Eriksson, J.E. 2021. Hallar och kulthus i södra Skandinavien under äldre järnålder: När Oden och härskaren blev grannar.Eriksson, J.E. 2021. Halls and cult houses in southern Scandinavia during early iron age: When Odin and the ruler became neighbours. The intention of this paper is to investigate why halls and cult houses were built close together and at the same time in southern Scandinavia during the Roman Iron Age and the Migration Period and how this can be linked to the development of administrative and military power. The thesis has been divided into three parts, namely a review of archaeological and historical research, a description of three archaeological sites and analysis. This means that the theoretical starting point of the thesis is to compare research with recent years reported archaeological results. The paper focuses on the time from the Roman Iron Age to the end of the migration period, from the year 0 to 550 AD and the geographically area being studied to southern Scandinavia. The result of the study shows that leaders inspired by the Roman Empire built and took control over the halls and cult houses around the year 250 AD to legitimize and manifest their power, acquire wealth and loyalty from subjects. Archeological remains show that the Norse god Odin was worshiped in the cult house and the stability of this cult can be traced to the end of the Viking Age.

In this essay I have chosen to take a closer look at gold figure foils (Swedish “guldgubbar”), find their context and analyze it. I have analyzed some earlier studies about gold figure foils that were found in Scandinavia. The focus of my study is based on the locations of the findings. Another important aspect is to discuss if the encountered gold figure foils that were folded and cut looked like that due to intentional motives or not. My conclusion is that when it comes to the locations of the findings they are mostly found in houses irrespective of if it´s in a posthole, wall or house foundation. The other conclusion is that the gold figure foils could have intentionally been manipulated before they ended up in the ground.