Jernaldergarden (Iron Age Farm), Stavanger

In 1900, archaeologists uncovered a large farm from the Nordic Iron Age near the University of Stavanger in Rogaland. This farm had been destroyed by fire and abandoned in the mid-6th century, around the end of the Migration Period.

As the Roman Empire declined, various tribes spread across Europe, often establishing farms on what was once Roman land. Jernaldergarden, a reconstructed Iron Age farm in Stavanger, offers a glimpse into what farming life was like during that time, even before the Viking age.

The farm was rebuilt on the original site, guided by archaeological findings from excavations in the 1960s. It features three stone-and-turf longhouses, partially built underground, along with large open fields where a flock of Old Norwegian sheep is kept.

University students, dressed in Iron Age clothing, lead tours of the farm and longhouses, providing demonstrations of daily life in the 500s. They sometimes cook Iron Age meals over open fires for visitors to experience.

Owned by the Archaeological Museum in Stavanger, admission to the museum includes access to the Iron Age Farm, and vice versa.