Nine stones and a center stone. That’s what makes up most of the visible part of Domarringen i Skärholmen. This ring sits at Stävholmsgränd. It is just south of Skärholmen’s center. Domarringen i Skärholmen is more than just a circle. It is part of a larger ancient burial ground.
Skärholmen has many ancient remains. Domarringen i Skärholmen is one of the biggest. It dates back to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. Imagine this area long ago. People lived here since the Stone Age. This area is rich with history.
The Domarringen i Skärholmen was studied in 1966 and 1967. The ring itself is about 12 meters across. Smaller stones once lined its edge. They supported the larger stones.
Originally, the Domarringen i Skärholmen was part of a larger burial site. It measured 50 by 100 meters. About 80 graves were there. Half of these graves date to the 100s and 200s AD. The others are from the late 500s to mid-700s.
Inside the Domarringen i Skärholmen, archaeologists found remains. These were the cremated remains of at least two people. The other graves had only one person each. Grave goods included pottery, burned bones, and charcoal. There were also resin seals. A unique find was an iron key. Bronze brooches were also found. One had animal designs from the Vendel Period. Another had a human mask. Many other bronze items were also discovered at Domarringen i Skärholmen.
Archaeologists also found signs of settlement. These included 30 hearths and 28 postholes. There were also nine pits dug into the ground. The finds were mostly pottery and slag. They also found burnt clay and charcoal. Loom weights, crucibles, whetstones, and iron fishhooks turned up too. Flint scrapers were among the tools discovered.
After the dig, the outer stone ring was rebuilt. This was because the Domarringen i Skärholmen is a unique burial form for Stockholm. The rest of the burial ground was removed. This made room for new townhouses.
Skärholmen changed a lot in the 1960s. It shifted from farmland to a modern suburb. Domarringen i Skärholmen stands as a reminder. It connects us to the area’s ancient past.
Today, Domarringen i Skärholmen offers a glimpse into the past. It lets us think about the people who lived here. They buried their dead here long ago. The stones tell a story of rituals. They speak of beliefs in a world very different from ours. It is a link to those who shaped this land.