Power and Landscape in Late Iron Age Uppland : A Study of Nordian's Mound and the Åshusby Burial Ground

This bachelor’s thesis exmines Nordian’s Mound and the Åshusby burial ground in order to explore the site’s function and significance during the Late Iron Age. The study combines archaeological material, landscape analysis and theoretical perspectives on power, monuments and networks. The results suggest that Nordian’s mound functioned as more than an individual burial and should be interpreted as a monument with the local social elite. Its prominent placement on the Stockholm esker and near prehistoric waterways indicates that landscape and visibility played a decisive role in its location. The archaeological material further indicates that the site was used by elites during several periods between approximately AD 500 and 900. Overall, the study highlights how monuments, landscape and regional networks interacted in the construction of social meaning during the Late Iron Age