Osebergskipets gravkammer

Abstract

The Oseberg burial mound, containing the Oseberg ship, was archaeologically excavated in Vestfold, Norway, in 1904. In the middle of the ship there was a small edifice; this was interpreted as a burial chamber because it contained two skeletons. The edifice has been dated dendrochronologically to the year 834, potentially making it the oldest preserved wooden building in Norway. This article discusses how the edifice may have been planned, prepared and equipped in accordance with the regional building tradition at the time. Comparisons are drawn to archaeological traces of contemporary wooden pit houses, or Grubenhäuser, used on the farms in Northern Europe as store houses or weaving workshops. More in-depth analyses of these edifices can therefore contribute to our knowledge of vernacular building practices in the Viking era.