Istrehågan is an

ancient monument An ancient monument can refer to any early or historical manmade structure or architecture. Certain ancient monuments are of cultural importance for nations and become symbols of international recognition, including the Baalbek, ruins of Baalbek ...

at Jåberg on the

Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Sandefjord ...

Larvik Larvik () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Larvik (town) ...

border in

Vestfold Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...

, Norway.Jøranlid, Marianne (1996). ''40 trivelige turer i Sandefjord og omegn''. Vett Viten. Page 123. .Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sandefjord''. Sandar Historielag. Page 144. . It is home to some of the largest stone settings in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe, as well as the Arctic Ocean, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denm ...

.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1998). ''Bli kjent med Vestfold / Become acquainted with Vestfold''. Stavanger Offset AS. Page 94. . Nearby Haugen farm in Sandefjord is home to Vestfold County's largest petroglyph site. The rock carvings at Haugen farm are Vestfold County's oldest ancient monument. It is an ancient

burial ground A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

which dates to the time of the

Roman Iron Age The archaeology of Northern Europe studies the prehistory of Scandinavian Peninsula, Scandinavia and the adjacent North European Plain, roughly corresponding to the territories of modern Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Northern Germany, Poland, the Net ...

around 500 - 600 AD. It is located two kilometers northwest of Hemskilen Nature Preserve in a forest known as Marumskogen. Large stone settings resemble a ship. The largest "ship" is long, and meters broad. Most rocks are about tall, while some are as high as . Archaeological excavations made in 1959-1961 uncovered remains of bones, bear claws, pottery shards, a brooch, and more. Most stone settings are dated to the

Migration Period The Migration Period ( 300 to 600 AD), also known as the Barbarian Invasions, was a period in European history marked by large-scale migrations that saw the fall of the Western Roman Empire and subsequent settlement of its former territories ...

around 400-500 A.D. There are marked hiking trails leading to Istrehågan through the Marum forest, for example from Store Bergan skole. There are also agricultural symbols here which were etched into the hillside during the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

, 1500-500 B.C.E.

Stone settings

There are various stone settings, including settings depicting several ships and circles. The stone settings are dated to 400-500 A.D. Istrehågan has been named one of the most magnificent stone settings in the

. A burial mound with large stone settings was put up here during the Great Migration over 1,500 years ago. The largest stone setting resembles a ship and is 25 meters in length. Some stones are as tall as 4.5 meters. The width is 9 meters. The rolling lines of the

gunwales The gunwale () is the top edge of the hull of a ship or boat. Originally the structure was the "gun wale" on a sailing warship, a horizontal reinforcing band added at and above the level of a gun deck to offset the stresses created by firing ar ...

are marked explicitly by the falling height of the rocks towards "midship." It is erected with tall stones at each end marking bow and stern. Istrehåg's stone settings are similar to the stone settlements on the continent and on the British Isles. It is a protected cultural heritage area which is managed by the Museum of Cultural History at the

University of Oslo The University of Oslo (; ) is a public university, public research university located in Oslo, Norway. It is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation#Europe, oldest university in Norway. Originally named the Royal Frederick Univ ...

Rock carvings

The rock art at Haugen farm has been described as the most picturesque rock carvings in Vestfold dated to the

. On a mountain facing east, 100 meters down the road to Haugen farm, 78 small and large petroglyphs have been discovered. They are located over a 17-meter mountainside. The carvings include 28 ship and ship fragments, including petroglyphs of ships with tall stems, marked railing, and

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

s. 41 men have been carved onboard the largest ship carving. It also has carvings depicting numerous spiral figures, 37

cup and ring mark Cup and ring marks or cup marks are a form of prehistoric art found in the Atlantic seaboard of Europe (Ireland, Wales, Northern England, Scotland, France (Brittany), Portugal, and Spain (Galicia (Spain), Galicia) – and in Mediterranean Europe ...

s, and one circle. The rock carvings were first described by S.A. Sørensen in his 1872 book ''Lidt om Sandeherred før i Tiden''. It has been described as one of Vestfold’s most valuable

s. The petroglyphs are located at the Haugen farm, west of Jåberg Station. One group of carvings contain four warriors with round shields. Another group consists of two ships. They are the most visible during lots of daylight. The petroglyphs include 37 ships where railing,

hull Hull may refer to: Structures * The hull of an armored fighting vehicle, housing the chassis * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a sea-going craft * Submarine hull Ma ...

, and

are marked.Møller, Vilhelm (1980). ''Vestfold''. Gyldendal. Pages 208-209. ISBN 8205120927.

References

External links

Istrehagan
(Vestfold fylkeskommune) {{DEFAULTSORT:Istrehaagan Sandefjord Larvik Archaeological sites in Norway Culture in Vestfold Tourist attractions in Vestfold