The viking burial ground at Rise

The burial ground at Rise is located in Kalvtrøa on Trenga, just south of Risjære. The discoveries that has been made here date from approx. year 300 to year 1000. The burial ground originally consisted of several hundred burial mounds and was a common burial ground for the farms in Drivdalen.

The discoveries made at the burial ground at Rise give us good knowledge of the Iron Age society in the village. There are many finds that originate from the British Isles and Ireland. This is probably plunder from Viking expeditions and has come to Oppdal either through trade or because the inhabitants of Oppdal have themselves been out traveling. The burial field at Rise was probably 2-300 burial mounds. New cultivation in the 19th century destroyed large parts of the field. Today there are 20-30 mounds that are visible. Many grave discoveries were made in the 19th century in connection with cultivation.

Archaeologist Oddmund Forbregd carried out archaeological excavations here in 1966-67. In total, close to 300 finds are known from the burial ground: approx. 40 knife blades, approx. 6 hammers, approx. 15 sickles, 10 hook keys, 10 spinning wheels, 20 bissel mouthpieces, 20 breastplates, approx. 15 jewelery clasps, 40 glass beads, 8 needles, almost 20 fire-making tools, 12 axes, 4 swords, at least 15 spearheads and nearly 50 arrowheads (Note by Oddmund Forbregd). The most famous find is the "Rise-angel". The figure is an internationally known ancient find, approx. 6.5 cm long, made of bronze with gilding. It probably represents one of the archangels, and was probably an ornamental fitting on a reliquary. It was made in the 7th-8th centuries in Ireland, and has come to Norway as a result of Viking voyages.

The burial ground at Rise is one of 3 known burial grounds in Oppdal municipality.