Eketorp

The Eketorp castle in the Great Alvar on the Swedish island of Öland is a rebuilt on the foundations of an older plant facility, which was allegedly used as a refuge.

History

The first castle in the inhospitable area in the south of Öland was at the beginning of the Germanic Iron Age ( around 300 AD) built in the 13th century in three phases and expanded and given the time of Christianization.

The castle from the 4th century was a round area with a diameter of only 57 meters from the ring wall and a radially inner buildings are secured substantially. In the 5th century, it was demolished and a new circular wall with a diameter of 80 meters around the old center. It was within this circular wall about 50 cells that were later partly on the inside of the wall in the center (Fig.).

End of the 7th century, this second plant was abandoned and remained 300 years unused. In the 11th century the city wall was rebuilt, but replaced the formerly stone structures inside by wooden houses. There was a second outer annular wall sector, directed by the anti-clockwise, so militarily senseless, access to the plant was controlled. The three-doors system was limited at this time to access. There are 15, probably even another 18 such facilities on Öland.

The ring wall and the parapet crenellated were rebuilt according to the type of the second settlement. The internal buildings consists of stone houses and wooden houses of the second to the third phase of Use. The museum within the reconstructed houses the plant a selection of the finds made ​​during the excavations 26,000 is shown.

Reconstruction

The great archaeological reconstruction project of the ring castle began under the name Eketorp Rediviva in 1978. His initiators and supporters as represented Bengt Edgren of the Swedish National Antiquities Authority, the view, in this way could be brought to life the archaeological heritage, critics see such projects as a way Disneyland. As part of Eketorp Rediviva all three phases of fortification should be shown to this day, however, only work on Eketorp I and II were completed Eketorp. The reconstruction project shall be considered touristy very successful, but still not scientifically controversial.