Project Manager
Björk, TonyProject manager
Kristianstad Regional Museum/South Swedish ArchaeologyAmount granted
78 000 SEKYear
2019
In the 1950s and 1960s, an unusually large burial ground was investigated at Store Frigård on Bornholm, which was in use from about 500 BC to about 400 AD (Pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age). In total, more than 1200 sites were examined, mostly graves, with a large number of objects. Some of the objects contain textile remains and there are also human remains in the form of burnt bones. Almost all individuals had been cremated. Unfortunately, the archaeologist who led the investigation died prematurely and there is still no comprehensive analysis or publication of the rich material. Store Frigård is valuable for knowledge of the pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age in the southern Baltic Sea area. A project has therefore been initiated that will result in a scientific publication within the next few years.
Bornholm is rich in finds, as are the other large islands in the Baltic Sea. The material from Store Frigård has interesting parallels, not least in Skåne, Öland and Gotland. The islands have been important for contacts across the Baltic Sea, which is reflected in the burial conditions and grave goods, which have features of surrounding regions. An important category of finds is ceramics. There are clay vessels from about 340 graves. The pottery provides great opportunities to date individual graves, to show the changes in burial customs and to discuss contact patterns in the Baltic Sea region.