enjoy the area. The cafe was closed this time of year but the site itself does not need that added amenity. I highly recommend this stop.

Felix Lüttich (3 years ago)
If you stay in Västeras you should visit this tumulus. It is the biggest of this type in sweden and really impressive. There also is q restaurant and a lot of beautiful nature around.

Rita Neyer (3 years ago)
A wonderful and well maintained archaeological site! You can walk around, picnic in the shade of the trees overlooking the stone installations, or go for a walk on the grave mounds or in the woods (bring bug spray). Information signs explain the site and give some background information on lifestyle a la old norse. Nearby cafe and parking directly at the site makes it easy to reach and accessible.

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Heraclea Lyncestis

Heraclea Lyncestis was an ancient Greek city in Macedon, ruled later by the Romans. It was founded by Philip II of Macedon in the middle of the 4th century BC. The city was named in honor of the mythological hero Heracles. The name Lynkestis originates from the name of the ancient kingdom, conquered by Philip, where the city was built.

Heraclea was a strategically important town during the Hellenistic period, as it was at the edge of Macedon"s border with Epirus to the west and Paeonia to the north, until the middle of the 2nd century BC, when the Romans conquered Macedon and destroyed its political power. The main Roman road in the area, Via Egnatia went through Heraclea, and Heraclea was an important stop. The prosperity of the city was maintained mainly due to this road.

The Roman emperor Hadrian built a theatre in the center of the town, on a hill, when many buildings in the Roman province of Macedonia were being restored. It began being used during the reign of Antoninus Pius. Inside the theatre there were three animal cages and in the western part a tunnel. The theatre went out of use during the late 4th century AD, when gladiator fights in the Roman Empire were banned, due to the spread of Christianity, the formulation of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the abandonment of, what was then perceived as, pagan rituals and entertainment.

Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods

In the early Byzantine period (4th to 6th centuries AD) Heraclea was an important episcopal centre. A small and a great basilica, the bishop"s residence, and a funerary basilica and the necropolis are some of the remains of this period. Three naves in the Great Basilica are covered with mosaics of very rich floral and figurative iconography; these well preserved mosaics are often regarded as fine examples of the early Christian art period.

The city was sacked by Ostrogoth/Visigoth forces, commanded by Theodoric the Great in 472 AD and again in 479 AD. It was restored in the late 5th and early 6th century. When an earthquake struck in 518 AD, the inhabitants of Heraclea gradually abandoned the city. Subsequently, at the eve of the 7th century, the Dragovites, a Slavic tribe pushed down from the north by the Avars, settled in the area. The last coin issue dates from ca. 585, which suggests that the city was finally captured by the Slavs. As result, in place of the deserted city theatre several huts were built.

The Episcopacy Residence was excavated between 1970 and 1975. The western part was discovered first and the southern side is near the town wall. The luxury rooms are located in the eastern part. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th rooms all have mosaic floors. Between the 3rd and 4th rooms there is a hole that led to the eastern entrance of the residence. The hole was purposefully created between the 4th and 6th century.

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