A day in Storsjöbygden, part 2. frösö stone church and iron age grave mounds.

the view from the stone church.

Frösö island was Jämtlands administrative and eocnomic centra during the iron age and medieveal time period. The stone church from around 1100 A.D reminds very much of the stone church in Åre from the same timeperiod. the first stone churches to appear in the north at this time.

At this site, there are iron age hearths and iron age grave mounds. With a darling picture of my sister in front of the two grave mounds. Excuse her silly expression, she doesn't know how to behave(!). We also went into the church. Under the floor at the altar, a birk tree stump was excavated. there were animal bones from the viking age around it. it is interpreted as a viking age offering tree. in other words, an important place. And then when christianity reached these lands, the church was build right on top of it. the grave mounds are thankfully still there!

Sweden's most northern runestone, located on this island, i didnt have time to see!! but i did see the replica at Jamtli museum. It says: "Austmaðr, Guðfastr's son, had this stone raised and this bridge built and Christianized Jämtland. Ásbjörn built the bridge. Trjónn and Steinn carved these runes". The timeperiod is 1030 and 1050 AD (wikipedia).