Kaupang

Kaupang is an archaeological site on the coast of Vestfold in southeastern Norway that represents an early Viking Age trading centre founded around the 8th to 10th centuries. It is one of Norway’s key early urban sites and is identified with historic trading activity on the Oslofjord.

Archaeological work has exposed timber building foundations, workshop areas and burial remains along with imported goods and metalwork that illustrate long-distance trade and craft production. The visible site is largely an open excavation area with marked features and panels; many finds from Kaupang are held in regional museums.

Excavations began in the 19th century and continued with more systematic archaeological campaigns in the 20th century, revealing the settlement’s street layout, craft zones and harbour-related activity. The site was gradually abandoned toward the end of the Viking Age, as other urban centres developed.

The site sits on the shores of the Oslofjord in Vestfold, near the modern Tjølling/Larvik area of southern Norway and within driving distance of the larger towns of Vestfold county.

• Period: Occupied in the Viking Age - material evidence dates the settlement to roughly the 8th to 10th centuries.
• Visiting tip: Best visited in summer when on-site interpretation is open and conditions for walking the field are easiest.

What to See #

• Excavation area: Open archaeological area where trench outlines, post-holes and foundation remains mark the layout of the trading settlement; interpretive panels describe finds and excavation history.