Bronsålderssundet
Bronze Age settlement area near Lilleby
The Bronze Age settlement area Bronsålderssundet is located near Lilleby in the district of Torslanda on the coast of the large island of Hisingen in the west of the municipality of Göteborg.
About 3,000 years ago, when the sea level on the Swedish coast was about ten metres higher than today, a strait (Sund) ran in a north-south direction through the western part of the island of Hisingen between the mouths of the rivers Nordre Älv and Göta Älv.
The landscape of this part of the island, characterized by rocky hills, was already inhabited in the Stone Age. It offered good protection against strong winds and at the same time good fishing grounds in the archipelago, the sound and both estuaries were practically on the doorstep. At the same time the two rivers offered the possibility to reach the inland forest areas with good hunting grounds in a short time.
Large parts of the ancient settlement area are now built upon, but in the area known as Bronsålderssundet a small part of the old landscape has been preserved. In the valleys and on the mountains there are about 60 different remains of human settlements from the Bronze Age, mainly settlement sites, stone settlements and burial mounds.
Between the mountains, the remains of seven different settlements have been found near the former banks. In an exposed position on the mountain tops there are a total of 35 burial mounds, the largest of which have a diameter of ten to sixteen metres. Archaeological excavations have also revealed the remains of two dugout canoes and a Bronze Age longhouse measuring around 30x10 metres with walls of around three metres in thickness made of layered peat.
A marked trail runs through Bronsålderssundet, with signs at numerous spots explaining the historical and cultural heritage of the area. At the same time, the trail passes through two nature areas with a particularly rich flora, which is kept alive by the cultivation of hay meadows.
