Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Gotska Sandön, meaning “The Gotlandic Sand Island,” is an uninhabited island located north of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. It has held the status of a national park since 1909.
The island’s landscape is primarily composed of sand, featuring extensive beaches and dunes, with pine forests being a dominant feature. While its higher fauna is limited, consisting mainly of grey seals and terrestrial or aerial mammals like mountain hares and bats, Gotska Sandön supports a diverse array of rare insects and plants. Notably, it hosts species such as the Kashubian vetch and various orchids.
Credit: Ingeborg van Leeuwen – CC BY 2.0, Willi-van-de-Winkel – Public Domain. Image compilation AncientPages.com
Recent archaeological studies have uncovered new insights into the island’s past. Led by Sabine Sten, Professor of Osteology at Uppsala University, alongside Professor Johan Rönnby from Södertörn University, the project commenced several years ago and has already yielded significant discoveries. Notably, at Säludden on the island, researchers have excavated a medieval burial site, shedding light on previously unknown aspects of life there.
“We dug up an individual with a missing skull. It turned out that in the early 20th century, geology students traveled to the island and collected skulls, among other things,” says Sten. “There is a skull that we know comes from Sandön at the Uppsala University Museum, Gustavianum, but it’s not possible to say whether it belongs to the individual we have dug up.”
Traces Of Dramatic Events
Archaeological investigations reveal that a significant event occurred at Säludden around the year 1400. This site may have served as a strategic location for controlling Gotland and the Baltic Sea during the Middle Ages.
Sabine Sten excavates Individual 1, who is missing a skull. Credit: Jon Lofthus
According to researchers, “Säludden was likely a mooring and meeting place, and at times, a crucial point for control—a site potentially pivotal in the medieval struggle for dominance over Gotland and the Baltic Sea.” Utilizing modern technology such as C14 dating, DNA analysis, and isotope analysis, researchers can determine the origins of individuals who lived there and gain insights into their lifestyles.
Prehistoric Activity
Researchers have made significant discoveries at Gårdsbanken above Varvsbukten, documenting hearths used from the Late Bronze Age to the Roman Iron Age. Among their findings are burnt seal bones, likely remnants of train oil rendering—a crucial trade commodity on Sandön. Train oil was produced by boiling seal blubber, a common practice in regions where seals were hunted. Additionally, pottery and Roman coins suggest extensive prehistoric activity on the island.
Gotska Sandön is located near the hazardous Salvo Reef, a site where numerous ships have run aground over time. This may account for many human remains found in the area. According to Sten, “People may have drowned and floated ashore from wrecks before being buried.”
While direct evidence of violence has not been uncovered yet, there are indications of a military presence on the island; previously discovered items include a steel gauntlet typically used by soldiers.
Archaeological finds from the Middle Ages and Bronze Age show that the lonely island was an important crossroads in the Baltic Sea. Credit: Jon Lofthus
Sten, who retired in May, plans to continue her research with Johan Rönnby in 2026 and 2027. Their focus will be on further excavations at the burial mound at Säludden to explore the identities of those who lived on or were shipwrecked near the island. The researchers are collaborating with Sahlgrenska University Hospital for dental analyses and Visby Hospital for bone density measurements of medieval skeletons.
See also: More Archaeology News
The discoveries from Gotska Sandön are reshaping our understanding of the island’s history. Previously seen as a remote location used mainly for seasonal hunting, evidence now suggests it played a significant role in Baltic trade.
According to their research report, Gotska Sandön likely served as both a link and a crossroad between cultural regions across the Baltic Sea over several millennia. The island served as a refuge and provisioning site, possibly facilitating trade and the exchange of goods. However, there is also strong evidence suggesting that its history includes piracy and plunder activities.
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
