Kalven i gropen : Arkeologisk förundersökning, Pettersholm 1:7 och 1:8, Högsrum sn, Öland, Kalmar län

• This report presents the results from an archaeological trial excavation performed by Kalmar County Museum during two days in August 2008 at Pettersholm, western Öland, southeast Sweden. The area is planned for the construction of two houses, and the investigation aimed at delimiting the occurrence of prehistoric and historic remains within the area and document the features encountered. The excavation resulted in one single sunken feature, consisting of a pit c 0,65 m in diameter and containing the almost complete skeletal remains of a calf and in addition six flint flakes and a handful of fragments of burnt bone. The calf was 14C-dated to c 3500-3100 cal BC, corresponding to the late Early and early Middle Neolithic. This makes it the oldest securely dated find of cattle on Öland, and actually the oldest complete skeleton of a cow encountered in all of Sweden. Since no other sunken features were found within the area and since the ”cow pit” was completely excavated, no further archaeological work is suggested. The find however makes the area adjacent to the west a potential hotspot for future excavations, since the pit probably is connected to a larger context extending in this direction.

Subject headings

HUMANIORA  -- Historia och arkeologi -- Arkeologi (hsv//swe)

HUMANITIES  -- History and Archaeology -- Archaeology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Trial excavation

Neolithic

cattle

Öland

Sweden

Archaeology, North European

Arkeologi, nordeuropeisk

Archaeology

Arkeologi

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

rap (subject category)