jan 1, 750 - Birka is established

Description:

A town was born
In the mid-700’s, a city was born on Björkö in Lake Mälaren named Birka, a location, which is commonly called Sweden’s first town. It is believed that it was the Swedish King who took the initiative to form the city as part of a desire to control the trade in northern Scandinavia, both politically and economically.

The Swedish King himself was living a few kilometres away, at a place called Hovgården on Adelsö. At that time it was the King’s duty to keep order in the city and protect it from being looted.

The perfect trading area
Merchants and tradesmen came to Birka with goods from all over Europe and other parts of the world. We know this through archaeological excavations, were they found Arabic silver, beads from Eastern Europe, beautiful glass goblet, ceramics and exclusive fabrics. These goods were traded for exclusive goods that we have here, for example, iron, skins, horns and fur. In the city worked many different kinds of craftsmen like comb makers, blacksmiths, weavers and others. They lived in simple houses that were arranged in rows down towards the docks.

A flourishing city
During two hundred years Birka was a thriving city and Sweden’s most important place for trade throughout northern Europe. The city had a perfect location because it was centrally located, but also well protected in the Baltic Sea. Birka had about 700-1000 inhabitants, which today can be compared to the Swedish island Visingsö in Lake Vättern.

An era to the grave
The residents of Birka started to abandon the city to move elsewhere after two hundred years. Some may have moved to Sigtuna, Sweden’s next thriving city after Birka. No one knows exactly why Birka was abandoned, but accepted theories is based on political decisions, but also that Birka lost his strategic and easily accessible location through the land rise.

You will hear more about this and other things when our skilled archaeologists and guides take you back to the Viking era here at Birka.

https://www.birkavikingastaden.se/en/about-birka/

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