The looting of the ancient monument area Anundshög outside Västerås, Sweden has paradoxically led to new important discoveries about the site’s age. Carbon samples from the damage show that the area was in use already 1,500 years ago.

In May it was discovered that unknown perpetrators had dug a large number of pits in the ancient monument area, and archaeologist Sara Wisén Saveca was among those who felt great despair when the damage was uncovered:

– First you get angry, and then you just feel empty. It’s actually hard to find the words.

The looters had apparently systematically searched through the area with metal detectors and dug where they got signals. Nina Eklöf, director of Västerås museums, explained the extent of the loss:

– Some likely used a metal detector and dug into the ground where they got a signal. They have removed things that we would want to excavate archaeologically in order to gain knowledge about the Viking Age.

The incident led to a police investigation for suspected ancient monument crime and sparked strong reactions among both experts and the public. What objects the thieves actually made off with remains unclear.

Unexpected turn

But from the destruction came an unexpected scientific gain. When archaeologists documented the damage, they took carbon samples from a pit in one of the large stone ship settings. The analyses showed a dating to the Vendel period, around 500-650 CE – a result that strengthens Anundshög’s position as a key site for understanding the early power centers of the Mälaren valley region in central Sweden.

– Archaeology is more than finding objects or a single dating – it is scientific work that aims to understand our prehistory, our societies and our development. The dating is however important and valuable, it gives a glimpse of what a scientific archaeological investigation could have contributed, says Nina Eklöf to Svensk Historia (Swedish History magazine).

At the same time, the researchers emphasize what has been lost. A professional excavation could have answered crucial questions: Does the charcoal come from the ship setting itself or from an earlier activity? Was the monument a burial site or did it have other functions?

“A living place”

Andreas Hennius, archaeologist and incoming research coordinator at Västerås museums, emphasizes the site’s dual significance:

– Scientifically, the site is crucial for understanding societal development in the Mälaren valley and northern Europe during the Iron Age and medieval period – not least in relation to the emergence of the Swedish kingdom. At the same time, it is a living place for the public, where history can be experienced physically and directly.

Despite the damage, Anundshög remains one of the country’s most impressive ancient monument environments, where visitors can walk and experience a significant site from Sweden’s early history.