Burial site at Steen-Tærud

Skedsmo church was in the 13th century consecrated to St.Olav. A wooden church from the 11th century had stood there before on the very same location as todays stone church. It is said that the original church was raised by St. Olav, when the area was christened. This wooden church may therefore have been the oldest church in Akershus county. The stone church that stands there today is the oldest building in Skedsmo. Its baptismal font is made of soapstone and can be traced back to the stone church entry period, approx. year 1200.

The original wooden church must be seen in relation to the large Iron Age burial ground located approx. 250-300 meters northwest of Skedsmo Church. We know that, in prehistoric times, burial grounds also served as a place for gatherings and religious rituals.

Its possible that they wanted to establish the christian faith precisely in this place where pagan customs and rituals had taken place for centuries before.

In the largest burial ground, there are currently 17 known burial mounds, of which 13 are circular mounds and 4 are long mounds.