This Island In Norway May Have Served As An Important Viking Trading Center
The island of Klosterøy is located in southwest Norway and is most famous for its medieval monastery.
But long before the area became a historic religious site, it may have served as an important trading center.
After surveying part of a Norwegian island, archaeologists have reason to believe that the site could have been used as a marketplace during the Viking Age, which spanned from A.D. 793 to 1066.
With the help of non-invasive ground-penetrating radar technology, the remains of several piers and pit houses were detected underneath the ground.
Additional evidence gleaned from the region supports the theory that the place was of great significance to the local people.
For instance, several large burial mounds from the Iron Age (1200 B.C. to 600 B.C.) could be seen from a short distance.
According to Kristoffer Hillesland, a researcher at the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology, the marketplace would have been established after the Iron Age when the island was being used as a royal farm for Harold Fairhair, the first king of Norway.
He reigned from A.D. 872 to 930. During the Middle Ages, a monastery for Augustinian monks was constructed next to the site.
Since early Christian institutions were often built near centers of power, the presence of the medieval monastery in the area points toward the idea that it really was a marketplace.
Sid Smith – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
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The monastery is now known as Utstein Abbey. It was abandoned in the 16th century but was later used as a farmhouse.
Instead of conducting excavations, researchers used metal detectors to explore the land beside the monastery because it was part of a historically protected area.
Items like coins and weights were found, which suggested that commercial trade had occurred there.
They also came across traces of pits that measured between 6.5 and 33 feet in diameter. The pits closely resembled the “pit houses” that have been dug up across Norway.
Throughout Europe, particularly in Scandinavia, pit houses were common. The floors of these dwellings were below ground level.
They also had slanted roofs made from wood, turf, or thatch. In Scandinavia, remains of pit houses have frequently been unearthed at Iron Age and Viking Age marketplaces. There, they appeared to have been used as workshops for weaving.
In addition, the archaeological survey revealed the remnants of three piers near the shore, where boats could dock.
It is possible that boats from other islands may have made the trip to the market during warmer months when it was open.
The compiled evidence indicates that a bustling marketplace existed at the site during the Viking Age and early Middle Ages.
However, the theory cannot be confirmed until thorough excavations are completed. But, since the site is on protected land, it is not open to archaeological digs.
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