Riksantikvarieämbetet

The article aims to summarise, synthesize and compare various aspects of two prehistoric territories: Fyrislund and Gamla Uppsala near Uppsala in eastern central Sweden. The article’s timeframe is based on the approximate phase division– from the Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Early Vendel period – that was established by the excavations of farms and settlements in and around Gamla Uppsala. These phases have also been applied to Fyrislund and the settlements surrounding Gamla Uppsala, albeit with minor modifications. The primary source material comprises the farmsteads and their main features: the buildings. The study’s principal analytical tool is the number and sizes of farms and their buildings, as well as the distances between the farms themselves. Taken as a whole, the material provides an opportunity to compare the territories of Fyrislund and Gamla Uppsala over time. The subjects touched upon include similarities and differences in farm development, various stages and strategies of village formation, signs of hierarchisation in each territory, and aspects of territorial expansion.