through archaeological investigations in recent years Uppåkra, in Scania, has proven to be southern Sweden’s largest, artefact-richest and longest lasting Iron Age settlement. It was an urban settlement, and intensive and complex activities were conducted here during a period spanning more than one thousand years, from about the first century BC to about 1000 AD.
The site extends over nearly 100 acres with thick occupation layers, often up to two metres deep. Periodic surveys with metal detectors have yielded over 20,000 finds to date, with the majority being in bronze but also with abundant amounts of objects in silver, gold and iron.
The finds indicate that local artisanship was highly developed, and that there was even extensive trade with larger parts of Europe.
During archaeological excavations of a central area of the settlement, the remains of a large number of buildings and farmsteads have been discovered. Among these, a unique structure was found that through its distinctive construction, its longevity and its sensational finds came to be designated as the cult house.
Despite only smaller areas of the site having yet been investigated, archaeologists are convinced that Uppåkra served as an economic, political and religious centre of power for a large part of the region. Uppåkra may have been the royal seat of a Scanian kingdom.
This website has come about through collaboration between the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Lund University, the Historical Museum at Lund University and the Municipality of Staffanstorp. The intention of collaboration is to inform of the results of the archaeological investigations, the theories and findings from latest research, and to provide a picture of an ancient, chief Scanian town.