Work

The Herlaugshaugen ship burial: closing the gap between the East Anglian and Scandinavian ship burial traditions

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The large mound of Herlaugshaugen, on the island of Leka off the coast of Norway, has long been associated with the legendary storeroom (and burial place) of Herlaug, a pre-Viking king of the region Namdalen. Excavations at the site in 2023 recovered iron clinker nails and wooden fragments, identifying one of the earliest ship burials in Scandinavia. Here, the authors detail these findings and explore the significance of Herlaugshaugen in expanding our understanding of the region and its maritime connections in the seventh and eighth centuries AD, arguing that Leka may have been a node in a much wider network.

Source: Antiquity

DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2026.10330