Gene fornby
Encyclopedia
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlement just outside of Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik
Örnsköldsvik is a locality and the seat of Örnsköldsvik Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 28,617 inhabitants in 2005.Its natural harbour and archipelago is in the Gulf of Bothnia and the northern boundaries of the High Coast area. It is well known as an exporter of paper products...
, in Västernorrland County, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
The earliest traces of human activity found in the area date back to the Nordic Bronze Age
Nordic Bronze Age
The Nordic Bronze Age is the name given by Oscar Montelius to a period and a Bronze Age culture in Scandinavian pre-history, c. 1700-500 BC, with sites that reached as far east as Estonia. Succeeding the Late Neolithic culture, its ethnic and linguistic affinities are unknown in the absence of...
, but the settlement itself dated back to the Roman Iron Age
Roman Iron Age
The Roman Iron Age is the name that Swedish archaeologist Oscar Montelius gave to a part of the Iron Age in Scandinavia, Northern Germany and the Netherlands....
, from around the years 400-600 AD. The settlement was located just by the waterline of that time, but due to the post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound
Post-glacial rebound is the rise of land masses that were depressed by the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, through a process known as isostasy...
in the area, the waterline is now about 500 meters away from the settlement.
Historically it was known that there were burial mounds on top of Genesmon, but it was not until the 1960s that they were investigated for the first time by the archaeologist Evert Baudou. Graves believed to be those of chieftains from the years 100-600 AD have been found. Gene Fornby was laid bare during archaeological excavations conducted by the University of Umeå from 1977 and 1988. The excavation revealed various buildings including a forge
Forge
A forge is a hearth used for forging. The term "forge" can also refer to the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith, although the term smithy is then more commonly used.The basic smithy contains a forge, also known as a hearth, for heating metals...
, believed to have been one of the largest forge in prehistoric Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. Traces of iron production and processing were uncovered as well as bronze casting and a textile works.
In 1991, work began on reconstructing the farm on Genesmon. A principal feature is the reconstructed longhouse. The facility opened in 1991 and became a popular tourist attraction during the summer months. All the houses are open to the public. The facility is operated by the Örnsköldsvik Museum & Art Gallery.
Other sources
- Baudou, Evert (1992) Norrlands forntid : ett historiskt perspektiv (Höganäs: CEWE-forlaget) ISBN 978-91-7119-239-4
- Ramqvist, Per H. (1983) On the origin, function and development of sedentary Iron Age settelment in Northern Sweden (Umeå universitet) ISBN 978-91-7174-145-5
- Lindqvist Anna-Karin and Ramqvist, Per H. (1993) Gene – en stormansgård från äldre järnålder i mellannorrland (Umeå universitet)
- Edblom, Lena (2004) Långhus i Gene (Instutionen för Arkeologi och Samiska Studier, Umeå universitet) ISBN 91-7305-646-4