Viklem’s Guild Hall
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A wealth of longhouses have been found across the whole of Nordic Norway including in Viklem. These are all divided into rooms with specific features, such as a barn, sleeping area, kitchen and a Guildhall. The special thing about the two halls that were found here at Viklem in 2014 was that both were free standing buildings with only one large room for official purposes. The first was erected at the end of the 9th century and stood here until around 1020 when it burnt down, and a new and larger hall was built. This was maintained on site until the 15th century. Post holes clearly show that there was a very tall building here because the foundations were far deeper than those commonly built to withstand considerable weight. The stone church, burial mound and the hall must have all been visible together for over 300 years. Could Viklem have been the seat of government for Fosen as well as the central seat of the church until the 15th century? Is this what the names ‘Tinghaugen’ , ‘Tingvollen’ and the remains of the hall tell us? Future investigations may give us the answer.