The Stone Cist

The Stone Cist is a grave dating from the end of the Stone Age, about 4000–3500 BC, and is one of the oldest known burial sites on Visingsö.

During this period, people lived mainly by hunting, fishing and gathering. The landscape would have looked different from today, with the water level in Lake Vättern being several metres higher back then.

The grave was used as a communal burial site, where a number of people were buried together. Archaeological investigations have shown that bones from several individuals were placed in the same stone cist, suggesting strong social bonds and shared rituals surrounding death.

The Stone Cist is a large stone monument, and its construction would have required cooperation, planning and expertise. It therefore provides important insights into social organisation, rituals and living conditions during the Stone Age and is a key source for our understanding of Sweden’s earliest agricultural communities.

Administrator: County Administrative Board