The King's Grave
Encyclopedia
The King's Grave near Kivik
(Kungagraven i Kivik, Kiviksgraven) in the southeastern portion of the Swedish
province of Skåne is what remains of an unusually grand Nordic Bronze Age
double burial c. 1000 BC.
in southernmost Sweden.
In spite of the facts that the site has been used as a quarry, with its stones carried off for other uses, and that it was restored carelessly once it was known to be an ancient burial, these two burials are unique.
In both construction and in size—it is a circular site measuring 75 metres (246 ft) in diameter—this tomb differs from most Europe
an burials from the Bronze Age
. Most importantly, the cist
s are adorned with petroglyph
s. The images carved into the stones depict people, animals (including birds and fish), ships, lur
s being played, symbols, and a chariot
drawn by two horses and having four-spoked wheels.
, with a north-south orientation, constructed with ten slabs of stone. They dug it out, hoping to find a treasure in the grave.
Soon rumour had it that the two men had found a great treasure in the tomb and the authorities had the men arrested. However, the two men denied having found anything, and as no evidence could be provided against them, they were released.
Several years passed before it was discovered that the slabs of stone in the tomb were adorned with petroglyphs, and a long series of speculations had begun. Still, the quarrying continued and some of the stones disappeared.
The site was excavated by archaeologist Gustaf Hallström (1880 - 1962) starting in 1931. Between 1931–1933, a thorough excavation was undertaken and the remains of a Stone Age
settlement was found under the massive cairn
, including a great deal of flintstone shards. Only teeth, fragments of bronze
, and some pieces of bone were found, dating from the Bronze Age.
The mound contained two cist
s, however. On the left side of the cist's southern end, there were raised slabs of stone from a 1.2 metres (3.94 ft) long and 0.65 metres (2.13 ft) wide cist. It has been named the King's Grave due to its size and, long before it was known to contain two burials. Since the site has been subject to numerous lootings, there are no reliable finds, but it is believed that the two graves were built at the same time.
After the excavation, the tomb was restored, but no one knows whether it looks similar to its original state. A comparison with other contemporaneous graves suggests that the site might have been three times higher than the 3.5 metres (11.48 ft), as restored. The restoration was based on etching
s from the 18th century and conjecture. A new chamber was constructed out of concrete and a tunnel extended into the cists. Today, it is possible for visitors to the site to enter the tomb and to see the engraved stones.
Kivik
Kivik is a locality situated in Simrishamn Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden with 1,013 inhabitants in 2005. It is located in a part of Scania called Österlen....
(Kungagraven i Kivik, Kiviksgraven) in the southeastern portion of the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
province of Skåne is what remains of an unusually grand Nordic Bronze Age
Nordic Bronze Age
The Nordic Bronze Age is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian pre-history, c. 1700-500 BC, with sites that reached as far east as Estonia. Succeeding the Late Neolithic culture, its ethnic and linguistic affinities are unknown in the absence of...
double burial c. 1000 BC.
Site
The site is located about 320 metres (1,050 ft) from the shore of the eastern coast of ScaniaScania
Scania is the southernmost of the 25 traditional non-administrative provinces of Sweden, constituting a peninsula on the southern tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, and some adjacent islands. The modern administrative subdivision Skåne County is almost, but not totally, congruent with the...
in southernmost Sweden.
In spite of the facts that the site has been used as a quarry, with its stones carried off for other uses, and that it was restored carelessly once it was known to be an ancient burial, these two burials are unique.
In both construction and in size—it is a circular site measuring 75 metres (246 ft) in diameter—this tomb differs from most Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an burials from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. Most importantly, the cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
s are adorned with petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s. The images carved into the stones depict people, animals (including birds and fish), ships, lur
Lur
A lur is a long natural blowing horn without finger holes that is played by embouchure. Lurs can be straight or curved in various shapes. The purpose of the curves was to make long instruments easier to carry A lur is a long natural blowing horn without finger holes that is played by embouchure....
s being played, symbols, and a chariot
Chariot
The chariot is a type of horse carriage used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Ox carts, proto-chariots, were built by the Proto-Indo-Europeans and also built in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The original horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two wheeled...
drawn by two horses and having four-spoked wheels.
History
The site was used as a quarry for construction materials until 1748, when two farmers discovered a 3.25 metre (10.66 ft) tombTomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
, with a north-south orientation, constructed with ten slabs of stone. They dug it out, hoping to find a treasure in the grave.
Soon rumour had it that the two men had found a great treasure in the tomb and the authorities had the men arrested. However, the two men denied having found anything, and as no evidence could be provided against them, they were released.
Several years passed before it was discovered that the slabs of stone in the tomb were adorned with petroglyphs, and a long series of speculations had begun. Still, the quarrying continued and some of the stones disappeared.
The site was excavated by archaeologist Gustaf Hallström (1880 - 1962) starting in 1931. Between 1931–1933, a thorough excavation was undertaken and the remains of a Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
settlement was found under the massive cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
, including a great deal of flintstone shards. Only teeth, fragments of bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, and some pieces of bone were found, dating from the Bronze Age.
The mound contained two cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....
s, however. On the left side of the cist's southern end, there were raised slabs of stone from a 1.2 metres (3.94 ft) long and 0.65 metres (2.13 ft) wide cist. It has been named the King's Grave due to its size and, long before it was known to contain two burials. Since the site has been subject to numerous lootings, there are no reliable finds, but it is believed that the two graves were built at the same time.
After the excavation, the tomb was restored, but no one knows whether it looks similar to its original state. A comparison with other contemporaneous graves suggests that the site might have been three times higher than the 3.5 metres (11.48 ft), as restored. The restoration was based on etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
s from the 18th century and conjecture. A new chamber was constructed out of concrete and a tunnel extended into the cists. Today, it is possible for visitors to the site to enter the tomb and to see the engraved stones.
Other sources
- Baudou, Evert Gustaf Hallström : arkeolog i världskrigens epok (Stockholm: Natur och kultur. 1997)