Vendel Period

Common card · No. 255165

In Scandinavian prehistory, sometimes specifically Swedish prehistory, the Vendel Period, or Vendel Age (Swedish: Vendeltiden), appears between the Migration Period and the Viking Age (c. 550–800 AD), specifically following the Volcanic winter of 536, subsiding around 550 AD. The name is taken from the rich boat inhumation cemetery at Vendel parish church, Uppland. Unlike the preceding and succeeding eras, the Vendel Period left very few precious metal artifacts or runic inscriptions. Instead, it is extremely rich in animal art on copper-alloy objects. It is also known for guldgubbar, tiny embossed gold foil images, and elaborate helmets with embossed decoration similar to the one found at Sutton Hoo in England. During the period, Swedish expeditions began to explore the waterways of territories which later became Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The Elder Futhark writing system was abandoned in favor of the Younger Futhark, virtually simultaneously over the whole of Scandinavia. Some runestones...

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