Ruins of Eighth-Century Pagan Temple Found in Norway
The structurebuilt to honor Norse gods like Thor and Odinis the first of its kind discovered in the country
A digital reconstruction of the newly unearthed Norse godhouse (Courtesy of the University Museum of Bergen)
By Livia Gershon
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
OCTOBER 16, 2020
Archaeologists from Norways University Museum of Bergen have unearthed the remains of an eighth-century godhouse, or temple dedicated to the gods of the Norse pantheon, in the village of Ose.
The researchers discovered the structures ruins while conducting excavations ahead of construction of a housing development. Based on the placement of postholes and other artifacts, they were able to determine how the godhouse would have looked in its prime.
As Sissel Beate Brunstad and Olaug Bjørneset report for Norwegian broadcaster NRK, the buildings layout is almost identical to late Iron Age godhouses found at Uppåkra in southern Sweden and Tissø in Denmark. But this is the first temple of its kind identified in Norway.
We have discovered the most perfectly shaped godhouse of all the finds so farI know of no other Scandinavian buildings in which the house construction is as clear as it is here, Bergen University Museum architect Søren Diinhoff, who helped lead the excavation, tells Syfy Wires Elizabeth Rayne. I think our building is central to document and verify this very special architecture.
More:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/norse-godhouse-site-found-norway-180976075/