Category: Vest-Agder

Sword and socketed axe B5469/a-b

Foto: Svein Skare © Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Three fragments of a riveted sword. There are six rivet holes; the bottom two holes are almost gone as the shaft plate is damaged around the edge. There is a marked midrib, and the blade widens before tapering and converging towards the tip, which is missing. The fragments are heavily corroded, although some patches of green patina remain. The sword is a Sögel type. Current length: 28.6 cm (B05469/a)

Complete palstave with long and slender blade and decoration, a so-called weapon palstave. The ax is heavily corroded. However, faint remains of decoration can be seen on the side facets and blade. There are parallel horizontal lines and oblique lines (possibly hatched triangles) on the sides of the neck. The transition to the blade is marked with parallel horizontal lines and a rib, and on the blade there is a triangle or Y shape consisting of double lines. The sides of the blade are marked with ribs. Both neck and edge are damaged. Length: c. 17 cm. Width: 3.8 cm above the edge. B05469/b)

Location:
Vanse, Farsund, Vest-Agder

Context:
No information about the find.

Dating:
Early Bronze Age period 1-2

Sword B4570

Foto: Ann Mari Olsen © Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sword with tang and with narrow blade, short tang and marked shoulders. There is a marked midrib. The tip is missing, and the blade is broken in two. The tang and shaft plate are corroded. Current length: 32.6 cm

Location:
Lista lighthouse, Farsund, Vest-Agder

Context:
Found in the ground near Lista lighthouse, no other information.

Dating:
Younger Bronze Age period 5

Arm ring of gold B4513

Foto: Ann Mari Olsen © Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Coiled spiral arm ring, made of two gold threads. The ends are twisted.

Location:
Lista, exact area unknown, Farsund, Vest-Agder

Context:
Probably found in a pile at Lista, although the exact location is unknown. The ring was bought from a jeweler in Stavanger.

Dating:
Early Bronze Age period 3

 

Bar stud (button) B3603

Foto: Ann Mari Olsen © Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Fragmented bar stud (rod-shaped button). The rod is broken on both sides, one fragment is preserved. Total length of the longest side is 5 cm. The bar has faint traces of vertical parallel lines. The hole is oval. The rod pin is heavily corroded and it measures 3.6 x 2.6 cm. The fragment measures 2.8 cm.

Location:
Lunde, Farsund, Vest-Agder

Context:
Found in a mound, among charcoal and burnt bones. There is no information about a possible coffin, or in which part of the mound it was found. The mound is identified as No. VIII on the map of the mounds at Lunde (Ab. 1877:99). According to the catalogue, a clay bead (B04139) was also found in the mound (Ab.1882).

Dating:
Younger Bronze Age period 5

Disc-headed pin B3209

Fragment of a disc-headed pin, only the disc remains. The disc is small and flat, the edges are broken. There is a small central boss surrounded by three concentric rings in relief, part of a fourth ring can be seen in the rim. The disc is heavily corroded and fragmented; part of the middle is missing, and smaller fragments are glued together. Width: c. 3.3 cm. Photo: Ann Mari Olsen © University Museum in Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0

Location:
Østre Hauge, Farsund, Vest-Agder

Context:
Found in a mound, «Sverreshaug», with cremated bones between some stones and covered by a stone layer, about 2 m from the top of the mound. It was a large and thin layer of charcoal and cremated bones. The mound measured 84 m in circumference and 6 m high. There was an inner pile of round stones covering a rampart that was empty except for a layer of sandy soil on top of small yellow beach stones. Above the central grave were two layers of sand and soil, then a layer of stones, below which the secondary grave containing the needle  was found, then two layers of sand and soil. There is no mention of a burial chamber.

Dating:
Younger Bronze Age period 5-6

Urn, pot shards, arrowhead, double-button, awl B3875

 

Photo: Svein Skare © Universitetsmuseet i Bergen, CC BY-SA 4.0

 

Urn with cremated bones (B3875/a). It was made of clay tempered with sand, red/orange on the outside, gray on the inside. The urn was double-conical. There were 15 small holes along the widest part of the urn. There were only minor injuries. Height: 24.5 cm

Shards of a second urn (B3875/b), red/orange wares tempered with sand. The bottom shards indicate a conical shape. The surface is somewhat uneven. According to the original catalogue, this pot may have been used as a lid.

Arrowhead with tanges (B03875/c). The brown patina is almost completely removed. The pliers have a square cross-section. Baudous type V A. Length: 8.7 cm

Small double button with decoration (B3875/d). The top plate is raised and conical, and is decorated with concentric rings interspersed with two rows of vertical parallel lines. Width: 2 cm. Height: 1.7 cm

Small awl, broken at one end (B3875/e). When it was found there was a small point and a wooden handle, but both snapped and disintegrated when touched. One end has a round cross-section, while the other end has a square cross-section and ends in a small tongs. Length: 2.4 cm

Context:
Found in a long mound pile, in a small stone cist measuring 1.5 feet and built of slabs. A larger, collapsed stone coffin was found nearby in 1880. The mound was low.

Location:
Vest-Hassel, Farsund, Vest-Agder

Date:
Both the arrowhead and the button indicate a date to the Younger Bronze Age period 4.