Selje vicarage takes on new significance as 4,000-year-old graves are uncovered at Seljesanden
Archaeologists have been excavating the long sandy beach belonging to the vicarage for several years. Many graves have been dated to pre-Christian times. It is then tempting to think that the large and important vicarage nearby, called Hove, was inhabited as early as pagan times, and not only in our own time.
Published 12.10.2023
After crossing Stadlandet, Seljesanden must have been regarded as a safe harbor where boats could be pulled ashore. In connection with burials and ceremonies, Seljesanden may have been practical and ideal for the purpose.
In the old days, the vicarage at Selje was a property of considerable size, with many leasehold plots. OVF was the owner, and the entire development of Selje as a population center is due to leasehold plots being sold for public and private purposes.
In our own time, there have always been strong ties between the vicarage and the church, but now it may turn out that these ties can perhaps be traced quite far back, to the original Hov(e).
Watch the excavation video from the University Museum in Bergen