Prison site excavations reveal 12,000 years of life in southern Sweden

A massive archaeological investigation at the site of a new correctional facility in Dalköpinge outside Trelleborg, Sweden, has uncovered evidence of occupation dating back 12,000 years, including the richly furnished grave of an elite woman from the Bronze Age.

Two excavations, the first from late August to November 2023, the second over three months in the spring of 2024, covered an area of almost 50 acres, one of the largest ever made in the Scania province of southern Sweden. The Trelleborg area has excellent arable land, easy access to the Sound (the strait between Denmark and Sweden) and a relatively warm climate, features that attracted a large population continuously inhabiting the site for 10,000 years. Preliminary surveys carried out at the site in 2021 found evidence of huts, houses and graves from the Neolithic and a large number of Iron Age long houses.

At the highest point in the middle of the site, the survey found the remains of a Bronze Age mound that had been ploughed flat but still contained its central grave. This was the grave of a high-status woman who died around 2,500 years ago and was buried with luxurious grave goods, including a bronze dagger, a round bronze belt buckle, thick bronze spiral arm rings and two gold spiral finger rings.

The oldest remains found at the site, a leather and tool-making site, date back about 12,000 years to the Stone Age. A more recent Neolithic find was a 4,000-year-old dwelling. The floor was discovered in good condition, with portable contents — tools, pottery, arrowheads — still in place. This suggests the home had to be hastily abandoned leaving important objects behind. The team also unearthed a rare cellar pit from a Neolithic home.

A small selection of the artifacts discovered at the site are on display in the foyer of Trelleborg Museum until November 24th. Most of the archaeological material is still undergoing analysis and conservation. When the work is complete in 2026, a larger exhibition is planned at the museum.

* This article was originally published here