In the area between Børgin and Beitstadfjorden we find Norway’s largest collection of Bronze Age burial cairns. Sea levels were higher in the Bronze Age, and for those arriving by boat, the strait was a natural choice of route. Its role as a sea route probably contributed greatly to the area’s importance as a burial site.

 

The burial chamber on display here is from a Frøset cairn. It contained a cremation burial of a child below the age of ten. The cairn itself was almost 14 meters in diameter and more than a meter and a half in height. Two burial chambers were located at its centre, surrounded by circular stone walls. In addition, the innermost wall contained a third chamber.

 

All three burial chambers contained burnt remains of both human and animal bones, and we believe cremating animals alongside the dead was quite common. The burning itself took place elsewhere, but we do not know where. Only a small portion of the body has been placed in the chambers, and we don’t know what was done with the rest. However, unburnt burials were also common in the Bronze Age.