Siljuhaugen culture trail

About

Siljuhaugen is a monumental burial mound from the Iron Age, strategically located near Siljan Church in Siljan municipality. This area is rich in cultural heritage sites and archaeological finds, including the historic Siljan Medieval Church.

In 2015, a cultural trail with new information signs was established, thanks to a collaboration between the Siljan Historical Society, Telemark County Council, and Siljan municipality. The dotted red line on the map marks the trail, while the red dots indicate the location of the information signs.

Iron Age Graves of National Value

As one of Norway's oldest visible monuments, Siljuhaugen represents a burial mound of great national value. Monumental burial mounds like this were reserved for the upper echelons of society. These individuals likely came from a powerful farm that was located here during the Iron Age.

Siljuhaugen is part of a larger burial field with four smaller mounds. The smaller mounds were built around the large mound, suggesting that Siljuhaugen was established first. Archaeologists estimate it can be dated to the late Roman Iron Age (c. 200–400 AD). Although no grave goods have been found in the center of the mound, two secondary burials were discovered that were added later.

The burial site's location on a moraine ridge, with good views of the waterway, is not coincidental. Large burial monuments from this period were often placed prominently along travel routes to signal power and importance to passersby.

A Historical Meeting Place with Bronze Age Traces

The landscape around Siljuhaugen is a historical puzzle. Archaeological findings just south of the medieval church have revealed traces of an older settlement, including cooking pits and post holes dating back to the Bronze Age.

Cooking pits, which are buried fire pits used for cooking, were likely used to prepare large meals. Large concentrations of these pits suggest the area was a gathering place for special events, feasts, and alliance-building in the early Iron Age. Meals played a central role in these important social and political gatherings.

Siljan Medieval Church: Continuity Through Centuries

Siljan Church, a long church built in the late 12th century, is the oldest standing structure in the village. Its intact chancel, original walls, and rare ship drawings from the 15th century make it an important cultural heritage site and a central gathering point to this day.

The church was built in stone, which would have been a strong signal building at a time when wood was the most common building material. Its location on one of the village's oldest farms, near the burial field, underscores the area's long-standing social and religious significance.

The Rectory and the Village's History
The Rectory by the church was built in 1856 as a residence for the priest. It also served as the village's public meeting place, including for municipal council meetings. A new barn built in 1900 reflected the expansive agriculture that took place in the 20th century. Farming with dairy cows ceased in 1984, and the farm was no longer used in 2000.