Construction of a new section of road 940 on the Onsala Peninsula in Sweden is giving archaeologists a rare chance to look deep into the area’s past — all the way back to the first people who settled there after the Ice Age.
Before work begins on the Rösan–Forsbäck stretch, researchers will investigate 15 known archaeological sites along the route. The remains span thousands of years, from early Stone Age camps to farms that were still in use into the 1800s.
The work, commissioned by the County Administrative Board of Halland, is expected to build a clearer picture of how people lived on the peninsula and how the landscape changed over time.
One of the most intriguing sites dates back around 10,000 years. Back then, the area looked very different. The shoreline sat much higher, and what is now inland was once a coastal strip where small groups of hunter-gatherers fished, hunted and gathered food. These camps were likely used seasonally, especially during the summer.
Evidence from this period has survived in unusual ways. Flint tools have been found buried nearly two metres below the surface, preserved under layers of sand and gravel. These deposits formed when rising sea levels, caused by melting ice sheets, temporarily flooded the area thousands of years ago. As the sea later retreated, the land re-emerged, leaving the remains sealed beneath sediment.
Later finds show that people returned to the same locations thousands of years later. By around 4000 BC, the climate had become milder, forests had spread, and early forms of farming were beginning to take hold.
The story becomes clearer in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Settlements grew more permanent, with longhouses and farmsteads appearing across the landscape. People relied increasingly on agriculture and livestock, and over time, small communities began to form around arable land.
Archaeologists expect to find not just homes, but also places used for seasonal work and gatherings — including cooking sites and areas that may have had ritual importance.
Graves from these periods are also scattered across Onsala, often placed in prominent locations. They offer clues about beliefs, social structures and how communities marked their presence in the landscape.
Another key site is Staragården, a farm with roots in the late Middle Ages. While the buildings are long gone, traces beneath the ground may reveal how generations lived and worked there, combining farming with crafts and seafaring.
As the excavations get underway, the team hopes to piece together a continuous story of life on Onsala — from its earliest settlers to more recent rural communities. Public tours are planned, giving visitors a chance to see the work up close as history is uncovered step by step.
Sources : Arkeologerna