Centres of wealth

Central places, especially centres of wealth, are discussed and two case studies presented: Bronze Age Voldtofte and Migration period Gudme, both on Funen. This field has developed enormously in Scandinavia during the last 40 years and especially the Iron Age scene is still expanding rapidly. Publication cannot follow suit so this presentation will be a preliminary statement of ongoing research. Voldtofte is the one place where settlement and monumental barrows with rich burials combine to illuminate a centre of wealth expressed through affluence and a network of external relations. Boeslunde is characterized by an unparalleled amassment of gold vessels and rings, while Seddin stands out because of the famous mound.. Gudme is unique because of the concentration of gold hoards and the lage cemetery at Møllegårdsmarken while the other centres like Tissø or Old Uppsala have other criteria, the latter more like Voldtofte in its combination of mounds and royal settlement. Even if monumental mounds are known elsewhere in Europe, the combination of the richness indicators in Scandinavia seems unique. Hopefully inspiration may be found in the cases presented here.