Vendel Period

During the period, Swedish expeditions began to explore the waterways of territories which later became Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. The Elder Futhark writing system was abandoned in favor of the Younger Futhark, virtually simultaneously over the whole of Scandinavia. Some runestones survive, most notably those at Rök and Sparlösa, both from c. 800. Other written sources are few and hard to interpret: a few Icelandic sagas, the tale of Beowulf, and accounts from some southern European writers. Earlier Swedish historians tried to make use of these to create a coherent history, but this effort has largely been abandoned, and the period is now mostly studied by archaeologists.

Other names for the corresponding period in the Balto-Scandinavian area includes:

Generic names for the period also includes the "Late Migration Period" or "Latter Migration Period" broadly.

Background

The Germanic Iron Age is divided into the Early Germanic Iron Age (EGIA) and the Late Germanic Iron Age (LGIA). It is particularly for Sweden that the late Germanic iron age spanning between 550 and 800 is called the Vendel era. In Norway it is more common to refer to the period as the Merovingian Age, while the Danish refer to it as the Younger Germanic Iron Age.

The late Germanic Iron Age begins with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Gothic kingdoms in Europe, later replaced by the Franks, the Lombards and the Avar Khaganate. After the Western Roman Empire fell, gold became scarce and Scandinavians began to make objects of gilded bronze, with decorative figures of interlacing animals. During the early Germanic Iron Age, decorations tended to be representational; the animal figures were drawn in more basic forms. In the later Germanic Iron Age, artistic styles became more abstract, symbolic, and intricate, including figures with interlaced shapes and limbs.

The upheaval in Europe appears to have lessened somewhat due to the gradual cessation of the Gothic Wars. Emperor Justinian's Eternal Peace (532) with the Shahanshah Khosrau I of Iran as well as the Byzantine reconquest of the Italian peninsula with the capitulation of the Goths south of the Po river (555), the completion of the Byzantine reconquest (562) may be seen in context of what has been described as the Vendel period. The Merovingians have united the Gaulish Romans and the Belgae. The Franks establishing the Merovingan dynasty as "Kings of the Franks" (since 509).

In Uppland, in what today is the east-central part of Sweden, Old Uppsala was probably the centre of religious and political life. It had both a well-known sacred grove and great Royal Mounds.