A mysterious hill in Western Norway have been proved by Archeologists using ground-penetrating radar to be an Ancient Burial Mound from the Iron Age. What it contains remains a mystery.
In the tranquil seaside town of Gloppen, with sweeping views of the fjords, archaeologists now announce that the largest man-made burial mound in Western Norway, and one of the largest in the Nordic countries, has been turned from theory to fact. The announcement sheds new light on the region’s ancient history and cultural significance.
The area’s geography is defined by two fjords branching off the main waterway: Hyefjorden and Gloppefjorden. The latter lends its name to the municipality, with “Gloppi” likely deriving from an Old Norse word meaning “narrow opening” or “mountain gorge.”

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Something about the hill caught the attention of archaeologists, prompting a theory that it was actually an ancient structure. But no one knew for sure — until now. Actually, the large mound, called Karnilshaugen, is a man-made burial mound from the period before the Viking Age, according to a press release from the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage on December 20, 2024.
Looking at the scans, researchers saw clear traces of man-made layers, not natural soil deposits. officials said. The mound measures about 23 feet tall by 160 feet wide but was probably much larger centuries ago. Christian Løchsen Rødsrud, an archaeologist with the agency, described Karnilshaugen as deeply fascinating and the only ancient burial mound linked to a solar phenomenon.
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“This is the largest man-made burial mound in Western Norway and among the largest in the Nordic countries,” he says. “At the winter and summer solstices, the sun shines on the mound through a crevice in the mountain at a specific time. There is a lot of mystery and superstition drawn into the landscape there, and the placement of the monument is deliberate,” Rødsrud elaborates.
According to Rødsrud, the mound has never been excavated, and there are no plans to do so now. “The prevailing practice in archaeology is to leave it undisturbed. The mound is well-preserved in the soil. But of course, we can learn more about the contents of the mound with more modern ground-penetrating radar technology in the future,” he says.
Mysterious Hill in Western Norway Proved to be an Ancient Burial Mound, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Feature image (on top): Wikipedia