...The Iron Age Farm...

The Stavanger area has a very impressive history. The first proof of man in Rogaland is from around 7000 - 8000 BC. Near Stavanger, the "Vistehola", stone age cave can be found. It is 8-9 meters deep and the opening is 5,5 meters wide. It was first used by man around 6000 BC. People lived here until the Iron Age up to the year 500 AD. 
Read more about Stavangers Stoneage history.

The Iron Age Farm. Copyright: Stavanger-Web

The reconstructed Iron Age Farm at Ullandhaug consists of three wooden buildings with roofs made of peat and bark. The exterior walls were covered with stones to keep out the cold. The buildings burned down around 500 AD for some unknown reason - possibly due to a war. 

View from the Iron Age Farm overlooking Hafrsfjord. Copyright: Stavanger-Web

Iron Age people at Jæren on the southern coast, utilizing the  rounded rocks strewn throughout the area along with sparsely available logs and sod, built longhouses with room for animals on the one end and their owners on the other. With the milder climate of the period, they had a livable shelter.
The reconstructed buildings have been erected on their original site. The hearths are the original ones and are still in use. This contributes to great authenticity and provides a valuable experience of the past.
The excavation of the farmstead at Ullandhaug took place in 1967 and 1968, and provided new knowledge about prehistoric house constructions. The  buildings were reconstructed in 1972 and 1973. The picture below was taken in April 2000. Here you can see how well the three farm buildings are nested into the landscape. The fjord in the background is Hafrsfjord, where the monument "swords_in_rock" can be found.