Gettlinge Stone Ship Burial Ground

Morbylånga, Sweden

Gettlinge is a village in the southwest portion of the island of Öland It is known for its impressive Viking stone ship burial ground. Gettlinge is situated on the western fringe of the Stora Alvaret, a World Heritage Site designated by UNESCO.

The principal evidence of life in the Gettlinge area from 1000 BC to 1000 AD is derived from the gravefields themselves. The Gettlinge burial ground is situated near the coast highway and contains some Bronze Age barrows as well as the more prominent stone ship burials, making it one of the largest gravefields on Öland. These burials span the late Bronze Age, Iron Age and Viking periods. Some of the individual standing stones are thought to predate the Viking era. Numerous artifacts have been recovered from gravefields elsewhere on Öland, including bronze chains and a bone needle case.

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