Midland Iron Age environments
Mittlandet contains a unique and outstanding area for northern Europe with overall environments from the older Iron Age farming society. Numerous house foundations that form entire farms and loosely grouped villages, kilometer-long enclosure systems, alleys, wells and graves spread over large parts of what is today known as the Midland Forest
Traces of Stone and Bronze Age people are few in Midland, despite archaeological findings showing that people lived here and that the land was farmed. In stark contrast to these times are the unique remains of the older Iron Age, which are completely unique in scope. In the vicinity of many of today's villages, there are kilometer-long stone enclosures, up to 40-meter-long house foundations that contained both men's and cow houses, burial mounds and cultivation mounds, cattle streets, road banks, wells, ponds, etc. These traces show that Öland at this time was practically fully built. The image of an Öland golden age emerges. The culture was based on trade relations with the powerful Roman Empire. Among the finds are gold treasures, precious offerings and graves of great men with glass objects and double-edged Roman swords.
Below are some examples of Midland's old village locations with house foundations and stone string areas.
The entire southern part of Gillsättra's gärde, the area that has mainly been the village's meadow during historical times, is a continuous archaeological area. There are 26 premises registered here. By far the most extensive area of ancient remains contains house foundations, 76 stone strings and several hundred clearing cairns. The total length of stone strings is estimated at just over eleven kilometers. The stone strings form at least six fairways. The archaeological site at Gillsättra is an Iron Age landscape with very high cultural and historical values.
Worthy of special mention is the find of band-shaped plots in the western part of the fence. However, these represent a different time than the other fossil farmland in the area.
In the area near Ismanstorp's castle, there are stone strings, house foundations and graves such as stone deposits, cairns and a judge's ring. There are examples of built environments from the Middle Iron Age that are very educational. Here there are also overall environments with house foundations, stone strings and areas with connected clearing cairns.
Within Karum there are 14 housing plots. In two places they are gathered in groups, otherwise there are single houses, distributed over a fairly large area. Among these house grounds, two main types can be distinguished, residential houses and probably farmhouses. The residential buildings are rectangular and usually around 15 to 20 meters long. Altogether, probably 8-9 farm locations can be discerned. Another farm is covered with two house foundations, but the foundations have been cultivated away during the latter part of the 1900th century. A reasonable estimate of the original number of farms is around ten to twelve.
The eastern part of the area consists of stone strings, house foundations and fossil, abandoned, fields which together constitute a good example of an Iron Age landscape. Here are the conditions for being able to easily highlight the character of the prehistoric landscape. In the western part, there are cleared areas, house foundations with stone strings, farm street and fossil arable soil. At the edge of the area, the ancient remains are fewer but significant for understanding a larger context.
Rönnerum's ancient village is about two kilometers southeast of Rönnerum's village and two kilometers west of Ismantorp's castle. The environment is one of the best examples of Iron Age villages in Midland. Within an area of 300 x 400 metres, there are ten house foundations surrounded and connected by stone strings. Seven of the house plots are grouped together in a group of two or three farms. The others are located as a farm about 200 meters north of it. Six of the houses in the southern group lie parallel in a north-south direction, while the seventh lies in an east-west direction. The house foundations are 10-15 meters long, the longest divided by a cross wall. Just east of the southern group of houses is the village's well, to which a street between the rows of stones leads. In the fenced grounds to the west of the house foundations are a number of small cairns - graves or clearing cairns. One of the houses was archaeologically investigated in 1928. The area continues into the Abbantorp village area.
In the southern part of Torslunda parish is a large complex of house foundations and stone rows. The most distinct is Gamla Skogsby, which was a large village in prehistoric times. Within a limited area there are 19 house foundations as well as strings of stones that form small hedges and alleyways. The stone ranges are limited to the east and west by cultivated land. It is likely that large parts of the associated stone strings have been cultivated away. Traces of this are seen as irregular patterns in the current regular ownership structure.
Within the Övetorp-Vanserum-Bäck area, there are several complete prehistoric environments with house foundations, graves, fossil arable soil and stone strings. These remains shed light on the spatial organization of farms and villages during the Early Iron Age. The area has high scientific, educational and experiential values.
Below are some examples of Midland's old village locations with house foundations and stone string areas.
The entire southern part of Gillsättra's gärde, the area that has mainly been the village's meadow during historical times, is a continuous archaeological area. There are 26 premises registered here. By far the most extensive area of ancient remains contains house foundations, 76 stone strings and several hundred clearing cairns. The total length of stone strings is estimated at just over eleven kilometers. The stone strings form at least six fairways. The archaeological site at Gillsättra is an Iron Age landscape with very high cultural and historical values.
Worthy of special mention is the find of band-shaped plots in the western part of the fence. However, these represent a different time than the other fossil farmland in the area.
In the area near Ismanstorp's castle, there are stone strings, house foundations and graves such as stone deposits, cairns and a judge's ring. There are examples of built environments from the Middle Iron Age that are very educational. Here there are also overall environments with house foundations, stone strings and areas with connected clearing cairns.
Within Karum there are 14 housing plots. In two places they are gathered in groups, otherwise there are single houses, distributed over a fairly large area. Among these house grounds, two main types can be distinguished, residential houses and probably farmhouses. The residential buildings are rectangular and usually around 15 to 20 meters long. Altogether, probably 8-9 farm locations can be discerned. Another farm is covered with two house foundations, but the foundations have been cultivated away during the latter part of the 1900th century. A reasonable estimate of the original number of farms is around ten to twelve.
The eastern part of the area consists of stone strings, house foundations and fossil, abandoned, fields which together constitute a good example of an Iron Age landscape. Here are the conditions for being able to easily highlight the character of the prehistoric landscape. In the western part, there are cleared areas, house foundations with stone strings, farm street and fossil arable soil. At the edge of the area, the ancient remains are fewer but significant for understanding a larger context.
Rönnerum's ancient village is about two kilometers southeast of Rönnerum's village and two kilometers west of Ismantorp's castle. The environment is one of the best examples of Iron Age villages in Midland. Within an area of 300 x 400 metres, there are ten house foundations surrounded and connected by stone strings. Seven of the house plots are grouped together in a group of two or three farms. The others are located as a farm about 200 meters north of it. Six of the houses in the southern group lie parallel in a north-south direction, while the seventh lies in an east-west direction. The house foundations are 10-15 meters long, the longest divided by a cross wall. Just east of the southern group of houses is the village's well, to which a street between the rows of stones leads. In the fenced grounds to the west of the house foundations are a number of small cairns - graves or clearing cairns. One of the houses was archaeologically investigated in 1928. The area continues into the Abbantorp village area.
In the southern part of Torslunda parish is a large complex of house foundations and stone rows. The most distinct is Gamla Skogsby, which was a large village in prehistoric times. Within a limited area there are 19 house foundations as well as strings of stones that form small hedges and alleyways. The stone ranges are limited to the east and west by cultivated land. It is likely that large parts of the associated stone strings have been cultivated away. Traces of this are seen as irregular patterns in the current regular ownership structure.
Within the Övetorp-Vanserum-Bäck area, there are several complete prehistoric environments with house foundations, graves, fossil arable soil and stone strings. These remains shed light on the spatial organization of farms and villages during the Early Iron Age. The area has high scientific, educational and experiential values.