- Stone circle (Iron Age)
The Stone Circles of the
Iron Age (ca. 500 BC - ca. 400 AD) were a characteristic burial custom of southern Scandinavia, especially onGotland and inGötaland during thePre-Roman Iron Age and theRoman Iron Age . In Sweden, they are called Domarringar (judge circles), Domkretsar (judge circles) or Domarsäten (judge seats). They should not be confused with theStone circle s of theBronze Age and Britain.History
In the 1st century, the tradition was brought across the Baltic Sea to the area of modern-day Northern Poland, probably by the
Goths , as excavations made during the time of theGerman Empire indicate (see theWielbark Culture ). The stone circle is sometimes used as a burial ground.Example Locations
*
Gettlinge burial field, Oland, Sweden
*Hulterstad gravfalt, Oland, Sweden
*Jelling stones , Velje, Denmark
*Stoplesteinan , NorwayShapes
The circles are usually round, or elongated
ellipse s. The stones may be very large and they are usually between 9 and 12. Sometimes there are as few as 6-8. One stone circle, the circle of Nässja (nearVadstena ), comprises as many as 24 stones. Excavations have shown burnt coal in the centre of the circles and they are nowadays considered to be incineration graves.Things
There is a widespread tradition that the circles were used for things, or general assemblies. Similar circles were used for popular assemblies in Denmark until the 16th century, and in Vad parish in
Västergötland , the village assemblies were held in a stone circle until the 19th century.norri Sturluson
Even if knowledge that the stone circles were graves was later lost, it was still fresh in the 13th century as testify these lines by
Snorri Sturluson in the introduction of theHeimskringla ::"As to funeral rites, the earliest age is called the Age of Burning; because all the dead were consumed by fire, and over their ashes were raised standing stones".ee also
*
Stone ship
*Menhir
*Gårdlösa ources
*
Nationalencyklopedin
* [http://www.muzarp.poznan.pl/archweb/gazociag/title5.htm A Polish Archaeology Article by Tadeusz Makiewicz]
* ADuong's a history of Poland
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