Old Uppsala was the political and religious center of the ancient kingdom of the Svear. The area contained a well-developed and prosperous society during the Iron Age with many skilled craftsmen, a booming trade and manufacturing economy, as well as a rich agriculture and an estate for the Svear Kings. As the seat of power, the allthing(general assembly)or "Thing of all Svear" was held here from pre-historic times to the Middle Ages.

Old Uppsala is an area surrounded in the ancient myths and legends of the powerful Svea kings, such as the Yngling dynasty who claimed their descent from the god Frey. It is also the site of the Scandinavian world's most unusual ancient monuments, Gamla Uppsala. Gamla Uppsala contains three mounds that date from the 6th century AD and one of the largest ancient burial places in Scandinavia.



Among the most important finds in the Eastern mound were many fragments of decorated bronze panels with a dancing warrior carrying a spear. These panels probably adorned a helmet of the Vendel Age. There were also finds of gold which probably had adorned either a scramasax, or a belt, several glass beakers, a tafl game, a comb and a hone. In the western mound were found the remains of a man.

The weapons and other objects found, show that the buried man was very powerful. The finds include a Frankish sword adorned with gold and garnets and a board game with Roman pawns of ivory. He was dressed in a costly suit made of Frankish cloth with golden threads, and he wore a belt with a sumptuous buckle. There were four cameos from the Middle East which were probably part of a casket.



Gamla Uppsala is also believed to be the site of "Ubsola" an ancient pre-Christian temple. So far no archaeological remains support the existence of such a temple, however, it is described by Adam of Bremen in his "Ecclesiastical History of the Bishopric of Hamburg":

"The Svear have a well known temple at Uppsala, not far from Sigtuna and Björkö. It is situated on level ground, surrounded by mountains. A large tree with spreading branches stands near the temple. A golden chain completely surrounds the temple, and its roof, too, is covered with gold. The temple houses the statues of three gods. Thor takes the central position, with Odin and Frey on either side. The Svear also worship their heroes from the past, whom they have endowed with immortality because of their great deeds."

Located about three kilometres (1.86 mi.) north of Gamla Uppsala is the burial field at Valsgärde which is situated on a hill by the Fyrisån River. The hill is divided by a lengthwise hollow containing traces of an ancient road.

In the graves, which are dated from the Vendel and Viking periods (550-1050 AD), men of importance have been buried in boats, along with magnificent grave goods, such as weapons, horse tack, glass goblets, household goods and the bones of sacrificial animals. The graves which were discovered and excavated in the 1920's are almost identical to the ones found at Sutton Hoo in East Anglia.

A Christian cathedral was constructed in the year 1164 near the Kings' estate and served as the area's archbishopric. Today a church that stands there is only half the size of the cathedral, but traces of the cathedral can be found within the church walls. In 1270 the archbishopric was moved to the village Östra Aros, which would become the present day town of Uppsala.