"Fant hedensk helligdom uten sidestykke"(!)

I have placed myself on the email list for the contributors of Old Norse News, so I regularly get emails with a series of highly interesting discussion among many scholars interested in Old Norse and Scandinavian-related things. Today Jan Henning Nordum provided a link to a new pagan sanctuary found in Norway. This is an online newspaper in Norwegian, but can be easily translated by Google (not necessarily a good translation, but it gives you a sense of the discussion). I hacked my way through the article with a dictionary, and finally resorted to putting this into Google translation.

What makes this really interesting is the location. This site is located in Ranheim, Norway - a little bit to the East of Trondheim. According to Preben Rønne, affiliated with the University of Trondheim and the individual who led the excavations: "Funnet er helt unikt i norsk sammenheng, det første som noen gang er gjort på våre breddegrader.." This area was untouched because it was hidden under incredibly thick layers of soil, so it remained undisturbed. As with any excavation anywhere, this always excites scholars as to what future excavations could hold.

Glass-Beads found at the top of the sacrifical altar. 

This is particularly intriguing to me because the temple is dated between 895-900 CE, and places it directly in the middle of when Christianity was being integrated in Norway. The article discusses that the individuals associated with this pagan space were probably those that emigrated to Iceland and other islands. It would be interesting to perhaps find a connection in Iceland of similar pagan spaces, of which we know must have existed, but like Norway it is difficult to pursue archaeological endeavors in these climates. (But here I will plug Professor Jesse Byock and his work in the Mosfell District in Iceland, see here). 

Among some of the items found during the excavation are traces of pillars where the high-seat which may indicate the area of the high-seat where idols of Oðin, Þor, Frøy and Frøya would have been. The picture of the "Glass-Beads" above reminds me oddly of the Greek and Turkish "evil-eye beads. It is doubtful that there is a connection there, but it seems to be a reoccurring symbol that I have seen in many cultures.

Amidst the excitement that this all conjures up among academics and lovers of Scandinavia and the Middle Ages alike, there is a daunting prospect. This sanctuary site is currently being removed for housing development, but many people are pushing for a reconsidering of this site for cultural heritage and tourism. Because this site is so unique to Norway, and such a wonderful find for Medievalists, it would be devastating to see it destroyed.