Excursion 1. Between Gods and Giants. The Late Iron Age North of Lake Mälaren.
Full day excursion, SEK 175 (lunch not included).
Guide: Associate Professor Anders Carlsson.
The first stop is a so called hill fort from the Migration Period at Hummelsta, constructed first by the giants and then by humans. The second stop is Frösåker (the field of the god Frey), a magnate farm from the Migration Period situated in an Ice Age landscape.
Lunch in the old town of Västerås.
The third stop is Anundshögen, a royal mound from the end of the Migration Period with adjacent Viking Period stone ships. In this area there is also an impressive rune stone marking an ancient road. The last stop is Forn-Sigtuna (Ancient Sigtuna). This is a well preserved royal manor from the Early Viking Period. According to Snorre, this is the place where Odin settled when he and the Aesir immigrated to Svetjud (Sweden).
Excursion 2. Landscape, inheritance and memory – a rune stone trip to Täby, Vallentuna and Orkesta.
Full day excursion, SEK 175 (lunch not included).
Guide: Associate Professor Torun Zachrisson.
At Broby bridge six rune stones were erected adjacent to and on a burial ground with late Viking Age inhumation graves. The Broby site reflects changes in memorial tradition and choice of location for runestones and burials during the late Viking Age. At Arkel's assembly site at Lake Vallentunasjön the thing-site is still visible in the land-
scape. It is mentioned on two rune stones erected in memory after Ulv next to it. His three sons and widow contributed to various types of monuments for the deceased.
Lunch in Vallentuna.
Jarlabanke's bridge is one of the most impressive bridges over marshy ground in the Mälar valley, and is edged by rune stones and standing stones. It raises questions about the current cultural environment, as well as questions about Viking Age roads, men who wanted to be remembered during their lifetime and their reasons for this. In Granby Hyppinge a large rune rock carving placed in the yard of a Viking magnate farm mirrors the complicated inheritance of the farm. Two nearby runic monuments: the Granby rune stone and the rune stones at Orkesta medieval church will help us understand why.
Excursion 3. Medieval Stockholm.
2 hours, 10.00-12.00. City walk, SEK 100.
Guide: Kerstin Söderlund, Stockholm City Museum.
This guided tour of medieval Stockholm starts at Riddarholmskyrkan church, the burial church of the Swedish monarchs, and one of the best-preserved Franciscan churches in northern Europe. The tour continues to, amongst other places, the site of the Black Friars’ convent, where parts of their original buildings remain. Participants will be given an exclusive tour of this otherwise hidden medieval gem in the middle of the Old Town.
