THROUGH THOUSANDS OF YEARS

Experience traces from the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Subsequently, travel forward in time and catch a glimpse of the Viking Age, with the battle of Hafrsfjord as a dramatic highlight. Also, be fascinated by the development of the last couple of hundred years, from fishing and seafaring to oil and energy. Hear the whispers of history!

Stone Age

10,000–1700 BC

The first people came to Norway around 10,000 BC, and they were hunters and gatherers. Agriculture first became prominent in South Norway around 2400 BC.

Vistehola is one of Norway’s oldest Stone Age settlements. The first humans settled here around 6,000 BC. The cave is today located a distance from the sea, 16 meters above sea level, but during the Stone Age, the sea would have begun at the cave’s entrance. Among bones, horns, and flint tools, a skeleton of a 15-year-old person was also found, known as the Viste boy. It is one of the oldest discoveries of human remains in Norway.

Bronze Age

1700–500 BC

Society became more organised and layered. The richest chieftains went on trade or war expeditions down to southern Europe, where they exchanged for bronze. There are countless burial mounds from the Bronze Age in our region, where rich findings have been made. Instead of writing, people carved images and symbols into rock faces, called petroglyphs. For example, you can find petroglyphs on islands Austre Åmøy and Løland (Ombo), with clear symbols of ships, rings, and foot soles.

Late Iron Age And Migration Period

500 BC–570 AD

Iron was first imported and later extracted in Norway. The refinement of iron into weapons, tools, jewellery, etc. became of great importance, and it became possible to build large, seafaring ships, a prerequisite for the Viking expeditions. Throughout the region, there are traces of this era: remains of farmsteads, castles, burial mounds, and assembly places. A good example of this is the Tinghaug area in Klepp.

Domsteinene på Sola is a reconstructed stone circle near Stavanger Airport. The monument may have been a court, assembly place, sacrificial site, or a sun and seasonal symbol. Also, at the top of Skårabrekkå in Egersund, you will find a stone circle, Stoplesteinan, which may have been a burial ground.

Rosslandsguden (God of Rossland) is a 61 cm high stone head found at Rossland in Sokndal municipality, together with a stone altar and sacrifice vessels. Rossland is a rich cultural heritage area believed to have been a place of worship in the early Iron Age, in connection with the pre­Christian sacrifice and fertility cults. The legend tells that the altar was used for horse sacrifices to the god Frey. The unique stone head is now on display at the Jøssingfjord Science Museum, and a copy of Rosslandsguden is placed at Rossland where the original was found.

Late Iron Age and Migration Period

570 AD

750 AD

Learn more about the Iron Age. Visit the Iron Age Farm, a reconstructed farmstead that operates as a living open­air museum. Here, the fire burns on the hearth, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to taste freshly baked griddle cakes.

The Viking Age

ca. 750–1100 AD

According to the sagas, it was Harald Fairhair who united Norway into one kingdom in the Battle of Hafrsfjord in 872, where you can find the monument “Swords in Rock” by Fritz Røed. At the Viking House in Stavanger, you can sail in a virtual Viking ship and experience the battle of Hafrsfjord up close.

Did you know that the largest Norwegian coin treasure from the Viking Age was found in Egersund? The so-called Årstad treasure consists of more than 1,300 coins and other silver objects, and the youngest coin in the find indicates that the treasure was buried around 1030.

The Vikings are often seen as brutal, violent warriors who took whatever they wanted. Perhaps equally fascinating is their early knowledge of democracy through their Thing system, and their close contact with nature and natural forces. Not to mention the strong position of Viking women in their time, as well as the Norse literary heritage they left behind. The story of the Viking kings and the life they led is based on stories from the sagas and traces in nature.

On August 25, 2024, our beloved cathedral will finally reopen: Stavanger Cathedral has been under restoration for five years, and now the doors are finally reopening.

The Middle Ages

THE MIDDLE AGES (1050–1537)

In the Middle Ages, the Stavanger region became an important religious hub in Norway. This is reflected in the stone crosses and churches that emerged during this period. Utstein Monastery is Norway’s only preserved medieval monastery, probably built in the 1260s. The monastery is nowadays a museum and event venue. Stavanger Cathedral, 1125, in Anglo-Norman style, is the only Norwegian medieval cathedral that has retained its original appearance and been in continuous use. The Sola ruin church is built on the remains of a Romanesque stone church from 1100.

FROM NATURAL HOUSEHOLDS TO A CASH-BASED ECONOMY (1600–1900)

The period from 1600-1800 was a time when the rural society in the Stavanger region flourished. The economy was characterised by fishing, agriculture, and trade. The Stavanger region is a coastal area and has always had rich access to fish and seafood. The coast was an important livelihood for many people. At the same time,

From natural households to a cash-based economy

agriculture was also important, and it was common for each household to cultivate crops such as wheat, potatoes, and vegetables on the fertile land in the area. Especially Jæren was excellent for agriculture, with its large, fertile, flat areas.

Most people produced what they needed on the farm, and those who did not own a farm often lived on smaller crofts. The architecture in the region varied greatly and was often adapted to local conditions. From houses built under rock ledges sheltered from rain, like Helleren in Jøssingfjorden, to traditional houses from Jæren (Jærhus) like Garborgheimen, which was designed to withstand the tough weather on the vast Jæren plains.

In the 1800s, the industrial revolution began to gain momentum in the region, leading to significant economic changes. There was a greater focus on the mass production of goods, leading to a shift from a natural to a cash-based economy. People could now buy the goods they needed instead of producing everything themselves. It was during this time that the industry flourished in the region, from the Blåfjell mines that produced titanium-rich iron ore, to the huge, canned food industry in Stavanger.

WORLD WAR II (1940–1945)

During World War II, the Stavanger region was an important strategic position for the German occupation forces. Germans occupied the area in April 1940, starting with an attack on Stavanger Airport, and over the next few years, the occupation continued, followed by significant changes.

The traces of Germany’s invasion are still present on a large scale. From fortresses, weapon positions, and defence works along the coast such as Fjøløy fort on Mosterøy island, Vedafjell in Sirevåg, or Hitlertennene at Brusand, to infrastructure like the heavily expanded Stavanger Airport and Grinda waterworks that supplied water to Sandnes, Sola, and Forus. You can also see the traces of local resistance such as the hiding place Mysinghålå outside Egersund, where resistance fighters had their base, or Uburhelleren in Oltedal, a hiding place for the local population.