The Gerum Cloak

A cloak from pre-roman Iron age was found by four workers in the 1920’s while digging for peat on the top of Gerum [’jƐ:,rum] mountain in the county of Västergötland, Sweden. Closer examination showed that the holes in the cloak indicated that at least five stabs with a dagger or a knife were aimed at neck, chest, stomach and back. It is not unusual to find items that have been sacrificed in bogs and swamps from and around pre-roman Iron age, albeit it is unusual to find it on top of a mountain. The Gerum mountain is a plateau mountain with steep sides and wide, flat top. The cloak was found at the edge of the bog. The cloak was made of pure sheep’s wool of two kinds: white fine grade and brown coarser grade wool. It is oval with cut edges secured with double whipping stitch.