The Diggings in Oden's Howe, &c. Gamla, Upsala, 1846-7. These diggings were conducted by Riks Antiquary B. E. Hildebrand and Lieut.-Colonel StÅt, chiefly in the days of August-September, 1846, and June 7-22, 1847. The only printed notices thereon appeared at the time, chiefly from the pen of B. E. Hildebrand, in the Upsala paper 'Correspondenten,' Nos. 75, 77, 79—September 12, 19, 26, 1846, and Nos. 50, 53—June 23 and July 3, 1847. 1. 'Correspondenten,' September 12, 1846.—Diggings going on, but prove more laborious than had been expected. 2. 'Correspondenten,' September 19, 1846.—A boarded gallery 7 Swedish feet 5 inches high and 5 feet broad has been constructed from the east side of the howe (Oden's Howe, the largest of the three so-called King-howes), towards the centre. After penetrating 68 feet (20 met.), a mighty wall of granite blocks was struck, probably a grave-chamber. The gently rising gallery abuts on the lowest stones of the chamber. During the diggings have been found unburnt animal bones, bits of dark wood, charcoal, burnt bones, &c. Thus this was evidently a sepulchral mound. The name King-howes is evidently correct. Diggings have also been made in the smaller cairns near by, and although they have been opened before, burial-urns have been found, burnt human bones, bones of animals and birds, bits of iron and bronze, &c. 3. 'Correspondenten,' September 26, 1846.—The great wall has proved to be the edge of a mighty chamber. Between 200 and 300 large granite blocks have been taken out. Some of them have traces of tooling. The gallery has been carried 16 Swedish feet through the stone mass, which lies on hard packed clay, over a layer of fine sand, resting on large stones above the natural soil. At the middle of the howe the grave-chamber is 9 feet above the level of the soil, 18 feet under the top of the howe. On the bed of clay under the great stones have been found an iron clinker 3 inches long, remains of pine poles partly burnt, a lock of hair chestnut coloured, &c. The numerous clusters of charcoal show that the dead had been burned on the layer of clay, and the bones have been collected in an urn not yet found. In one of the nearest small howes have been found a quantity of burnt animal and human bones, two little-injured bronze brooches, a fragment of a golden ornament, &c.
4. 'Correspondenten,' June 23, 1847.—The burial-urn has been found in the grave-chamber. Also have turned up bones of men, horses, dogs, a golden ornament delicately worked, a bone comb, bone buttons, &c. 5. 'Correspondenten,' July 3, 1847.—The gallery has been driven 4 feet farther, thereafter has been made a side gallery, 8½ feet wide and 8 feet long, up to the burial-urn. This was found 3 inches under the soil, and was covered with a thin slab. It was 7 inches high, 9 inches in diameter, filled with burnt bones, human and animal (horse, dog, &c.), ashes, charcoal (of needle and leaf trees), nails, copper ornaments, bone articles, a bird of bone, &c. In the mass of charcoal about were found bones, broken ornaments, bits of two golden bracteates, &c. Coins of King Oscar were then placed in the urn, and everything restored as before. Frey's Howe was opened, and showed the same results.
The gallery remained for some years, and was visited by thousands of persons, but afterwards fell in, and the howe is now inaccessible. Carl SÄve. Upsala, March 1, 1871.
|
  |
