{"id":37840,"date":"2025-11-20T19:12:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/?p=37840"},"modified":"2025-11-20T19:33:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T17:33:49","slug":"rahu-burial-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/rahu-burial-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Rahu burial site"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Rahu burial site.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The stone burial site\u00a0<\/span>located<\/span>\u00a0in Rahu village near\u00a0<\/span>Valjala<\/span>, also known as\u00a0<\/span>Kalmum\u00e4gi<\/span>, was discovered in the late 19th century during gravel extraction.\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>ystematic archaeological excavations were carried out later, in 1959\u2013<\/span>1963<\/span>, and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>was\u00a0<\/span>continued\u00a0<\/span>on<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>smaller<\/span>\u00a0scale in<\/span>\u00a01980<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>Altogether, around 3000 artefacts have been collected from the site, making it one of the richest and most remarkable stone graves\u00a0<\/span>i<\/span>n Saaremaa.<\/span>\u00a0Based on the bones and artefacts, it has been dated to<\/span>\u00a0the Late Iron Age.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Structure of the burial site and burial customs <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Rahu burial site features cremation burials\u00a0which\u00a0were\u00a0common on Saaremaa until the 13th century.\u00a0Unlike\u00a0some other burial sites\u00a0on Saaremaa, there were no regular stone circles\u00a0atop of\u00a0the burials.\u00a0This sets Rahu apart from, for example, Randvere and Viltina, although the burial customs show many similarities\u00a0as well.\u00a0Instead,\u00a0the\u00a0burial site\u00a0was\u00a0partly\u00a0covered by a thin and uneven layer of stones. Individual burial spots were identified by dark, charcoal-rich patches with burnt bones, ash, and grave goods.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The Kalmum\u00e4gi of Rahu village. Author: Enno V\u00e4ljal. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

There are no traces of funeral pyres\u00a0<\/span>and<\/span>\u00a0the deceased were probably cremated elsewhere<\/span>\u00a0and t<\/span>heir remains<\/span>\u00a0were<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>afterwards\u00a0<\/span>brought to the burial site. Some dark patches without finds may represent places where ritual fires were made.\u00a0<\/span>S<\/span>hards of pottery and animal bones suggest that the site continued to be used for funeral feasts and memorial rituals<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Use of the site and social background <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Based on artefacts and excavation data, the\u00a0<\/span>site was mainly\u00a0<\/span>in\u00a0<\/span>use<\/span>\u00a0during the 11th\u201312th centuries, and partly also in the 13th century. Archaeologists have concluded that Rahu was not the burial place\u00a0<\/span>for the whole\u00a0<\/span>village community but belonged to an influential noble family<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>The site lies\u00a0<\/span>less than<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>3 km from the ancient Valjala\u00a0<\/span>hill fort<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>2 km from\u00a0<\/span>Valjala church\u00a0<\/span>which\u00a0<\/span>became the most important political hub of Saaremaa in the 12<\/span>-13<\/span>th century.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The rich assemblage of weapons, silver, and bronze objects indicates that those buried\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>here belonged to the higher social strata<\/span>\u00a0of society<\/span>\u00a0and<\/span>\u00a0they<\/span>\u00a0maintained extensive contacts with Scandinavia and the Baltic region.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>A<\/span>n extraordinary\u00a0<\/span>number of weapons or weapon parts have\u00a0<\/span>been found, some of them decorated with silver. There are also many items related to horses and horse riding. However, jewelry is the most\u00a0<\/span>common type of artefact t<\/span>hat has been<\/span>\u00a0f<\/span>ou<\/span>nd<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
11th century azure mesh bronze brooch in the late Borre style, with elements of the Jelling style. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A very special find is a 6 cm long azure mesh bronze brooch in the late Borre style, with elements of the Jelling style, which has exact parallels in Ojamaa. This points to international contacts and Scandinavian artistic influences in the second half of the 11th century.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The\u00a0<\/span>Rahu burial site\u00a0<\/span>also contains 13th-century art<\/span>e<\/span>facts similar to those found in Christian burials around Valjala Church and in Valjala Manor. Therefore, it can be assumed that some people were buried in the pagan manner, i.e., cremated and placed in the old stone\u00a0<\/span>burial site<\/span>, even at a time when Saaremaa was officially Christian.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rahu burial site. The stone burial site\u00a0located\u00a0in Rahu village near\u00a0Valjala, also known as\u00a0Kalmum\u00e4gi, was discovered in the late 19th century during gravel extraction.\u00a0Systematic archaeological excavations were carried out later, in 1959\u20131963, and\u00a0was\u00a0continued\u00a0on\u00a0smaller\u00a0scale in\u00a01980.\u00a0Altogether, around 3000 artefacts have been collected from the site, making it one of the richest and most remarkable stone graves\u00a0in Saaremaa.\u00a0Based on …<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[267,1564],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-https-osiliana-com-en-page_id8881previewtrue","category-rahu-burial-site"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37840"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37840\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37881,"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37840\/revisions\/37881"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/osiliana.eu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}