What is Rehaugane at Bø?
Rehaugane at Bø is a collection of ancient burial mounds dating back to the Bronze Age. Burial mounds are large earth and stone formations erected to cover and mark burial sites. These mounds were large, up to 7.5 metres high and 30 metres in diameter, and were surrounded by smaller mounds and stone settings. The burial mounds here are earth-covered, which means that they are built with a core of stone covered by soil and peat. The construction of one such mound required many man-hours and considerable resources, which testifies to the importance of the burial mound.
There have been a total of 8 large burial mounds and at least 50 smaller ones at Reheia. Today, six of the original mounds can be seen in the terrain.
When are the Reheia mounds at Bø from?
The mounds at Bø are dated to the Early Bronze Age. Although they were originally erected during this period, later burials from the Iron Age have also been discovered.
The story behind the mounds at Bø
Reheia, also known as Blodheia after the battle between Håkon the Good and the sons of Eirik Blodøks in the mid 9th century. In the Bronze Age, impressive burial mounds were erected on this ridge at Avaldsnes, known for its strategic vantage point between the North Sea and Karmsundet.
