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Gamla Uppsala (Sweden)

By K. Kris Hirst, About.com

Definition: The modern town of Uppsala about 45 miles northwest of Stockholm, Sweden, and adjacent to it is a Viking period site called Gamla. Gamla Uppsala consists of four earthen mounds, three in a row called the King's Mounds, and one off to the side, called Thing Mound. There is also a Viking period cemetery of several hundred burials and the ruins of an 11th century church.

Excavations of the King's Mounds were conducted several times between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries, and recovered four Viking rune stones, a silver hoard, and four Viking boat graves.

This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.

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