Project Manager
Christian MühlenbockProject manager
University of GothenburgAmount granted
465 000 SEKYear
2021
The Pilgrim Church in Edsleskog has long been known because it was dedicated to one of Sweden's first known saints, St. Nils. But since the church was destroyed in a fire in 1568, a lot of knowledge about the building has been hidden underground. In 2019, staff at Lödöse Museum decided to carry out archaeological investigations at the site. After three seasons, the results are sensational to say the least. The church turned out to be a three-nave basilica that was one of the largest buildings in medieval Sweden. Edsleskog is located in northern Dalsland, an area that in the Middle Ages was a forested and inaccessible place in the buffer zone between what became Sweden and Norway. The church was also built in brick and dating shows that the church was built as early as the end of the 12th century. The pilgrim church in Edsleskog is thus the oldest brick building in medieval Sweden. In the following research project, the aim is to go in depth with the pilgrim church in Edsleskog. Through studies of the church's dating, design and style, I want to place the church in a Swedish and Scandinavian perspective. How and why did brick technology come to medieval Sweden and how was the new technology incorporated into church construction? Coin finds and grave material, especially skeletons, will be used with the support of scientific analysis to investigate who visited Edsleskog and who was buried there. Finally, a model will be created for how Edsleskog fits into Sweden's religious and political landscape during the 12th and 13th centuries.