Birka and Hovgården*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii, iv
Reference	555
Region†	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	1993  (17th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

For a group of islands in the Gulf of Finland, see Berezovye Islands. Hovgården is an archaeological site on the Lake Mälaren island of Adelsö in Ekerö Municipality in central-eastern Sweden. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex The Gulf of Finland ( Finnish: Suomenlahti, Russian: Финский залив, Finskiy zaliv, Swedish: Finska viken Beryozovye Islands (Берёзовые острова literally "Birch Islands" alternatively spelled Berezovye Islands, is an island group in Leningrad Oblast

During the Viking Age, Birka listen (help·info) (Birca in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö (literally: "Birch Island") in Sweden, was an important trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Orient. Viking Age is the term denoting the years from about 700 to 1066 in European history. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Björkö is located in the Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers West of Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö. Lake Mälaren ( (historically occasionally referred to as Lake Malar in English is the third-largest Lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and ('stɔkhɔlm is Sweden 's Capital and its largest City. It is the site of the national Swedish government, the parliament, and the Ekerö is an island in Lake Mälaren, Sweden. It is the seat of Ekerö Municipality. The archaeological sites of Birka and Hovgården, on the neighbouring island of Adelsö, make up an archaeological complex which illustrates the elaborate trading networks of Viking Europe and their influence on the subsequent history of Scandinavia. Hovgården is an archaeological site on the Lake Mälaren island of Adelsö in Ekerö Municipality in central-eastern Sweden. Adelsö is an island in the middle of Lake Mälaren in Sweden, near southern and northern Björkfjärden. Trade is the willing exchange of goods, services, or both Trade is also called Commerce. Terminology and usage As a cultural term "Scandinavia" has no official definition and is subject to usage by those who identify with the culture in question as well "Generally regarded as Sweden's oldest town"^[1], Birka (along with Hovgården) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex

Contents 1 History 2 Rimbert's Birca 2.1 Bridgehead of Christian missionaries 2.2 King in Birca 2.3 Church in Birca 2.4 Fortress in Birca? 2.5 Ting in Birca 3 Adam of Bremen's Birca 3.1 Birca's location and port 3.2 Bishop in Birca 3.3 Location of Unni's tomb 3.4 Birca's destruction 4 Björkö archaeological site 5 References 6 External links

History

Established in the middle of the 8th century^[2] and thus being one of the earliest urban settlements in Scandinavia, Birka was the Baltic link in the river and portage route through Ladoga (Aldeigja) and Novgorod (Holmsgard) to the Byzantine Empire and the Abbasid Califate. The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks (Путь «из варяг в греки» Put iz varyag v greki) was a Trade route, which connected Scandinavia Staraya Ladoga (Ста́рая Ла́дога or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas is a village ( selo) in the Volkhovsky Veliky Novgorod (Вели́кий Но́вгород is the foremost historic city of North-Western Russia and the administrative center of Novgorod A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history ^[3] Birka was also important as the site of the first known Christian congregation in Sweden, founded in 831 by Saint Ansgar. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, ( September 8 ? 801 &ndash February 3, 865) was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen.

Sources are mainly archeological remains. No texts survive from this area, though the written text Vita Ansgari ("The life of Ansgar") by Rimbert (c. Vita Ansgari is the biography of Ansgar, written by Rimbert, his successor as archbishop in Hamburg-Bremen. Saint Rimbert or Rembert (d 11 June, 888) was Archbishop of Bremen -Hamburg from 865 until his death 865 CE) describes the missionary work of Ansgar around 830 CE at Birca, and Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church) by Adam of Bremen in 1075 CE describes the archbishop Unni, who died at Birca in 936 CE. Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, ( September 8 ? 801 &ndash February 3, 865) was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. Adam of Bremen (also Adam Bremensis) was one of the most important German Medieval Chroniclers He lived and worked in the second half of the In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated Bishop. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others this means that they lead St Ansgars work was the first attempt to convert the inhabitants from heathen living to Christianity, and it was unsuccessful. Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, ( September 8 ? 801 &ndash February 3, 865) was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland

Both Rimbert and Adam were German clergymen writing in Latin. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. There are no known Norse sources mentioning the name of the settlement, or even the settlement itself, and the original Norse name of Birka is unknown. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Birca is the latinicised form given in the sources and Birka its contemporary, unhistorical Swedish form. In Linguistics, romanization (or latinization, also spelled romanisation or latinisation) is the representation of a Word or The Latin name is probably derived from an Old Norse word "birk" which probably meant a market place. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Birk ( biærk, berck, byrck) was during the Scandinavian Middle Ages the name for a demarkated area especially a town or a market place with Related to this was the Bjärköa law (bjärköarätt) which regulated the life on market places in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. See also Medieval Scandinavian laws The Bjarkey laws ( Old Swedish: biærköa rætter, Old Icelandic: bjarkeyjar-rettr, Both terms in different forms are very common in Scandinavian place names still today leading to speculation that all references to Birca especially by Adam of Bremen were not about the same location.

Both publications are silent on Birca's size, layout and appearance. Based on Rimbert's account, Birca was significant because it had a port and it was the place for the regional ting. See also Medieval Scandinavian laws A thing or ting ( Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern Adam only mentions the port, but otherwise Birca seems to have been significant to him because it had been the bridgehead of Ansgar's Christian mission and because archbishop Unni had been buried there.

Vita Ansgari and Gesta are not always unambiguous, which has caused some controversy whether Birca and the Björkö settlement were the same location. Many other locations have been suggested through the years. ^[4] However, Björkö is the only location that can show remains of a town of Birca's significance, which is why the vast majority of scholars still regard Björkö as the location of Birca. ^[5]

Birka was abandoned during the later half of the 10th century. Based on the coin finds, the city seems to have silenced around 960. ^[6] Roughly around the same time, a near-by Sigtuna supplanted Birka as the main trading centre in the Mälaren area. Sigtuna is a city in the Uppland part of Stockholm County, central Sweden. Lake Mälaren ( (historically occasionally referred to as Lake Malar in English is the third-largest Lake in Sweden, after Lakes Vänern and The reasons for Birka's decline are disputed. A contributing factor may have been the post-glacial rebound, which lowered the water level of Mälaren changing it from an arm of the sea into a lake and cut Birka off from the nearest (southern) access to the Baltic Sea. Post-glacial rebound (sometimes called continental rebound, isostatic rebound, isostatic adjustment or post-ice-age isostatic recovery) The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. According to the 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, the Baltic island of Gotland was also in a better strategic position for Russian-Byzantine trade. The Encyclopædia Britannica is a general English-language encyclopaedia published by Encyclopædia Britannica Inc is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. The trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks (Путь «из варяг в греки» Put iz varyag v greki) was a Trade route, which connected Scandinavia ^[7] It should be noted that the Varangian trade stations in Russia suffered a serious decline about the same date. The Varangians or Varyags ( Old Norse: Væringjar Greek: Βάραγγοι Βαριάγοι Váraggoi / Varyágoi, Ukrainian Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

Rimbert's Birca

In Vita Ansgari ("The life of Ansgar")^[8] monk and later archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen Rimbert gives the first known description of Birca. Vita Ansgari is the biography of Ansgar, written by Rimbert, his successor as archbishop in Hamburg-Bremen. The Archdiocese of Bremen is a historical Roman Catholic diocese and a former eccesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. Saint Rimbert or Rembert (d 11 June, 888) was Archbishop of Bremen -Hamburg from 865 until his death The town was the center of Catholic missionary activities in the 9th century Sweden. Rimbert's interests were in the Christian faith, not so much in the Swedish geopolicy, so his descriptions of Birca remain approximate at best.

Bridgehead of Christian missionaries

This is how it all started in 829:

"Meanwhile it happened that Swedish ambassadors had come to the Emperor Louis the Pious, and, amongst other matters which they had been ordered to bring to the attention of the emperor, they informed him that there were many belonging to their nation who desired to embrace the Christian religion, and that their king so far favoured this suggestion that lie would permit God's priests to reside there, provided that they might be deemed worthy of such a favour and that the emperor would send them suitable preachers. Louis the Pious (778 &ndash 20 June 840) also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781 and co-Emperor " (Chapter IX)

"Ansgar then undertook the mission committed to him by the emperor, who desired that he should go to the Swedes and discover whether this people was prepared to accept the faith as their messengers had declared. Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, ( September 8 ? 801 &ndash February 3, 865) was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. " (Chapter X)

Ansgar was already experienced in the missionary work in Denmark, and set forth to Sweden. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Rimbert describes the trip very generally:

"It may suffice for me to say that while they were in the midst of their journey they fell into the hands of pirates. The merchants with whom they were travelling, defended themselves vigorously and for a time successfully, but eventually they were conquered and overcome by the pirates, who took from them their ships and all that they possessed, whilst they themselves barely escaped on. foot to land. -- With great difficulty they accomplished their long journey on foot, traversing also the intervening seas (maria), where it was possible, by ship, and eventually arrived at the Swedish port called Birca. " (Chapters X and XI)

Rimbert does not say where Ansgar sailed off or where he landed. Noteworthy is just his note about several "seas" that they had to cross to get to Birca from the place they had landed to. Since Rimbert mentions them to have crossed the seas by ship "where it was possible" they clearly had the alternative of going around them as well meaning that the seas were probably the numerous lakes in the southern Sweden. When Ansgar again travelled to Birca from Germany about 852, it went easier:

"Ansgar accomplished the journey on which he had set out, and after spending nearly twenty days in a ship, he arrived at Birca --" (Chapter XXVI)

This might mean that he sailed off from Hamburg or Bremen instead of some port in Baltic Sea, since the later account by Adam of Bremen gives the distance of Skåne and Birca to be only 5 days at sea. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Bremen (ˈbʁeːmən is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany (official name Stadtgemeinde Bremen / City Municipality of Bremen Scania ( in Swedish and Danish) is a geographical region on the southernmost tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, a traditional province (

King in Birca

Several Swedish kings of the 9th century, Björn, Anund and Olof, are all mentioned in Vita to have spent time in Birca. Björn at Haugi ("Björn at the Barrow" Björn på Håga, Björn II or Bern was according to Hervarar saga a Swedish king Anund Uppsale or Anoundus ( Old Norse: Önundr Uppsali) ruled Sweden together with his brother Björn at Haugi, according to Rimbert Olof was king in Sweden when Ansgar made his second voyage to Birka in the year 854. None of them is however said to have had his residence there, as the Swedish king and his retinue routinely moved between the Husbys, parts of the network of royal estates called Uppsala öd. Husby is the name of many Swedish (and Danish farms and villages Uppsala öd, Old Norse: Uppsala auðr or Uppsala øðr ( Uppsala domains or wealth of Uppsala) was the name given to the collection

King Björn met Ansgar in Birca when he arrived there in 829 (Chapter XI). Later king Olof met him there as well during his last trip in 852 (Chapter XXVI).

Church in Birca

Ansgar's missionary work resulted in first churches to be built in Sweden. Talking about Herigar, the prefect of Birca:

"A little later he built a church on his own ancestral property and served God with the utmost devotion. " (Chapter XI)

Herigar's church was not far from the place where tings were held:

"On one occasion lie himself was sitting in an assembly of people, a stage having been arranged for a council on an open plain. -- He then summoned his servants and told them to carry him to his church. " (Chapter XIX)

Another church was also built in Sweden, however location is left open:

"This Gautbert, who at his consecration received the honoured name of the apostle Simeon, went to Sweden, and was honourably received by the king and the people ; and he began, amidst general goodwill and approval, to build a church there --" (Chapter XIV)

The exiled Swedish King Anund Uppsale confirms that either one of the churches was in Birca itself when he ponders if Birca should be plundered:

""There are there," he said, " many great and powerful gods, and in former time a church was built there, and there are many Christians there who worship Christ --"" (Chapter XIX)

Fortress in Birca?

Danes attacked Birca, accompanied with the deposed king Anund, which caused great distress in the town. Anund Uppsale or Anoundus ( Old Norse: Önundr Uppsali) ruled Sweden together with his brother Björn at Haugi, according to Rimbert Anund Uppsale or Anoundus ( Old Norse: Önundr Uppsali) ruled Sweden together with his brother Björn at Haugi, according to Rimbert

"Being in great difficulty they fled to a neighbouring city (ad civitatem, quæ iuxta erat, confugerunt) and began to promise and offer to their gods -- But inasmuch as the city was not strong and there were few to offer resistance, they sent messengers to the Danes and asked for friendship and alliance. -- Herigar, the faithful servant of the Lord, was angry with them and said, -- "They will lead away your wives and sons as captives, they will burn our city (urbs) and town (vicus)^[9] and will destroy you with the sword --"" (Chapter XIX)

As the neighbouring "city" is not mentioned in any other context than during the Danish attack as a place where people took refuge, it probably meant a near-by fortress. Eventually Danes left, sparing Birca from destruction.

Ting in Birca

When Ansgar asked if King Olof^[10] would permit him to establish the Christian religion in the kingdom during his second visit in 852, the king said to him:

"On this account I have not the power, nor do I dare, to approve the objects of your mission until I can consult our gods by the casting of lots and until I can enquire the will of the people in regard to this matter. Olof was king in Sweden when Ansgar made his second voyage to Birka in the year 854. Let your messenger attend with me the next assembly --" (Chapter XXVI)

"When the day for the assembly which was held in the town of Birca drew near, in accordance with their national custom the king caused a proclamation to be made to the people by the voice of a herald, in order that they might be informed concerning the object of their mission. -- The king then rose up from amongst the assembly and forthwith directed one of his own messengers to accompany the bishop's messenger, and to tell him that the people were unanimously inclined to accept his proposal and at the same time to tell him that, whilst their action was entirely agreeable to him, he could not give his full consent until, in another assembly, which was to be held in another part of his kingdom, he could announce this resolution to the people who lived in that district. " (Chapter XXVII)

Tings were huge open air events, which required plenty of space. See also Medieval Scandinavian laws A thing or ting ( Old Norse, Old English and Icelandic: þing; other modern The more important ting that king Olof talked about was probably the Ting of all Swedes, which was held at the end of February in Uppsala, during the Disting. Thing of all Swedes ( allra Svía þing, Þing allra Svía, or Disaþing, Kyndilþing) was the thing (general assembly which was held Uppsala ˈɵpˌsɑːla (older spelling Upsala) is the capital of Uppsala County ( Uppsala län) and the fourth largest city of The Disting is an annual market which is held in Uppsala, Sweden, since pre-historic times The king was obliged to obey the common decisions made at this ting, and the most powerful man at this assembly was not the king, but the lawspeaker of Tiundaland. See also Medieval Scandinavian laws Lawspeaker ( Swedish: lagman, Old Swedish: laghmaþer or laghman, Danish Tiundaland is a historic region Folkland, and since 1296 part of the modern province of Uppland. Locally important tings were the Westrogothic Ting of all Geats in Skara and the Ostrogothic Lionga ting in the vicinity of today's Linköping. The Thing of all Geats (Swedish Alla götars ting) was the thing (general assembly which was held from pre-historic times to the Middle Ages in Skara Lionga thing was the general assembly of the people of Östergötland in medieval Sweden. Linköping is a city in southern Sweden, with a population of 97885 (2006

Adam of Bremen's Birca

In Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (Deeds of Bishops of the Hamburg Church),^[11] Adam of Bremen mentions Birca many times, and the book is the main source of information on the city. After its initial release in 1075/6, Gesta was complemented with supplementary Scholias until the death of Adam in the 1080s. Birca is described as an existing city in the original version, but then as destroyed in Scholia 138.

One of Adam's main sources had been the German bishop Adalvard the Younger of Sigtuna and later of Skara as hinted in Scholia 119. Adalvard is the name of two clergymen who were active in Sweden during its Christianization in the 11th century Sigtuna is a city in the Uppland part of Stockholm County, central Sweden. Skara (pop 10700 is a city in Västergötland, Sweden, an Episcopal see and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland He was also very familiar with Rimbert's work. Adam himself never visited Birca.

Birca's location and port

Adam described Birca as a Geatish port town and had gathered many details about it. Geats, Geatas, Gautar, Goths, Gotar, Gøtar, Götar were a North Germanic tribe inhabiting Götaland

"Birca is the main Geatish town (oppidum Gothorum), situated in the middle of Sweden (Suevoniae), not far (non longe) from the temple called Uppsala (Ubsola) which the Swedes (Sueones) held in the highest esteem when it comes to the worship of the gods; here forms an inlet of the Baltic or the Barbaric Sea a port facing north which welcomes all the wild peoples all around this sea but which is risky for those who are careless or ignorant of such places . Oppidum (plural oppida) is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of Ancient Rome. The Temple at Uppsala was a religious site in Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala near modern Uppsala, Sweden, that was created to worship the Norse gods . . they have therefore blocked this inlet of the troubled sea with hidden masses of rocks along more than 100 stadions (18 km). The ancient Greek system of weights and measures was built mainly upon the Egyptian, and formed the basis of the later Roman system. On this anchorage, being the best sheltered within the maritime region of Sweden (Suevoniae), all the ships belonging to Danes (Danorum) known as Norwegians (Nortmannorum) as well as to Slavs (Sclavorum), Sembrians (Semborum) and other Scythian (Scithiae) peoples use to convene every year for sundry necessary commerce. Sambia (Земландский полуостров Zemlandsky poluostrov) or Samland ( is a Peninsula in the Kaliningrad Oblast of The Scythians or Scyths (Σκύθες Σκύθοι were an Iranian speaking people of horse-riding Nomadic pastoralists who dominated the Pontic " (I 62)

"Turning from the northern parts to the mouth of the Baltic Sea we first meet the Norwegians (Nortmanni), then the Danish region of Skåne (Sconia) stands out, and beyond these live the Geats (Gothi) for a long stretch all the way to Birca. Scania ( in Swedish and Danish) is a geographical region on the southernmost tip of the Scandinavian peninsula, a traditional province ( " (IV 14)

Having described Västergötland and Skara, Adam writes:

"Beyond it Östergötland (Ostrogothia) extends along the sea, that is called the Baltic Sea, all the way to Birca. is one of the 25 traditional non-administrative Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish situated in the southwest of Sweden. Skara (pop 10700 is a city in Västergötland, Sweden, an Episcopal see and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland Östergötland is a one of the traditional Provinces of Sweden ( landskap in Swedish) in the south of Sweden. " (IV 23)

Noteworthy in the following statement is the usage of the term "not far" (non longe) which was also used to describe the distance between Birca and the Uppsala temple:

"Furthermore we have been told that there are many more islands in that sea, one of which is called the Great Estland (Aestland) -- And this island is told to be quite close to the Woman Land (terrae feminarum), which^[12] is not far (non longe) away from Birca of the Swedes. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Terra feminarum (" Women's Land " is a name for a land in Fennoscandia that appears in Gesta Hammaburgensis Ecclesiae Pontificum (Deeds of Bishops " (IV 17)

Adam also had travel instructions from Skåne to Sigtuna:

"From Skåne (Sconia) of the Danes one reaches Sigtuna (Sictonam) or Birca after five days at sea, for they are indeed alike^[13]. Sigtuna is a city in the Uppland part of Stockholm County, central Sweden. But by land from Skåne across the Geatish people (Gothorum populos) and cities Skara (Scaranem), Telgas and Birca, one reaches Sigtuna only after a full month. " (IV 28)

"Telgas" is not mentioned anywhere else, and it remains as speculative as Birca. The most popular identification among many telge names in Sweden is Södertälje. is a city in Södermanland in east central Sweden about 30 km south of Stockholm, and is the seat of Södertälje Municipality, ^[14] Scholia 121 of IV 20 tells also:

"For those who sail from Skåne (Sconia) of the Danes to Birca, the journey takes five days, from Birca to Russia (Ruzziam) likewise five days at sea. " (Scholia 121)

The following definition remains even more mysterious:

"In pity of their errors, our archbishop ordained as their diocesan capital Birca, which is in the middle of Sweden (Sueoniae) facing Jumne (Iumnem), the capital of the Slavs, and equally distant from all the coasts of the surrounding sea. " (IV 20)

Since it is physically impossible for any Swedish town to face Jumne, the latter being situated along River Oder, Adam's statement is probably a misunderstanding. The Oder (known in Czech and Polish as Odra) is a River in Central Europe. No place having a similar name to Birca is known to have situated on the opposite shore of Oder, so it may be possible that something similar to Jumne was located opposite to Birca.

Bishop in Birca

Archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen that oversaw the missionary work in Scandinavia until 1103, had appointed bishops to Sweden at least from 1014 onwards, the first see being in Skara. The Archdiocese of Bremen is a historical Roman Catholic diocese and a former eccesiastical state in the Holy Roman Empire. Skara (pop 10700 is a city in Västergötland, Sweden, an Episcopal see and the seat of Skara Municipality, Västra Götaland Several bishops were appointed for Sweden in 1060s, one also for Birca.

"For Sweden, six were consecrated: Adalvard the Elder (Adalwardum) and Acilinum, also Adalvard the Younger (Adalwardum) and Tadicum, and furthermore Simeon (Symeonem) and the monk John (Iohannem). Adalvard is the name of two clergymen who were active in Sweden during its Christianization in the 11th century Adalvard is the name of two clergymen who were active in Sweden during its Christianization in the 11th century " (III 70)

Scholia 94 appends this as follows:

"Adalvard the Elder (Adalwardus senior) was to superintend both lands of the Geats (uterque praefectus est Gothiae), Adalvard the Younger Sigtuna (Sictunam) and Uppsala (Ubsalam), Simeon (Symon) the Sami people (Scritefingos), John (Iohannes) the islands of the Baltic Sea. The Sami people are the Indigenous people of northern Europe inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway " (Scholia 94)

Furthermore, the following was said about John's location after talking about Birca:

"For this city he ordained, as the first among our people, the abbot Hiltin, whom he wanted to call John. " (IV 20)

John seems to have been situated in Birca in order to prepare for the missionary work among the many heathen people that flooded to Birca from around the Baltic coasts. This was a logical continuation to Birca's position as the first missionary town in Sweden. Noteworthy here is that the biggest islands in the Baltic Sea, Öland and Gotland, were part of the diocese of Linköping in the Middle Ages, covering also Östergötland and eastern Småland. is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional Provinces of Sweden. is a county, province and municipality of Sweden and the largest Island in the Baltic Sea. The Diocese of Linköping is a former Roman Catholic now Lutheran bishopric is a historical province ( landskap) in southern Sweden. Småland borders Blekinge, Scania or Skåne Halland,

Location of Unni's tomb

Scholia 122 of IV 20 locates the tomb of Hamburg's archbishop Unni in Birca:

"There is the port of Saint Ansgar and the tomb of the holy Archbishop Unni, and a familiar haven, it is said, for the holy confessors of our diocese. Unni was an archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen (916-936 He died as a missionary in Birka in Sweden where he tried to continue Ansgar 's work Saint Ansgar, Anskar or Oscar, ( September 8 ? 801 &ndash February 3, 865) was an Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen. " (Scholia 122)

According to Gesta, Unni had died in 936 (I 64). ^[15]

Birca's destruction

After having consistently described Birca as an existing city, Scholia 138 of IV 29 describes Birca's sudden demise. Talking about Adalvard the Younger, the bishop of Sigtuna and later that of Skara, Adam or a later copyist has written:

"During his journey he seized the opportunity to make a detour to Birca, which is now reduced to loneliness so that one can hardly find vestiges of the city; therefore impossible to come upon the tomb of the holy Archbishop Unni. Adalvard is the name of two clergymen who were active in Sweden during its Christianization in the 11th century " (Scholia 138)

The remark does not make it clear if Adalvard found the city destroyed or if that had happened after his visit and the later remark was just to warn the future pilgrims not to go there anymore in vain. As Adalvard was back in Bremen already by 1069 and is mentioned as one of Adam's sources of information, it would have been expected that word about Birka's destruction had reached also Adam before he published his work half a decade later.

Björkö archaeological site

The exact location of Birca was also lost during the centuries, leading to speculation from Swedish historians. However, the island of Björkö was first claimed to have been Birka already about 1450 in the so-called "Chronicle of Sweden" (Prosaiska krönikan):

"And there were three capitals in Sweden two of which were not long away from Uppsala (vpsala). The Swedish Chronicle ( Vetus chronicon sveciæ prosaicum or Prosaiska krönikan) is a mid- 15th century chronicle on a nation called Getae ( The one was called Sigtuna (siktuna) and the other Birka (birka). Birka was on an island in Lake Mälaren (mälar) that is called Björkö (birköö). The third was in Westgötaland (westergötlandh) and was called Skara (skara). "^[16]

In search of Birka, National Antiquarian Johan Hadorph was the first to attempt excavations on Björkö in the late 17th century. Johan Hadorph (1630-1693 was a Swedish antiquarian In 1667 he was appointed Assessor at the Government agency for antiquities and in 1679 he became its Director-general

In the late 19th century, Hjalmar Stolpe, an entomologist by education, arrived on Björkö to study fossilized insects found in amber on the island. Entomology (from Greek grc ἔντομος entomos, "that which is cut in pieces or engraved/segmented" hence "insect" and grc -λογία Amber is Fossil tree Resin, which is appreciated for its color and beauty Stolpe found very large amounts of amber on the island, which is unusual since amber is not normally found in lake Mälaren. Stolpe speculated that the island may have been an important trading post, prompting him to conduct a series of archeological excavations between 1871-95. The excavations soon indicated that a major settlement had been located on the island and eventually Stolpe spent two decades excavating the island. After Björkö came to be identified with ancient Birka, it has been assumed that the original name of Birka was simply Bierkø (sometimes spelt Bjärkö), an earlier form of Björkö.

Ownership of Björkö is today mainly in private hands, and used for farming. The settlement site, however is an archaeological site, and a museum has been built nearby for exhibition of finds, models and reconstructions. Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos A museum is a "permanent institution in the service of society and of its development open to the public which acquires conserves researches communicates and exhibits the It is a popular site to visit during the summer times.

The archaeological remains are located in the north part of Björkö and span an area of about 7 hectares (17 acres). Explanation The hectare is commonly used in most countries around the world especially in domains concerned with land planning and management such as Agriculture, The acre is a unit of Area in a number of different systems including the imperial and U The remains are both burial-sites and buildings, and in the south part of this area, there is also a hill fort called "Borgen" ("The Fortress"). A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement The construction technique of the buildings is still unknown, but the main material was wood. Wood is hard fibrous lignified structural tissue produced as secondary Xylem in the stems of Woody plants notably trees but also shrubs An adjacent island holds the remains of Hovgården, an estate which housed the King's retinue during visits. Hovgården is an archaeological site on the Lake Mälaren island of Adelsö in Ekerö Municipality in central-eastern Sweden.

Approximately 700 people lived at Birka when it was as largest, and about 3,000 graves have been found. Its administrative center was supposedly located outside of the settlement itself, on the nearby island of Adelsö. Adelsö is an island in the middle of Lake Mälaren in Sweden, near southern and northern Björkfjärden.

The most recent large excavation was undertaken between 1990-95 in a region of "black earth", believed to be the site of the main settlement. Björkö is today mainly agricultural, and shipping lines carry tourists to the island, where a museum showcases a view of life during the Viking era.

References

External links

• Birka and Hovgården at the Swedish National Heritage Board
• Birka at the Swedish National Heritage Board
• Birka and Hovgården - at UNESCO
• Reconstructions of Bone Flutes like the ones from Birka

• Birka is at coordinates 59°20′10″N 17°32′44″E / 59.33621, 17.545466 (Birka)Coordinates: 59°20′10″N 17°32′44″E / 59.33621, 17.545466 (Birka)

Swedish National Heritage Board ( Riksantikvarieämbetet, RAÄ is a Swedish governmental agency responsible for World Heritage Sites in Sweden Swedish National Heritage Board ( Riksantikvarieämbetet, RAÄ is a Swedish governmental agency responsible for World Heritage Sites in Sweden A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system.

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