Vasteras Kommun
Vastmanlands Lan Sweden
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Cemetery notes and/or description:
From the Swedish village of Bjurhovda, on the eastern outskirts of the city of West Aros (Västerås), there is a hike of about one kilometer to another village, Tibble, where a walking path from antiquity begins. There is a labyrinth from the 6th century here, used for Nordic fertility rites. One can walk northward from there along the top of Badelunda Ridge, created in the Ice Age when the glacier was several miles thick here. As the ice melted, extremely powerful streams under it were able to forge stone ridges like this one, which is 400 kilometers long, into being. Badelunda village and parish is just about centered on it. Mother Nature is ever-present and strongly felt at any time of year all along the ancient path, which leads eventually to King Anwynd‚s tumulus (so does a good side road just off the main highway from Stockholm to Oslo). A thousand years ago the coast of Mälar Lake went all the way up here, so the burial mound was originally a lakeside location. Standing atop it and looking down at a large and surprising stone hedge below, it becomes clear that this once actually was an enormous cemetery of major importance. That is confirmed by following the path a bit farther from the great tumulus, with some difficulty because of lacking signs, and discovering a multitude of smaller burial mounds with Viking era gravestones. Experts of archaeology have considered the site a unique attraction in Europe, while others interested have complained of insufficient upkeep and poor promotion. (Bernhard Kauntz & J T Demitz)
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Added by:
J T Demitz
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