The purpose of this thesis is to find evidence if cult houses existed on Gotland during the Bronze Age. The cult house is a common term in modern Bronze Age archaeology and the general definitions of cult house are discussed and why cult houses seem to be absent on Gotland. In this thesis the cult house are discussed as a phenomenon, and the possibilities to find Bronze Age cult houses on Gotland are evaluated by making comparisons between Gotland houses with already defined cult houses from the Swedish mainland. Some known cult houses are presented in more detail as case studies, together with house remains on Gotland which could have potential to be defined as cult houses.

This essay discuss if Bronze Age cult houses were present at Gotland during the Bronze Age. Bronze Age cult houses are a well know phenomenon on mainland Sweden but because of inventory problems no Bronze Age cult houses have been found on Gotland. The main reason for the inventory problems are the Iron Age house foundations that are present in a large number on Gotland, the cult houses and the Iron Age houses have some design details that makes them difficult to separate from each other. In this essay a number of criteria are presented to help separate cult houses from the Iron Age house foundations. Three criteria’s regarding cult houses on Gotland is also presented in this essay. Two house foundations that PhD student Joakim Wehlin, University of Gothenburg and Gotland University, found in Vallstena parish, Gotland, are presented in this essay. This two house foundations have design details that separate them from Iron Age houses and their location in the landscape suggest that they are not typical Iron Age houses. During the investigation of the Vallstena houses a phosphate mapping, a inventory of the houses and their surroundings and a mapping of the houses and their surroundings were performed to help determined the function of the houses.

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.