Birka
Sign in to saveBirka (Birca in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö (lit. "Birch Island") in present-day Sweden, was an important Viking Age trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as many parts of Continental Europe and the Orient. Björkö is located in Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers west of contemporary Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö.
Key facts
- Ancient site.name
- Birka
- Ancient site.image
- Birka Ansgar 2008.jpg
- Ancient site.caption
- Ansgars Cross in Birka
- Ancient site.location
- Ekerö Municipality, Sweden
- Ancient site.built
- 8th century
- Ancient site.abandoned
- 10th century
- Ancient site.epochs
- Viking Age
- Ancient site.designation1
- WHS
- Ancient site.designation1_offname
- Birka and Hovgården
- Ancient site.designation1_date
- 1993 (17th session)
- Ancient site.designation1_number
- 555
- Ancient site.designation1_criteria
- iii, iv
- Ancient site.designation1_type
- Cultural
- Ancient site.designation1_free1name
- Region
- Ancient site.designation1_free1value
- Europe and North America
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
25 sectionsContents
- History
- Written accounts
- Rimbert's description
- Bridgehead of Christian missionaries
- Kings
- Church
- Probable fortress
- ''Ting'' assembly
- Adam of Bremen's description
- Location and port
- Bishop
- Location of Unni's tomb
- Destruction
- Björkö archaeological site
- Shipyard
- Björkö objects
- "Allah" textile controversy
- "Allah" ring controversy
- Dragonhead
- Wearable accessories
- Dirham coins
- Birka burial sites
- See also
- References
- External links
Birka (Birca in medieval sources), on the island of Björkö (lit. "Birch Island") in present-day Sweden, was an important Viking Age trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as many parts of Continental Europe and the Orient. Björkö is located in Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers west of contemporary Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö.
Birka was founded around AD 750 and it flourished for more than 200 years. It was abandoned c. AD 975, around the same time Sigtuna was founded as a Christian town some 35 km to the northeast. It has been estimated that the population in Viking Age Birka was between 500 and 1000 people.