A chieftain’s farmstead from the Viking Age is being constructed in the municipality of Ale just north of Gothenburg. Not far from the site where the remains of the Äskekärr ship from the 10th century were discovered. This Viking farmstead, nestled in a grove of deciduous trees, commands a fine view across the river Göta älv.
It offers plenty of scope for the staging of various events, games, activities, handicrafts and excursions. The Viking buildings can be used for meetings and banquets, with the open hearth as the central point.
Constructing the farmstead ...
The construction is a long-term project that can be followed day by day. The first stage of the project involves the construction of a Viking dwelling house, built of oak with wood-sculptured ornamentation, and also a smaller workshop. See picture.
The construction of the Viking farmstead in Ale is mainly being carried out using the types of tools and methods that were used during the Viking period. Tools that would have been common in the Viking Age are being produced from scratch. Willow fences are being woven to enclose cultivated plots and household utensils are being made of wood, clay and iron. Linen and woollen fabrics are being used to make costumes.
From scratch...
The plan is to reconstruct a Viking Age chieftain’s farmstead, complete with dwelling houses, enclosures for animals, workshops and a hall with a cult-building. The hall building was the Viking reception room – an imposing building that will be 36 metres long and almost 10 metres high when finished.
Longhouse
The first building to be constructed in this education project is a longhouse. It is approximately 16.5 metres long, 7 metres wide and 7 metres high. The building has been made entirely from oak with convex walls. Wall and end posts and the lintel are richly decorated with a pattern based on the so-called Mammen style. Read more about the ornamentation and wood sculpting. All surfaces are worked by hand.
The project is modelled on a farmstead that has been archaeologically excavated on Tissö in Denmark. This has served as the basic model for our reconstruction. But it also seems that during the Viking Age/early Middle Ages there was some influence from Norway, particularly on the building styles, in the Göta älv valley. Building engineer, Jochen Komber, is familiar with the technology called ‘stave’ building, which is the construction method used to build the wooden stave churches in Norway. Some years ago, he was involved in the reconstruction of a Viking Age farm on Karmöy, near Stavanger in Norway. The farm will be adapted, as far as possible, to the local traditions of the Viking Age.
Activity and information centre
The Viking Age Farmstead in Ale is to be an activity and information centre for schools, local inhabitants and tourists. We want to create a site where visitors can discover what life was like on a farmstead during the Viking Age. The reconstruction work will be carried out using the same materials and methods that were employed during the age of the Vikings. The plans also include producing and making all the furnishing and equipment that a large household would have needed in the Viking Age.
Located in Häljered
The farmstead is being built in the hamlet of Häljered, south of Älvängen, just a few hundred metres north of the discovery site of the Äskekärr ship.s
Artefacts and treasure
So far, no Viking Age farmstead has been archeologically excavated in Ale. However, the numerous artefacts, such as graves, riches of gold and silver, ships, strongholds and other objects, testify that this area saw considerable activity during the Viking Age. The fact that Lödöse, dating back to the late 11th century and thus one of Sweden’s oldest towns, was founded nearby also proves the considerable economic significance of this area during the Viking Age and early Middle Ages.
For further information, please call:
+46 (0)303-33 06 21
For school classes
+46 (0)303-33 07 49