Along the edge of the river plain by Dalsfjorden lie the earliest traces of human settlement. Around the year 400 a longhouse stood here, built with wall trenches and posts, partly sunk into the ground.

The house was not large, but solid enough to withstand the winds from the fjord. Inside the house lived a family who depended on farming and keeping animals. Cows and sheep were kept at one end, while people slept and worked at the other.

The fire burned low in the centre and provided warmth and light. Around the house were small fields on the driest parts of the terrace, while the meadows down towards the fjord provided grazing. This was a time of social change.

Contact with regions further south in Europe brought new goods and ideas. Even in a place like Osen these changes could be noticed, perhaps through rare objects or new ways of organising the farm. Yet life remained local, closely tied to the land and nature.

By now a large longhouse rose on the terrace at Osen. It measured over 40 metres — an impressive building that testified to power and wealth. The posts stood in straight rows and supported the roof over a three-aisled hall where both people and animals lived.

This was no longer just an ordinary farm. A powerful family lived here, perhaps a local chieftain. From the house one could look out over the fjord, where boats came and went. Osen functioned as a hub between land and sea routes, and the farm profited from trade and contacts with other areas.

Inside the longhouse much took place: feasts were held, agreements were made and resources were managed. The hearth lit the room where people gathered, and along the walls were benches and workspaces.

Around the house lay several smaller buildings — workshops and storehouses. The farm had become a centre in the landscape, both economically and socially. This reflected larger societal changes, where power and wealth concentrated in fewer hands.

The longhouse still persisted as a building tradition, but it was now smaller — about 20–25 metres long. The farm remained important, but its organisation had changed.

There could be several buildings on the yard, each with its own function.

Inside the house a central fire burned. Around it people worked with crafts — spinning, weaving and repairing tools. Finds of spindles and loom weights indicate textile production. Everyday life was busy and varied.

Out on the fjord boats sailed with their sails. Trade along the North Sea brought new opportunities, and Osen remained a good place to load and unload goods. The farm was part of a larger network, where political alliances and trade played an important role.

Even though society was more complex, many old traditions continued. The longhouse remained the core of life, and agriculture was the foundation of everything.

By this time the farm had changed character. The longhouse had disappeared, and in its place were several smaller buildings with more specialised functions.

A pit-house lay partly buried in the ground — used for crafts, perhaps weaving.

Another house had a stone-laid floor, indicating a more permanent building practice. Here there may have been a hearth-house or a brewing room, where food and drink were prepared. Concentrations of boiling stones show intensive use of heat and cooking.

The farm was now organised more like a courtyard with several buildings, not one large house. This reflected a broader societal change where functions were separated — dwelling, work and storage gained their own spaces.

Christianity had also taken hold, and society was connected to new power structures. Yet the farm still lay in the same place as before. The continuity is clear: over the centuries people have lived, worked and shaped the landscape here at Osen.

Today none of the oldest farm buildings remain at Osen. Knowledge of them comes from archaeological excavations.

These excavations have uncovered traces of earlier settlement and provided insight into how the farm once looked and functioned.



Although the original buildings are gone, the farm is still one of the most important historic farmsteads in the area. The site today consists of newer buildings, but many of these are also of considerable age and architectural value, helping to convey the history of the place.

The farm and its buildings have been well preserved and present a coherent farmstead of high cultural and historical value. There are many interesting traces and qualities here — both visible in the built environment and hidden beneath the ground — which together make Osen a place where history is still clearly present.