Ose, Ørsta
A digital reconstruction of the ‘god house’
(Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
The remains of a pagan temple have been excavated at Ose, Ørsta, Norway. The building was about 14 meters long, 8 m wide, and up to 12 m high. It is thought to date from the end of the eighth century.
“This is the first Old Norse temple found in Norway”, said archaeologist Søren Diinhoff of the University Museum of Bergen.
“We know them from Sweden and we know them from Denmark. … This shows that they also existed in Norway.” He said. “This is probably something to do with a certain class of the society, who built these as a real ideological show.”
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Location of the excavations
(Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
The excavation site
(Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
Opening the trench
(Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
The outline of the god house
(Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)
Showing the position of the base timbers
(Image credit: University Museum of Bergen)