Vangfeltet

The burial ground at Vang, located in the center of Oppdal, is magical and unique. It is Norway's and one of Northern Europe's largest burial grounds from the Iron Age. In a stunning cultural landscape, around 900 burial mounds are gathered between the Skjørdøla River and the old village road down Prestbakkan. This is the route followed by the Pilgrim's Path leading up to Oppdal Church.

The Vang burial field has an exceptionally large number of graves from the Viking Age (750–1000 AD). Among the Viking graves lie burials from the Migration Period, several centuries before the Viking Age.

Valuable objects found their way to the mountain village of Oppdal and were placed in the graves at Vang alongside the deceased, meant for use in the afterlife. These items are of high quality, reflecting wealth and power. Magnificent artifacts and ornaments reveal close connections with Nordic countries. Swords and Celtic jewelry and fittings show contact with England, Ireland, and regions further south in Europe. These were expensive prestige items. The sword blades are among the best available at the time. What trade goods did the people of the village offer in return?

Surrounding the Vang burial field are the Oppdal mountains and the Dovrefjell mountains. Thousands of years of hunting and trapping wild reindeer have left clear traces in the landscape, including bow stations and large hunting traps. Arrows shot long ago are emerging from the melting snow and ice. Arrowheads found in the graves at Vang show that hunting and trapping were the primary livelihoods for the local people. Reindeer provided products that were both useful for personal use and valuable as trade items. Antlers and hides were in high demand. The hunting installations and numerous finds suggest a surplus and export of hunting products like antlers, hides, and furs. The mountains formed the foundation for surplus and wealth, a prosperity that shines through in the burial finds.

The burial ground is situated at the old crossroads between north and south, east and west. The roads converged at Vang. The Pilgrim's Path continues northward, first to Oppdal Church and then onward to Trondheim.