Birka was the Viking-age trading center on Sweden’s island of Björkö.
Founded in the eighth century, Birka became one of the most important commercial settlements in Scandinavia. Its position on Lake Mälaren gave traders access to the Baltic Sea and to routes leading toward eastern Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Islamic world.
Archaeologists have found imported textiles, beads, weapons, scales, weights, and thousands of coins at the site. These discoveries show that Birka was connected to a broad trading system rather than being an isolated Scandinavian village. The settlement also contained a large cemetery with many burial mounds.
The missionary Ansgar visited Birka in 829 and later returned, making the town an important setting in accounts of early Christian missions to Sweden. Birka eventually declined, while nearby Sigtuna grew in importance. Birka is often confused with Hedeby, another major Viking trading center located in present-day northern Germany.