Landscape, settlement and visibility. Some thoughts on the location of an Iron-Age manor

Abstract

This paper deals with the inception of the settlement connected to the famous boat-graves at the Vendel church. Conceptsnotified are visibility, monumental-ity and routes. Hence, we stress the importance of being seen, and monumental location as a symbol of status, power and supremacy. The late Iron-Age settle-ment recently found at the Vendel church is situated on the hillside which would have made it most visible from the Vendel farmland. The monumental impact is strongly expressed in the location of both graves and buildings. Further stressed is the Vendel farmlands geographical position in a "blind alley" with its entrance facing towards the south. It is also emphasized that the geographical conditions and the economical potential of the area must be considered, accentuating local resources, when trying to explain the establishment of the settlement and the up-turn manifested in the rich boat-graves.