Folk & Lister: The Migration Period in Agder and the Snartemo Chieftains

Richly furnished graves, magnificent weapons and traces of people who lived in Agder around 1,500 years ago. Samuel Høiland from Tingvatn Archaeological Park takes us back to the Migration Period, exploring some of the most remarkable finds from both Snartemo and Lista.

A belt of rich archaeological finds from the Migration Period, spanning approximately AD 375–550, runs through Agder's inland valleys. The best known is the Snartemo find from Hægebostad, where Grave V contained the famous Snartemo sword among its treasures.

But Snartemo is far from the only place where significant discoveries from this period have been made. Richly furnished graves have also been found in the Lista area, including at Lunde and Sande in Herad.

What do these graves and objects tell us about the people who lived here? Who were the powerful individuals buried with costly weapons and other possessions – and what characterised the Migration Period in Agder?

These are among the questions Samuel Høiland will explore during the evening. A trained historian based at Tingvatn Archaeological Park, part of Vest-Agder Museum, he is the project manager for "A Future for the Past – the Migration Period in Lister". The project is a cultural tourism initiative bringing together Agder County Council, municipalities in the region and Vest-Agder Museum.