Eketorp Castle

Eketorp is an Iron Age fort in southeastern Öland, Sweden, which was extensively reconstructed and enlarged in the Middle Ages. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional Provinces of Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Throughout the ages the fortification has served a variety of somewhat differing uses: from defensive ringfort, to medieval safe haven and thence a cavalry garrison^[1]. Ringforts are fortified settlements that are generally deemed to be from the Iron Age, Early Christian or possibly the Early Medieval period The Cavalry (from French cavalerie) is the second oldest of the Combat Arms, and as Soldiers or Warriors who fought mounted on Garrison (various spellings (from the French garnison, itself from the verb garnir, "to equip" is the collective term for a body of Troops In the 20th century it was further reconstructed to become a heavily visited tourist site and a location for re-enactment of medieval battles. Eketorp is the only one of the 19 known prehistoric fortifications on Öland that has been completely excavated, yielding a total of over 24,000 individual artifacts. The entirety of southern Öland has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16 The Eketorp fortification is often referred to as Eketorp Castle.

History

Eketorp exterior wall with goats grazing

The long houses.

The water well inside the fort, no doubt a strong reason for its location

The indigenous peoples of the Iron Age constructed the original fortification about 400 AD, a period known to have engendered contact between Öland natives with Romans and other Europeans. The European peoples are the various Nations and Ethnic groups of Europe. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. is the second largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional Provinces of Sweden. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The ringfort in that era is thought to have been a gathering place for religious ceremonies and also a place of refuge for the local agricultural community when an outside enemy appeared. Ringforts are fortified settlements that are generally deemed to be from the Iron Age, Early Christian or possibly the Early Medieval period A ceremony is an activity infused with Ritual significance performed on a special occasion Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture The circular design was believed to be chosen because the terrain is so level that attack from any side was equally likely. The original diameter of this circular stone fortification was about 57 metres. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for In the next century the stone was moved outward to construct a new circular structure of about 80 metres in diameter^[2]. At this juncture there were known to be about fifty individual cells or small structures within the fort as a whole. Some of these cells were in the center of the fortified ring, and some were actually built into the wall itself.

In the late 600s AD the ringfort was mysteriously abandoned, and it remained unused until the early 11th century. This 11th century work generally built upon the earlier fort, except that stone interior cells were replaced with timber structures, and a second outer defensive wall was erected. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for In Geology, rock is a naturally occurring aggregate of Minerals and/or Mineraloids The Earth's outer solid layer the ‘ Lithosphere Lumber or timber is Wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural Material for Construction, or

Modern day situation

Presently the fort is used as a tourist site for visitors to Öland to experience a Mediæval fortification for this region. A museum within the castle walls displays a few of the large number of artefacts retrieved by the National Heritage Board during the major decade long excavation ending in 1974. 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 A castle is a defensive structure seen as one of the main symbols of the Middle Ages. In Archaeology, an artifact or artefact is any object made or modified by a human culture, and often one later recovered by some archaeological Inside the fort visitors are greeted by actors in medieval costumes who assume the roles of period artisans and merchants who might have lived there nine centuries earlier. The term costume can refer to Wardrobe and dress in general or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people class or period There are also re-enactment scenes of skirmishes and other dramatic events of daily life from the Middle Ages.

Eketorp lies a few kilometers west of Route 136. There is an ample unpaved parking area situated approximately two kilometers west of the paved Öland perimeter highway. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Before adding any more images to this * * page please do carefully consider * * whether they would be mere decoration * * or actually improve There is also a gift shop on site. A gift shop is a store primarily selling Souvenirs relating to a particular topic often to simply provide evidence that the consumer has visited that location During peak summer visitation, there are guided tours available. A tour guide is a person who guides visitors in the language of their choice and interprets the cultural and natural heritage of an area which person normally possesses a specific area Visitors are assessed an admission charge.

See also

• Alby People
• Alvar
• Dry-stone wall
• Ringfort
• Stora Alvaret

References

External links

• Eketorp logistics. Fortifications are Military Constructions and Buildings designed for defense in Warfare Humans have constructed defensive works for History is the study of the past particularly the written record Those who study history as a Profession are called Historians Etymology