Forgotten no more – Human and non-human remains found in Mid-Swedish Bog

Our recent excavation has revealed skeletal remains from humans, horse, cattle and pig on the boggy shore of lake Bokaren, Mid-Sweden – a part of the world not often associated with the phenomena of bog bodies. The drained lake may have been a sacrificial site that was used in the Vendel and Viking Ages and perhaps even in medieval times – a time when people are generally seen as committed to Christian practices.

 Fig. 1 Human remains from bog at Lake Bokaren foreshore

Fig. 2 Horse skull from excavation

The osteological analysis show that a female from the site was exposed to lethal violence to the head, while a male has decapitation marks. Several horse skulls have evidence for blow-marks to the forehead.

 

Fig. 3 Overview of site – boggy wet-meadow of former Lake Bokaren

The site of Bokaren was discovered during the clearing of a drainage ditch some 75 years ago. County archaeologist Nils Sundquist, together withe Rutger Sernander carried out small excavation – however the site was never published in full and was almost forgotten about. The aim of our recent excavation was to re-visit the site to see what remained of this depositional site and its platform and to build a more extensive research project around the site. The results have been stunning – and this is the first time in modern history that a Swedish bog-body has been scientifically excavated.

 

Fig. 4 The team 2015, photo by Agneta Åkerlund

The project will now source funding for to carry out a full-scale excavation next year. The site material provides an opportunity to problematize issues around sacrifice and its spatial practices, to discuss human-animal relationships as well as to tease out relationships between regional centers and central places, exemplified by the relationship between Bokaren and Gamla Uppsala. The initial funding for the project has been received from the The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities/Gellerstedts fund, The Swedish Science Foundation and Societas Archaeological Upsaliensis (SAU).

We are three project-leaders from different research environments cooperating in this project. 

• Susanna Eklund, Societas Archaeological Upsaliensis susanna.eklund@sau.se
• Christina Fredengren, PhD, Associate Professor, Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University christina.fredengren@arklab.su.se
• Andreas Hennius, PhD student, Department of Archaeology, Uppsala University andreas.hennius@arkeologi.uu.se

Swedish television visit to site:

http://www.svt.se/nyheter/regionalt/uppsala/offerplats-hittad-i-rasbo and http://www.svtplay.se/sverige-idag