Locus Celebris - Dalby church, convent and manor

Dalby was a royal manor, an episcopal seat and monastery in the Middle Ages. The standing church is the oldest in Scandinavia. It has an unique vestibule and a royal tomb. West of the church, foundations of the manor were excavated in the 1960s. As on the Continent, the royal manor was connected to the church. An international conference and this project critically study this established view.

Dalby was a royal manor, an episcopal seat and monastery in the Middle Ages. The standing church is the oldest in Scandinavia. It has a unique two-storied vestibule and king Harald Hein is buried in the church. West of the church, foundations of the manor were excavated in the 1960s. As on the Continent, the royal manor was connected to the church. One of the aims of this project is to critically review this established view of Dalby.

In April 2010 a conference was held on Dalby. The conference is meant as a first step to a larger project on Dalby, in which new excavations might play an important part.

The conference included some 30 lectures by archaeologists, theologians, historians and art historians and others from Scandinavia, the British Isles and the Continent. It was arranged in cooperation with the Centre for Danish Studies at Lund University. The lectures have been published in the book Locus Celebris - the church, monastery and manor (2012).

At present, the results from an investigation in 2012 of the masonry of Dalby Church are being assembled, including C14 dating of wood and mortar. A 3D model of the church will be created in 2013 in collaboration with the parish and the Lund University Humanities Lab. Applications for funding of new investigations have been handed in.

A digital analysis of the crypt have been conducted by Ing-Marie Nilsson, Nicolo Dell'Unto and Jes Wienberg and will be published in the periodical Ale 2013: 4 and in BAR-series.