A visit to Kata Gård

This summer not very far from where we are in Sweden, in Varnhem, there has been some pretty spectacular archaeologic excavations going on most of the summer. We went along to visit the site, and participate in one of their guided tours. There was so many people this particular day, as it was the last guided walk of the summer.

The burial ground around this site contains several thousand graves. People began to bury their dead here according to Christian tradition as early as the 900s, which is sensationally early dating.
These excavations were going on live, by archaeologic students, and we could approach them and talk to them, and ask them all the questions we had.

 

Archaeologists have uncovered the ruins of one of Sweden's oldest churches earlier in excavations on this same site. It was built during the Viking Age, and has a crypt belonging to it, which is possibly Sweden's oldest surviving room.

The archaeological finds here have told a lot about the place during the Viking Age, and even further back, to the Iron Age. Thanks to a gravestone carrying an inscription in runes, the names of some of these people are also known - Kata, her husband Kättil and her brother Torgils.

This Kata Gård, the gates to the church, with the protective roof, just opened now in May 2017. Inside we could visit the informative exhibition "Christian Vikings in Varnhem", about the Viking Age, the large estate that once belonged to Kata, and the people who lived here a thousand years ago.

The guide in front of the old crypt:

How the grave of Kata would have looked like, in red below:

 And here she is, Kata herself, behind protective glass:

"Bright light, bright light..!"

Kids got inspired to do some digging themselves.

We also took a stroll around the Varnhem Abbey and it's garden and grounds. It is so beautiful out there, and it was a lovely day for it.

And we ended our excursion with ice cream, of course!