Piggesten och Slättehög

Here you can learn about the rock formation Piggestenen and the Iron Age archaeological site Slättehög.

Piggestenen

Piggestenen is a rock formation that serves as an example of how natural objects could acquire cultural and symbolic significance in the early farming community. When fields were cleared of stones, large boulders were sometimes left in place, particularly if they were regarded as important boundary markers, protective symbols or sites of special significance. They were often linked to legends, tales and folklore, and were believed to bring both good fortune and protection to the farm.

On Visingsö, there are several large, named stones associated with local tales. Piggestenen is an example of how people in the past interpreted their surroundings and gave meaning to the landscape. It serves as a reminder that history is not just about kings and wars but also about everyday life, beliefs and the relationship between humans and nature.

Slättehög

Slättehög is an Iron Age archaeological site on Visingsö. It is a so-called ‘trident’ – a burial mound or ritual site shaped like a triangle with three points. Tridents date from about 500 BC to 1050 AD and are a characteristic feature of Iron Age burial customs.

Today, only one arm of Slättehög remains, approximately ten metres long. The others were likely destroyed through farming. Originally, the site consisted of stones of various sizes and was marked by larger edge stones. Nearby there is also a larger standing stone, known as Piggestenen, which may have had a symbolic or ritual function.

Investigations of similar tridents on Visingsö have shown that some sites contain burnt bones, charcoal and artefacts, suggesting they were used as graves. Others have turned up no artefacts and are therefore interpreted as having being places of worship, possibly linked to Old Norse religion and gods such as Odin, Thor and Freyr.

Slättehög is an example of burial customs, religion and the landscape being intertwined during the Iron Age and provides a concrete insight into the beliefs and rituals of ancient people.

Administrator: Visingsö Local Heritage Society