| 1. |
- Ahlgren, Hans, 1984-
(författare)
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Prehistoric human impact on wild mammalian populations in Scandinavia
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis aims to study the interactions of pre-agricultural societies in Scandinavia with wild mammals, for example in terms of hunting and translocation. More specifically, the aim is to investigate the possibility of identifying examples of overexploitation, targeted hunting or translocation of wild mammals in prehistoric Scandinavia, and to discuss the implications this could have had for both the wild animals and the humans. The thesis also studies translocation to evaluate the feasibility of using it as a proxy for prehistoric human mobility, and to understand the motivation for this action. Although the focus is on the animals in this thesis, the ultimate purpose is to study humans and their interactions with animals in prehistory. The thesis applies genetic analyses to zooarchaeological material of various mammalian species from different Scandinavian sites, in order to study whether the genetic structures have changed in these species over time, and to assess whether these changes were induced by different human actions. The species studied in this thesis were selected on the basis of the importance they are considered to have had for prehistoric people.The dissertation comprises five studies. The first study investigates the occurrence of mountain hares on the island of Gotland, and discusses how they got there and where they came from. The second study explores the temporal genetic structure of the grey seal in the Baltic Sea, and discusses whether humans and/or climate were the drivers for the sudden disappearance of grey seals from the island of Stora Karlsö. The third study concerns a shift where moose apparently became less important as prey in northern Sweden at the end of the Neolithic period, and discusses whether humans targeted female moose in hunting. The fourth study analyses and discusses the history of the harp seal in the Baltic Sea. The fifth study is a methodological paper which involves identifying seals according to sex, using the dog genome.The overall result of the different case studies shows that there were major population fluctuations over time in all the species studied, and that in some cases, humans are likely to have contributed to this, e.g. through overhunting and translocation. The study also shows that the population fluctuations often occurred in connection with certain climatic events, though it was not possible to separate climatic effects from human impact in terms of the cause.
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| 2. |
- Bergström, Liselotte, 1974-
(författare)
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Gräddat : Brödkultur under järnåldern i östra Mälardalen
- 2007
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis examines the carbonised bread findings from sites and cremation graves dated to the first millennium AD occurring in the eastern Mälar Valley region. The finds have been analysed by various methods including cell-structure analysis, chemical analysis, experimental and reconstructive examination, 14C-dating and statistical comparison. An attempt is made to identify the different stages and actors in the bread-making process. The finds of different utensils and other equipment usually related to food preparation, bread-making and a vegetable diet are presented.Bread was introduced into central Sweden at the same time that a series of food-technical artefacts turn up in the north-Germanic cultural sphere. When bread first appears during the Late Roman Iron Age it most likely is as a sign of power applied to official occasions. The introduction of bread seems to be connected with the rotary quern which is strongly associated with defended settlements in Scandinavia where finds of utensils and activities indicate a specialization of food-production and related processes.Bread burial appears to have been reserved for specific individuals in society and this custom seems to have continued over several centuries in the same cemetery. Bread obviously served as a social marker in the burial ceremony, playing a role which was obvious to the participants but not meant to be visible to outsiders after the burial. This probably indicated a distinguishing quality of the deceased’s specific earthly status rather than a burial tradition of general use.
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| 3. |
- Eriksson, Gunilla, 1967-
(författare)
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Norm and difference : Stone Age dietary practice in the Baltic region
- 2003
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Stone Age research on Northern Europe frequently makes gross generalizations about the Mesolithic and Neolithic, although we still lack much basic knowledge on how the people lived. The transition from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic in Europe has been described as a radical shift from an economy dominated by marine resources to one solely dependent on farming. Both the occurrence and the geographical extent of such a drastic shift can be questioned, however. It is therefore important to start out at a more detailed level of evidence in order to present the overall picture, and to account for the variability even in such regional or chronological overviews. Fifteen Stone Age sites were included in this study, ranging chronologically from the Early Mesolithic to the Middle or Late Neolithic, c. 8300–2500 BC, and stretching geographically from the westernmost coast of Sweden to the easternmost part of Latvia within the confines of latitudes 55–59° N. The most prominent sites in terms of the number of human and faunal samples analysed are Zvejnieki, Västerbjers and Skateholm I–II. Human and faunal skeletal remains were subjected to stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis to study diet and ecology at the sites. Stable isotope analyses of human remains provide quantitative information on the relative importance of various food sources, an important addition to the qualitative data supplied by certain artefacts and structures or by faunal or botanical remains. A vast number of new radiocarbon dates were also obtained.In conclusion, a rich diversity in Stone Age dietary practice in the Baltic Region was demonstrated. Evidence ranging from the Early Mesolithic to the Late Neolithic show that neither chronology nor location alone can account for this variety, but that there are inevitably cultural factors as well. Food habits are culturally governed, and therefore we cannot automatically assume that people at similar sites will have the same diet.Stable isotope studies are very important here, since they tell us what people actually consumed, not only what was available, or what one single meal contained. We should not be deceived in inferring diet from ritually deposited remains, since things that were mentally important were not always important in daily life. Thus, although a ritual and symbolic norm may emphasize certain food categories, these may in fact contribute very little to the diet. By the progress of analysis of intra-individual variation, new data on life history changes have been produced, revealing mobility patterns, breastfeeding behaviour and certain dietary transitions. The inclusion of faunal data has proved invaluable for understanding the stable isotope ecology of a site, and thereby improve the precision of the interpretations of human stable isotope data. The special case of dogs, though, demonstrates that these animals are not useful for inferring human diet, since, due to the number of roles they possess in human society, dogs could deviate significantly from humans in their diet, and in several cases have been proved to do so.When evaluating radiocarbon data derived from human and animal remains from the Pitted-Ware site of Västerbjers on Gotland, the importance of establishing the stable isotope ecology of the site before making deductions on reservoir effects was further demonstrated.The main aim of this thesis has been to demonstrate the variation and diversity in human practices, challenging the view of a “monolithic” Stone Age. By looking at individuals and not only at populations, the whole range of human behaviour has been accounted for, also revealing discrepancies between norm and practice, which are frequently visible both in the archaeological record and in present-day human behaviour.
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| 4. |
- Fjellström, Markus, 1987-
(författare)
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Food Cultures in Sápmi : An interdisciplinary approach to the study of the heterogeneous cultural landscape of northern Fennoscandia AD 600–1900
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis is to highlight the heterogeneous cultural landscape in Sápmi through the study of food. By studying food and the choices of specific foodstuffs in Sápmi AD 600–1900, a greater understanding can be gained on the history of this area during the period. A number of well-known archaeological sites in Sápmi have been chosen as the focus, dating from the Late Iron Age in north-central Sweden to the late-19th century in northern Norway. By means of stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr) and elemental analysis on human and animal skeletal remains, the diversity in food culture has been studied. The chronological range in this thesis is rather broad but has been determined by the available archaeological skeletal material from the area. The overarching questions are how cultural diversity is reflected in different food practices, how individual life history and studies of mobility contribute to the understanding of life in Sápmi, what role the reindeer had in the diet in Sápmi during the period studied, and finally, what impact mining activities had on the local population in Sillbajåhkå/Silbojokk in terms of lead poisoning?Through the different case studies, it has been demonstrated that food consumption was by no means uniform and static during the period, and that the differences in food consumption reflect a multicultural landscape. Individuals buried in Vivallen had a diet based on terrestrial and freshwater resources, in contrast to individuals from Guollesuolu/Gullholmen and Kirkegårdsøya, who had diets based predominantly on marine protein. However, the diet of individuals buried at Gullholmen was much more varied than at Kirkegårdsøya, indicating a multi-ethnic presence. The intra-individual analysis of diet and mobility provided information on a more complex society. Whether they were Sámi or non-Sámi is difficult to assess, but they were clearly a culturally heterogeneous group of people. The individuals that were buried in Rounala and Sillbajåhkå/Silbojokk in northern Sweden had a mixed diet, including foodstuffs from terrestrial, freshwater and/or marine environments. The sites overlap chronologically, with Rounala dating from the 14th to the 18th century, and Silbojokk from the 17th to the 18th century. While individuals buried in Rounala had a mixed diet, focused on freshwater fish, individuals buried in Silbojokk had a much more varied diet. Through the analysis of sulphur and strontium isotopes, it was possible to investigate intra-individual change in diet and mobility. Further, the results indicated that reindeer protein was not a major food source at the sites studied.The mining activities at Silbojokk can be seen as the result of colonial infraction on nature and people in Sápmi by the Swedish state, with an immense and negative impact on the environment and for people there. This thesis includes the analysis and handling of human skeletal remains, which always has ethical implications: even more so in areas subjected to colonialism, such as Sápmi. My aim has been to highlight the importance of discussing reburial and repatriation and offer some thoughts on how this may be handled in the future.
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| 5. |
- Fornander, Elin, 1981-
(författare)
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Consuming and communicating identities : Dietary diversity and interaction in Middle Neolithic Sweden
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Isotope analyses on human and faunal skeletal remains from different Swedish Neolithic archaeological contexts are here applied as a means to reconstruct dietary strategies and mobility patterns. The chronological emphasis is on the Middle Neolithic period, and radiocarbon dating constitutes another central focus. The results reveal a food cultural diversity throughout the period in question, where dietary differences in part correspond to, but also transcend, the traditionally defined archaeological cultures in the Swedish Early to Middle Neolithic. Further, these differences, and the apparent continued utilisation of marine resources in several regions and cultural contexts, can only in part be explained by chronology or availability of resources depending on geographic location. Thus, the sometimes suggested sharp economic shift towards an agricultural way of life at the onset of the Neolithic is refuted. Taking the potential of isotope analyses a step further, aspects of Neolithic social relations and identities are discussed, partly from a food cultural perspective embarking from the obtained results. Relations between people and places, as well as to the past, are discussed. The apparent tenacity in the dietary strategies observed is understood in terms of their rootedness in the practices and social memory of the Neolithic societies in question. Food cultural practices are further argued to have given rise to different notions of identity, some of which can be related to the different archaeological cultures, although these cultures are not to be perceived as bounded entities or the sole basis of self-conceptualisation. Some of these identities have been focused around the dietary strategies of everyday life, whereas others emanate from practices, e.g. of ritualised character, whose dietary importance has been more marginal. Isotope analyses, when combined with other archaeological indices, have the potential to elucidate both these food cultural aspects.
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| 6. |
- Gustafsson, Ny Björn, 1975-
(författare)
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Casting Identities in Central Seclusion : Aspects of non-ferrous metalworking and society on Gotland in the Early Medieval Period
- 2013
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The aim of this thesis has been to investigate and interpret late Iron Ageand Early Medieval traces of non-ferrous metalworking on the islandGotland, Sweden. Gotland was not, based on the archaeological record, anintegrated part of the common Scandinavian culture. Instead a local,endemic cultural expression had developed; a seclusion which lasted forcenturies despite the islands central position in the Baltic Sea. In thepast, key elements for the understanding of local settlement- and burialpractices as well as the local material culture were mainly recovered andreported by local farmers. A specific category of such finds – so-called‘bronze slag’ is discussed and partly reinterpreted in the first study ofthis thesis. Two further studies treat different aspects of metalworkingand metalworkers – one discusses common archaeological notions ofScandinavian workshops, production sites and metalworkers from a criticalperspective while the other mainly focuses on the Gotlandic finds frommetal-detector surveys carried out over the last 35 years. Based on whereand to which extent, both from a quantitative and a qualitative point ofview, these finds occur a hierarchical classification into four sub groupsis presented – ordinary farm sites with traces of non-ferrous metalworking,workshop sites, potential workshop sites and last, extrovert harboursettlements. A fourth study presents an attempt to evaluate the usefulnessof magnetometry in delimiting extant traces of high-temperature crafts,such as metalworking. The last study of the thesis presents an attempt touse trace elements analysis of skeletal lead in human bone to identifypotential non-ferrous metalworkers.As the wearing of endemic Gotlandic jewellery appears to have been centralin the manifestation of the local identity it is argued that themetalworking artisans played a crucial role in defining how this identitywas signalled and displayed via the jewellery and dress-related metalobjects. It is further suggested that these artisans might have played animportant role in upholding the local economy before the advent of localminting.
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| 7. |
- Götherström, Anders, 1969-
(författare)
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Acquired or inherited prestige? : molecular studies of family structures and local horses in Central Svealand during the Early Medieval period
- 2001
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This is a study of the role of inheritance among the élite in Early Medieval central Svealand and the possibility to study it by molecular genetic methods. The study is a part of the research project Svealand in the Vendel and Viking periods (SIV). The study rests on classical as well as a new type of source material.Hypotheses are built on the results from a research tradition resting on more than a century of data gathering and analysis. The boat cemeteries in central Svealand hold a central position in this work. Several models have been constructed over the years to explain the appearance of these special and often rich remains. In this work they are discussed in terms of inherited or acquired status, the status that gave the individual the right to such burial. Since these sites have often been discussed in terms of control of northern trade routs, a discussion on ethnicity is inevitable. A distinction between genetic and cultural belonging is made.To test the models, built upon classic archaeological research, molecular genetics is applied to the material. A variety of such molecular systems exist for studies on modern material. Some of them have been selected and heavily modified to be applicable to archaeological material. Systems based on maternally as well as paternally and Mendelian inheritances are used. One of the goals in the methodological work has been to establish which of the methods that may reveal relevant information if applied to archaeological material.Bone material from humans as well as from horses was used to test the models. The human material was mainly gathered from excavations of boat cemeteries in central Svealand, but also from an early Christian site in southern Norrland. The horse material was from a wider geographical area, including central Svealand as well as the Baltic islands Öland and Gotland, and sites in Estonia. The material was mainly from contexts of a high social status, but also, to a much lesser extent, from more common society levels. The results reveal an archaeological potential in the genetic studies of ancient bones. Genetic relations were identified on several cemeteries (Badelunda, Alsike and Björned), but also individuals with no genetic relation to the others were identified (Alsike and Björned). Horses of different sexes and with different maternal origin were also identified.The results indicate that the kin was an important feature in the upper class during the Early Medieval period in central Svealand. The kin probably had a higher importance than gender belonging. The studied horses reveal a similar situation where features other than the sex seems to have been important. However, the family seems to have been an open unit where it was possible for outsiders to enter and become a part. Thus, inheritance was important, but it was possible for an individual with deviating background to reach a desired position in other ways. There was no absolute connection between social status and genetics. As for one of the main status object, the horse, a dynamic and continuous distribution is suggested, either based on trade or on a gift system.
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| 8. |
- Hedenstierna-Jonson, Charlotte, 1971-
(författare)
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The Birka Warrior : the material culture of a martial society
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This is a study of martial material culture in the context of the Viking Age warrior of Birka, Sweden. The aim is to establish the role, function and affiliation of the Birka warrior and thereby place Birka on the power-political map of the 10th century. The study is based on the excavations of the fortified structures, particularly the Garrison, at the trading post of Birka as well as the extensive remains of material culture deriving from these investigations. A starting hypothesis is that an analysis of material culture constitutes a way of mapping social structures and that style and iconography reflect cultural groups, contacts and loyalties.Based on the case studies of six papers, the synthesis deals with questions of the work and world view of the warriors, as too their relation to their contemporary counterparts in eastern and western Europe. Questions are raised concerning the value and function of symbols in a martial context where material culture reflects rank, status and office. In defining the Birka warrior’s particular stylistic expression, a tool is created and used in the search for contacts and affiliations reflected through the distribution patterns. The results show close contacts with the eastern trading posts located on the rivers Volga and Dnjepr in Ancient Russia.It is stated that these Rus’ trading posts, essentially inhabited by Northmen, shared a common cultural expression that was maintained throughout a vast area by exceptionally close contacts. It is suggested that a particular stylistic expression developed in these Rus’ trading places containing elements of mainly Scandinavian, Steppe nomadic and Byzantine origin.In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that the warriors from Birka’s Garrison had a share in the martial development of contemporary Europe but with their own particular traits. Close relations with the eastern trade route and contact with the powerful Byzantine Empire were enjoyed. As a pointer for future research, it is wondered what organisational form the close-knit structure of the Rus’ trading posts actually took, keeping the subsequent guilds of medieval Europe in mind. The fall of the Garrison, as of Birka, corresponds with the establishment of Christianity in the region. Such changes were not limited to Central Sweden but part of a greater process where a new political structure was developing, better anchored in local concerns.
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| 9. |
- Hjulström, Björn, 1974-
(författare)
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Patterns in diversity : Geochemical analyses and settlement changes during the Iron Age - Early Medieval time in the Lake Mälaren region, Sweden
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The principal aims of this thesis were two-fold, encompassing both a geochemical approach and a focus on the settlement structure of the Lake Mälaren region of Sweden during the first millennium A.D. Although the two approaches were linked by their common final purpose, to gain a better understanding of the Iron Age – Early Medieval society of the region, the implications of the geochemical results are not limited to any particular area or period in time. Settlement is analysed on three levels: 1) the house, through typological changes, 2) the house and farm, through the identification of space-use areas and activities by means of geochemical analysis, and 3) farms and hamlets in the landscape, by studying settlement patterns. The material is derived partly from the author’s own excavations and partly from contract excavations. The importance of the excavation method and sampling strategy for the end-results of the analyses is discussed and emphasized. Lipid analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and element analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) made it possible to fill the void between archaeological features with meaningful information regarding space use, and it was also possible to identify the use of certain features with previously unknown function through lipid analysis. Space-use areas by reference to a modern context featuring well-known activities were identified with element analyses, while lipid analysis enabled these space-use areas to be connected with the actual activities. In archaeological contexts where lipid degradation has proceeded further such identification becomes more difficult and useful compound ratios and biomarkers for archaeological issues have been examined. The results of geochemical analyses and lipid analyses performed on ceramics made it possible to discuss the functions and meanings of houses in more detail and to consider different types of house foundations and categories of buildings in a wider context.
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| 10. |
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