Hillforts

Gotland is home to about one-tenth of all hillforts in Sweden, with 80 known sites. This article explores these structures, including the largest in the Nordic region and one that may have actually been a city wall. We'll discuss why these fortresses were built, focusing on their roles in surveillance, trade, and defense.

Gotland has a relatively high concentration of hillforts, though not all may fit the traditional definition. Some might be better described as enclosures, storage areas, or marketplaces. The image above shows a small section of the wall at Torsburgen(Thors fort), which is undoubtedly a fortress in the conventional sense and highly worth visiting.

While hillforts are typically associated with the Iron Age (500 BC to 1000 AD), recent dating of some Gotland fortresses has pushed their origins back to the Bronze Age. For example, Burgen (or Burgvallen) has been dated to approximately 1400-1200 BC, making it potentially Gotland's oldest known hillfort. However, relatively few fortresses have been thoroughly investigated and carbon-dated.

Purpose

Surveillance

Many fortresses were likely built for coastal surveillance. Examples include:

• Klinteberget
• Styrmansberget
• Lickershamn
• Walbierg
• Koburg
• Grogarnsberget
• Herrgårdsklint (where house foundations are still visible)

The concept of mandatory watch duty for adult men is mentioned in Gutalagen, though its exact historical origins are unclear. It's possible that this practice dates back at least to the construction of Torsburgen in the 3rd century AD, as such a large fortress would have required a unified society to build and maintain.

Trade

Some fortresses likely served trade-related purposes:

• Secure storage for goods before transactions
• Stockpiling points before overseas journeys

Examples of trade-focused fortresses may include:

• Burgen in Ljugarn
• Kapungs slott
• Mulde

The extensive silver hoards from the Viking Age found on Gotland, along with the high concentration of Roman silver denarii, suggest significant long-distance trade activity.

Defense

Several fortresses appear to have been designed for internal defense against unruly elements:

• Arängsbacke
• Folegrana
• Havor
• Lindeberget
• Smiss slott
• Sojvide

Västergarnsvallen

Västergarnsvallen is unique among Gotland's hillforts. Rather than a fortress, it's actually a city wall. The wall is one kilometer long and surrounds the Viking-era harbor in Västergarn. While comprehensive archaeological investigations haven't been conducted, the area has a long history as a trading center, with an ancient shipyard found at nearby Paviken.