HEIMDALL'S STONES AT VITEMÖLLA IN SE SWEDEN AND THE CHRONOLOGY AND STRATIGRAPHY OF THE SURROUNDINGS |
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| Authors: | BY NILS-AXEL MÖRNER BOB G LIND GÖRAN POSSNERT |
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| Institution: | Paleogeophysics and Geodynamics, Saltsjöbaden, Sweden;Malmö, Sweden;Ångströmslaboratoriet, Uppsala Universitet, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | Heimdall's Stones at Vitemölla is an archaeological monument of stones arranged in circles and where sightlines can be identified of the sunrise and sunset at winter and summer solstices and spring and autumn equinoxes. Therefore, this stone monument is likely to have served as an archaeoastronomic observatory. It is founded in a fossil land surface now covered by half a metre of eolian sand. In order to date this sand drift, sediment coring was performed in the nearby Sandefloen bog. Seven levels were subjected to AMS C14 dating. The first sand drift, correlated with the sand drift covering Heimdall's Stones, was dated at 500–600 cal. bc . Consequently, the observatory has to date back to the Bronze Age, fitting well with its Sun cult and with the rock carvings recorded on the individual stones. At the seashore 500 m east of the observatory and the bog, we were able to reconstruct the sea-level changes. In conclusion, we combine the recorded sea-level changes with the C14-dated bog stratigraphy and the observed stratigraphy at Heimdall's Stones (covering an area of 500×500 m) into one unified picture. The chronostratigraphic position of Heimdall's Stones agrees well with the dating of the Kivik grave. The Vitemölla area is likely to have been an important cultural centre in the Bronze Age. |
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| Keywords: | Bronze Age archaeoastronomy sightlines rock-carving sand drift sea level changes chronostratigraphy SE Sweden |
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