Uppåkra was founded during the 1st century BC and was abandoned more than a thousand years later. This means that those who lived in Uppåkra were affected in a number of ways by the great events that created modern Europe. The Roman Empire reached its heyday and its decline. Religions such as Christianity and Islam arose and nations like France and England began to take shape. Meanwhile the Vikings embarked on their long journeys. The maps show how the most powerful kingdoms and empires on the continent changed during the long period in which Uppåkra existed.
2nd Century AD
In Uppåkra’s early phase, Europe was dominated by the Roman Empire. The empire was at its greatest during the 1st century AD. By then, the Romans ruled from Britain to the Arabian Peninsula. The Romans also traded with people outside the Empire’s borders; among these were the Germanic peoples, and thus also the people in Uppåkra.
6th Century AD
The Roman Empire became divided, with the western half coming under the control of different Germanic peoples in the 5th century. The eastern part continued to be ruled from Constantinople (modern day Istanbul) until the end of the Middle Ages. The period 400-550 AD is called the Migration Period. Many of the golden objects found in Uppåkra are from this period.
9th Century AD
During the 9th century the Frankish kingdom emerged as a new great power. Christianity was the new dominant religion. At the same time, the Norse started to travel far and wide to trade, plunder and conquer new territories. To the south, the Middle East became united under Islam. This religion expanded all the way to modern-day Spain and southern Italy.
Image: New kingdoms emerged during the Migration Period
Image: This representation in silver found in Uppåkra of a man wearing Oriental baggy trousers demonstrates contact Eastern cultures.