Perhaps not the most spectacular sight on the planet, this grave-mound rises some two feet above the ground, creating a barely visible bump that is viewed by approximately fifty disappointed tourists each year (seatofourpants crew included). It is dated to some time around the year 700 – 800 AD.
It is a bit of a curiosity though, being the northernmost Viking grave in Sweden. A sign next to it speculates that the man in the grave was a visitor from the south, a viking come to plunder or trade in the northern wilderness. There are, however, sources that name five more grave mounds in the village proper. There are also rumors that a local man used the keel of a viking ship as firewood as late as the 1960s.
In private, archaeologists will acknowledge that there is much more to excavate around Sangis, but there is simply no funds for such research.
Time is on the side of those already in the ground, it seems.
You know the term, “fly by the seat of your pants?” Well, that's been our philosophy for most of our adult lives – before and after meeting, falling in love and marrying. We're now taking that idea on a 14 month round-the-world trip. Follow us as we share the good, the bad and the downright nasty of life on the road.
