Archaeologists excavating nine sites along the E18 motorway in Västmanland, Sweden, uncovered an extensive Iron Age/Viking‑age cremation complex and numerous grave goods. The large, repeatedly used pyres were likely built to be seen from a distance, signaling high‑status funerary display. Finds include an iron sword, glass bead necklaces, gold sheets with waffle embossing, and gaming pieces. A nearby cemetery of 30 graves contained horses or burned horse equipment in both men's and women's burials, challenging assumptions about gendered roles in Viking funerary practice.
Rare Viking Cremation Complex and Horse Burials Unearthed Along Sweden’s E18
Archaeologists excavating nine sites along the E18 motorway in Västmanland, Sweden, uncovered an extensive Iron Age/Viking‑age cremation complex and numerous grave goods. The large, repeatedly used pyres were likely built to be seen from a distance, signaling high‑status funerary display. Finds include an iron sword, glass bead necklaces, gold sheets with waffle embossing, and gaming pieces. A nearby cemetery of 30 graves contained horses or burned horse equipment in both men's and women's burials, challenging assumptions about gendered roles in Viking funerary practice.
23:35, 08.11.2025Culture
Rare Viking cremation complex and rich grave goods found during Swedish motorway excavations
Archaeologists from Arkeologerna, the archaeological unit of the Swedish National Historical Museum, have uncovered multiple Iron Age and Viking‑age burial sites and substantial grave goods during excavations along the E18 motorway in Västmanland, Sweden. Fieldwork at nine locations carried out between 2021 and 2022 produced an unusually complete cross‑section of regional burial practices and landscape use across generations.
One standout discovery is a large cremation complex composed of repeated, very large pyres. The scale of the pyre constructions suggests they were intended to be visible from afar, enabling the funerary rites of high‑status individuals to be witnessed across the surrounding region. As project leader Fredrik Larsson noted, "This was a place designed to be seen from far away."
"The sites are exciting, but the overall picture is most interesting. We have a long cross‑section through several districts simultaneously, which gives us the opportunity to understand how society and the landscape changed over generations." — Fredrik Larsson, Arkeologerna
Within the cremation deposits archaeologists recovered an impressive array of grave goods that signal elevated status: an iron Viking sword, beaded glass necklaces, thin gold sheets embossed with a waffle pattern that once held decorative inlays, and gaming pieces made from whale bone and fired clay. These finds point to elaborate ritual practice and material wealth associated with the deceased.
At a nearby cemetery area the team excavated 30 graves of both men and women. Many of these graves contained horse remains or traces of burned horse equipment. The presence of horses and equestrian gear in graves of both sexes challenges earlier assumptions about strictly gendered burial roles in the Viking Age. "They are found in both men's and women's graves and are very rich and well‑preserved," Larsson said. He suggested the horse tack may have functioned as a kind of local costume, with both rider and animal carrying visible markers of status or identity.
Taken together, the discoveries along the E18 provide a rare, detailed snapshot of burial practice, social hierarchy, and landscape change in this part of Sweden during the Iron Age and Viking period. The finds will help researchers refine interpretations of regional rites, gendered expressions of status, and long‑term social transformations.
Excavations were conducted by Arkeologerna (Swedish National Historical Museum). Reporting on the discoveries has appeared in international outlets including Men's Journal.