It happened a long, long time ago…

In 2010, spectacular archaeological discoveries were made at the Iron Age ringfort of Sandby borg, Öland. In five different caches, large exquisite gilded silver brooches were found together with glass beads, finger rings and other exclusive jewellery items. Excavations initiated in 2011 soon led to the gruesome discovery that the ringfort has been the scene of a massacre, where a large number of people have been slain and left where they fell. This makes Sandby borg an exceptional archaeological site, providing us with a unique snapshot of the late 5th century on the island and the people that lived there. Follow us as we unfold the mystery of the massacre at Sandby borg, its inhabitants and their world.

Want to help?

Do you want to be a sponsor or perhaps a mecenate for Sandby borg? We continuously look for new partners to ensure that the excavations at Sandby borg can continue. If you or your company are interested in being a part of the mystery solving at Sandby borg, please contact us on facebook.com/sandbyborg or drop us an email at info@sandbyborg.se.

our place on the web

If you want to follow our work and learn more about Sandby borg follow us on our Facebook page where we keep you posted about the latest news.

Have a look at some of our stunning finds!

The Sandby Borg project is partly financed by Riksbankens Jubileumsfond. This is a collaboration between  Dept. of Museum Archaeology/Kalmar County Museum, The Linnéaus University and Stockholm University.

Frozen in Time

Histories of life and moments of death at Sandby borg

Funded by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, this collaborative project was carried out during the years 2016–2019. Headed by Kalmar County Museum and involving researchers from Linnaeus University and Stockholm University, the aim was to use excavation and scientific analysis to create a better understanding of what happened at the site, who the victims were and in what context the Sandby borg massacre should be understood. Excavations were performed within the project in 2016 and 2017, and various scientific analyses including stable isotopes, 14C-dating, plant macrofossils, osteology and aDNA have been performed. Some of the results have been published, more will come.

WE ARE

House 52

Learn more about our dig in 2014