Midland's Iron Age environments
Mittlandet contains a unique and unique area for northern Europe with holistic environments from the early Iron Age farming community. Numerous house foundations that form entire farms and loosely grouped villages, kilometre-long fencing systems, sheep farms, wells and graves spread over large parts of what is today called Mittlandsskogen
Traces of Stone and Bronze Age people are few in Midland, despite the fact that archaeological finds show that people lived here and that the land was cultivated. In sharp contrast to these times are the unique and completely unique remains of the Early Iron Age. In the vicinity of many of today's villages there are kilometre-long stone enclosures, up to 40 metres long house foundations that contained both manor and cow houses, burial cairns and cultivation cairns, sheep pastures, road embankments, wells, ponds, etc. These traces show that Öland at this time was practically fully built. The picture 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 noble tombs with glass objects and double-edged Roman swords.
Below are some examples of Midland's old village locations with house foundation 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 ancient monument area. There are 26 premises registered here. By far the most extensive ancient monument area contains house foundations, 76 stone strings and several hundred clearing cairns. The total length of stone strings is estimated to be just over eleven kilometres. The stone strings form at least six sheep fields. The ancient monument environment at Gillsättra is an Iron Age landscape with very high cultural-historical values.
Worth special mention is the discovery of band-shaped parcels in the western part of the fence. However, these represent a different time than the other fossil arable land in the area.
In the area, which is close to Ismanstorp Castle, there are stone strings, house foundations and graves such as stone settings, cairns and a judge's ring. There are examples of built environments from the Middle Iron Age that are very educational. There are also overall environments with house foundations, stone strings and areas with continuous clearing cairns.
Within Karum there are 14 house foundations. In two places they are gathered in groups, otherwise they are single houses, spread over a fairly large area. Among these house foundations, two main types can be distinguished, residential buildings and probably cowsheds. The residential buildings are rectangular and usually about 15 to 20 meters long. A total of 8-9 farm locations can probably be distinguished. Another farm is paved with two house foundations, but the foundations have been cultivated away during the latter part of the 1900s. 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 fossils, abandoned, fields that together form a good example of an Iron Age landscape. Here are the conditions for easily being able to shed light on the character of the prehistoric landscape. In the western part there are cleared areas, house foundations with stone strings, sheep and fossil arable land. On the outskirts of the area, the ancient remains are fewer but important for understanding a larger context.
Rönnerum's ancient village is located just over two kilometres southeast of Rönnerum's village and two kilometres west of Ismantorp Castle. The environment is one of the best examples of Iron Age villages in Midland. Within an area of 300 x 400 metres, ten house foundations are surrounded and connected by stone strings. Seven of the house foundations are gathered in a group of two or three farms. The others are located as a farm about 200 metres north of it. Six of the houses in the southern group are parallel in a north-south direction, while the seventh is in an east-west direction. The house foundations are 10-15 metres 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 stone strings leads. In the fenced land west of the house foundations there are a number of small cairns - graves or clearing cairns. One of the houses was excavated archaeologically in 1928. The area continues into the village area of Abbantorp.
In the southern part of Torslunda parish is a large complex of house foundations and stone strings. The most distinctive is Gamla Skogsby, which was a large village in prehistoric times. Within a limited area there are 19 house foundations and stone strings that form small folds and pastures. The stone strings are bounded 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 can be seen as irregular patterns in the current regular property structure.
In the area of Övetorp-Vanserum-Bäck there are several complete prehistoric environments with house foundations, graves, fossil arable soil and stone strings. These remains well illustrate the spatial organization of the 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 foundation 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 ancient monument area. There are 26 premises registered here. By far the most extensive ancient monument area contains house foundations, 76 stone strings and several hundred clearing cairns. The total length of stone strings is estimated to be just over eleven kilometres. The stone strings form at least six sheep fields. The ancient monument environment at Gillsättra is an Iron Age landscape with very high cultural-historical values.
Worth special mention is the discovery of band-shaped parcels in the western part of the fence. However, these represent a different time than the other fossil arable land in the area.
In the area, which is close to Ismanstorp Castle, there are stone strings, house foundations and graves such as stone settings, cairns and a judge's ring. There are examples of built environments from the Middle Iron Age that are very educational. There are also overall environments with house foundations, stone strings and areas with continuous clearing cairns.
Within Karum there are 14 house foundations. In two places they are gathered in groups, otherwise they are single houses, spread over a fairly large area. Among these house foundations, two main types can be distinguished, residential buildings and probably cowsheds. The residential buildings are rectangular and usually about 15 to 20 meters long. A total of 8-9 farm locations can probably be distinguished. Another farm is paved with two house foundations, but the foundations have been cultivated away during the latter part of the 1900s. 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 fossils, abandoned, fields that together form a good example of an Iron Age landscape. Here are the conditions for easily being able to shed light on the character of the prehistoric landscape. In the western part there are cleared areas, house foundations with stone strings, sheep and fossil arable land. On the outskirts of the area, the ancient remains are fewer but important for understanding a larger context.
Rönnerum's ancient village is located just over two kilometres southeast of Rönnerum's village and two kilometres west of Ismantorp Castle. The environment is one of the best examples of Iron Age villages in Midland. Within an area of 300 x 400 metres, ten house foundations are surrounded and connected by stone strings. Seven of the house foundations are gathered in a group of two or three farms. The others are located as a farm about 200 metres north of it. Six of the houses in the southern group are parallel in a north-south direction, while the seventh is in an east-west direction. The house foundations are 10-15 metres 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 stone strings leads. In the fenced land west of the house foundations there are a number of small cairns - graves or clearing cairns. One of the houses was excavated archaeologically in 1928. The area continues into the village area of Abbantorp.
In the southern part of Torslunda parish is a large complex of house foundations and stone strings. The most distinctive is Gamla Skogsby, which was a large village in prehistoric times. Within a limited area there are 19 house foundations and stone strings that form small folds and pastures. The stone strings are bounded 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 can be seen as irregular patterns in the current regular property structure.
In the area of Övetorp-Vanserum-Bäck there are several complete prehistoric environments with house foundations, graves, fossil arable soil and stone strings. These remains well illustrate the spatial organization of the farms and villages during the Early Iron Age. The area has high scientific, educational and experiential values.