Talk:Tønsberg Fortress

No Tunsberg in 871!
The claim that Tunsberg existed as a town in 871, is a romantic myth, debunked by modern historians and archeologists. The mentioning of Tunsberg in the saga of Harald the Fairhaired is by all probability a misunderstanding. The sagas were written several hundred years later, at a time when Tunsberg was a major town. At the time of the battle of Hafrsfjord — which was most probably a couple of decades later than the traditional dating at 872 — there was an important market place — known as Skiringssalr or Kaupangr (the latter word meaning "market place") — in Vestfold, south of the modern town Larvik. It's mentioned in contemporary sources, and recent archeological excavations has confirmed its importance. Tunsberg is mentioned for the first time in 1130, and no archeological material indicates a Viking Age town. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 178.74.11.88 (talk) 12:46, 9 March 2014 (UTC)