James Barrett on Nostr: Tjelvar’s grave, located near the eastern coast of Gotland, Sweden, is a ...

Tjelvar’s grave, located near the eastern coast of Gotland, Sweden, is a significant Bronze Age archaeological site. This stone ship burial site, measuring 18 meters in length and 5 meters in width, is one of the best-preserved of its kind in Gotland. The grave is named after Tjelvar, a legendary figure who, according to the 13th-century Gutasaga, was the first man to live on Gotland. Tjelvar is said to have tamed the island, which was previously a living creature that would sink underwater during the day. After his death, Tjelvar was reportedly buried in this ship-shaped grave. Archaeologists have dated the monument to the Late Bronze Age, between 1100 and 500 BC. Excavations in the 1930s uncovered a plundered stone-slab coffin inside the ship, containing cremated bones and a few potsherds.