"Alia vero gens ibi moratur Suehans, quae velud Thyringi equis utuntur eximiis" or the excellent horses in Svealand

Abstract

This study discusses horses and horse breeding during the Late Iron Age in central Sweden. We studied the hyper-variable mitochondrial sequences HV1 and HV2 in horses from Svealand and have so far found four different mitochondrial types of horses. The problems of morphologically determined breeds are discussed. We argue that the horses analysed from Vendel and Skedemosse share the same maternal ancestor and could thus be descended from the horses kept by the Suehans and described as excellent by Jordanes.