A Central Scandinavian hall at a magnate farm near Uppåkra

The purpose of this paper is to discuss a hall building of Central Scandinavian type at a magnate farm at Hjärup, close to the central place of Uppåkra. The few other buildings of this type in Scania are presented as well. The background for the presence of these houses in Scania and the house at Hjärup in particular is discussed. It is suggested that the Central Scandinavian houses in Scania are too few to presume a major immigration of people from central Scandinavian areas. Instead, they indicate a small influx of individuals, friends and allies to the Uppåkra leaders and probably men from that area who had been members of the Uppåkra leaders’ retinue. This article indicates that houses, like other material cultural artefacts such as jewellery, can be used as signs of contacts between different areas