Suchergebnisse

This thesis analyses the relation between ship and society against a background of ideological and technological changes in Late Iron Age Sweden. It discusses the factors behind the development of 'a maritime society', why ships and seafaring came to play an important role that was also reflected in the use of the ship as a symbol and a metaphor in a military context, as well as in religion, administration, jurisdiction and social life. The author argues that this society is disappearing when it is first encountered in the Early Middle Ages, because of a fundamental ideological change. There is a myth about the appearance of the 'Viking ship' and the Iron Age seafarer. The ships are supposed to be big and wide. An analysis of the archaeological material presented here shows that this picture is not correct. Instead the ships of the Svear were quite small and built in a way that made them very light. This was a result of shipbuilding methods introduced in the Late Iron Age, and it had consequences for the trade communication network as well as for naval operations. Because of the light ships, it was possible to land on any shallow shore and navigate the shallow rivers in the East. The ship became a key symbol used by the authorities to structure the society for administrative and military purposes, using a terminology based on the Late Iron Age warship. In the Middle Ages, ideology, shipbuilding and seafaring changed. New key symbols were introduced, and they were used by an increasing royal power to consolidate what would become a united Sweden, inspired by feudal Europe.

This thesis examines the changes which occurred in the cultural landscapes of northwest Iberia, between the end of the Iron Age and the consolidation of the region by both the native elite and imperial authorities during the early Roman Empire. As a means to analyse the impact of Roman power on the native peoples of northwest Iberia five study areas in northern Portugal where chosen, which stretch from the mountainous region of Trás-os-Montes near the modern-day Spanish border, moving west to the Tâmega Valley and the Atlantic coastal area. The divergent physical environments, different social practices and political affinities which these diverse regions offer, coupled with differing levels of contact with the Roman world, form the basis for a comparative examination of the area. In seeking to analyse the transformations which took place between the Late pre-Roman Iron Age and the early Roman period historical, archaeological and anthropological approaches from within Iberian academia and beyond were analysed. From these debates, three key questions were formulated, focusing on the Late Iron Age settlement hierarchy, the impact of the administration of early Roman northwest Iberia on settlement patterns, and the relationship between the pre-Roman and Roman-period communication networks In addressing these issues through a series of landscape analyses, it was established that the so-called 'Castro Culture' of northwest Iberia was not homogonous, but structured according to diverse socio-political and environmental factors. In the early Roman period, a series of agricultural producers established themselves in fertile areas, resulting in settlement patterns which were located near communication routes and markets. Binding the landscape together were a series of central places, which were often adapted from pre-Roman settlements. Thus, the region's pre-Roman identity coupled with Roman practices, created a series of fusions of cultural identity, but from an economic perspective shared many of the agricultural practices common in other parts of the Roman empire.

The interpretation of Late Iron Age burial mounds often focuses exclusively on the discovered contents, the social identity or role of the interred and the economic and political implications that can be extracted. This article considers the mound itself as a basis for archaeological interpretation, and attempts to place substantial late Iron Age burial mounds within the landscape they are made of. Within these burial mounds internal references to time, place and the transformations and imbued associations within the earth-sourced materials are purposeful and significant. This is illustrated via comparable examples from southern Norway, and to add contrast, cases from the Viking Age Isle of Man will be explored. This article will outline why the selected mounds should be seen as closely related to each other in the references they contain, and how the materials used can be seen as a purposeful link to the land itself.

Metallurgical debris is by far the most informative source material for studying the metal craftsmanship of the past. In comparison to the finished objects, which has attracted far more attention in archaeological research, debris material are more or less confined to the original workshop sites and hence provide direct evidence as to production volume and quality, site organization, artisanal skill and operational sequences within the various crafts.On many sites throughout the "Metal Ages" evidence of both iron smithing and the use of non-ferrous metals can be found. Traditionally, a clear division between these types of crafts has been enforced in site interpretation, separating sites into ferrous versus non-ferrous workshop sites chronologically or spatially. However, the presence of, for instance, smithing slag cakes with droplets of Cu-alloy within their matrix as well as casting debris of both metals and ceramic materials in forges and smithing hearths challenges this strict division.The thesis project "From Crucible and onto Anvil" started in 2015 and focuses on sites housing remains of multimetal craftsmanship dating primarily from 500-1000 AD. Within the project a comprehensive survey of sites will be used to evaluate the presence of multimetal craftsmanship in the landscape based first and foremost on the metallurgical debris documented on or collected from them. Sites in selected target areas will be subject to intra-site analysis of their metallurgical remains focusing on workshop organisation, the array of metalworking techniques utilized and the chronological variances of multimetal craftsmanship.A primary aim in the project is to elucidate the conceptual aspects of complex metalworking. The term multimetality is used to analytically frame all the societal and cosmological aspects of metal craftsmanship. Through this inclusive perspective both the metal craftsmanship and the metalworkers behind it are positioned within the overall socioeconomic framework. The metalworkers, their skills and competences as well as the products of their labour are viewed as dynamic actors in the landscape and on the arenas of political economy of the Late Iron Age.This paper aims to present a few examples of the surveyed multimetal sites, discuss workshop reconstruction through metallurgical debris and present preliminary interpretations of the sites internal organisation and placement within the cultural landscape. Many of the sites surveyed so far are interpreted as open air workshops with a relatively long continuity ranging several generations of metalworkers. How is this to be interpreted? Where the multimetal craftsmanship undertaken of temporary character? And if so, why did the metalworkers continue to use the same workshop site for generations?The concept of multimetality and the possibilities to capture this elusive, yet crucial, element of multimetality and the possibilities to capture this elusive, yet crucial, element of metal craftsmanship through the study of metallurgical debris will also be discussed in the paper. The surveyed sites and the reconstruction of their internal workshop organisation will serves as examples of how multimetality was manifested on the sites and in the landscape.

In southern Africa, as elsewhere, the tendency of Iron Age (CE 200-1900) researchers has been to focus on the more prominent places on the landscape, especially those believed by pioneering archaeologists to have been centres of big states. Consequently, most research foci were accorded to Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe, Khami, Danamombe and many other places considered as centres (mizinda) of expansive territorial states. However, landscapes away from, and in-between these states and their centres are traditionally viewed as 'peripheries' where resources that made them prosperous were extracted. The inhabitants of such 'peripheries' are presented as if they possessed little or no agency. One such area is Mberengwa, a gold-rich area situated between the edges of Mapela, Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe, Danamombe, and Khami. This thesis explores the archaeology of Chumnungwa, a drystone-walled muzinda located in Mberengwa. Because of abundant gold, and a landscape optimal for cattle production and crop agriculture, Chumnungwa is often marginalised as a docile 'periphery' of the more powerful and territorial states that surrounded it. Stratigraphic excavations were performed in different parts of the site to recover artefactual and chronological evidence. Indications are that the inhabitants of Chumnungwa exploited locally acquired resources such as gold, iron, and soapstone, but mixed these with resources from distant areas. Cumulatively, this evidence, when assessed in relation to chronology, suggests that Chumnungwa flourished more or less at the same time as Mapela, and the later phases of Mapungubwe, Great Zimbabwe, Khami, and Danamombe. As a powerful actor in Mberengwa, Chumnungwa also networked and was therefore entangled not only with local, but also with regional, and inter-regional politicoeconomic processes. This suggests it is only a historical invention that can marginalise some landscapes as 'peripheral', especially in the absence of research, but once attention is directed to them, multiple layers of agency and entanglement emerge.

The Vredefort Dome is a meteorite impact site (S26°51'36", E27°15'36") approximately 120km south-west of Johannesburg and about 300km north-east of Bloemfontein. It is one of South Africa's eight World Heritage Sites and straddles both North West and Free State provinces. Apart from its remarkable geology, the Vredefort Dome also has great faunal and floral biodiversity, as well as a wealth of cultural heritage. The Late Iron Age stone-walled settlements built by Sothoffswana speakers form part of this rich cultural heritage, and it is these that are under investigation in this study. Previous archaeological survey and research has shown that Sotho/Tswana speaking peoples densely populated this area during Late Iron Age (from 1400 -1800 AD). While settlement survey has identified three stone-wall settlement types (Group I, Group II and Group III) in the Vredefort Dome, this previous survey had been limited in extent. This research used aerial photographs to survey the whole Vredefort Dome and thereby expanded the sample. This research has focused mainly on the two dominant settlement types, namely Group I and Group II. This work has allowed a more detailed description of settlement preferences and an understanding of site location in relation to biophysical factors such as geology, topography and veld types. Additionally, it has been possible to identify relatively discrete clusters of settlements and through the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), homesteads and cattle enclosures have been mapped and measured. The extent of homestead aggregation has also been measured and with this data, comparisons between settlements within clusters have been assessed in relation to possible political and social hierarchies. It is concluded that among Group I settlements and using some appropriate ethnography, there is no obvious settlement hierarchy. In the case of Group II settlement, larger aggregations represent the defensive response to the conditions of the early 19th century difaqane. While these must be underpinned by more centralised political control, on the basis of cattle enclosure and homestead sizes, central authority is not obvious. In contrast, these aggregations are briefly compared with the large Western Tswana towns, where political centralisation can be more easily identified. This research is organized in five chapters: Chapter one introduces the background literature review which has influenced my research interest, and outlines the methodology followed in obtaining relevant data. The outline and discussions of the results are represented in chapter two, exploring is the distribution of different stone-walled sites within the ecological and biophysical context. Chapters three and four closely examine the distribution and locality of specific stone-wall settlement patterns, Group I and Group II respectively. And lastly chapter five represents the concluding discussion.

Millstones, as the centerpieces and the best preserved elements of mills, are characteristic of the questions relating to the history of techniques and economics.Of economics, because analysis of the rocks from which they are made reveal a complex chain including their research, extraction, shaping, distribution and use. The factors on which this chain depends don't only concern querns and millstones but can be applied to all types of craft production that answer to primary needs of subsistence.Of techniques because the improving of milling processes is due to a transmission of technical savoir-faire, mixed with a constant research for the best solution to evolving food needs. This notion of technical progress is observed both over a long time scale (1000 years) and during brief political and cultural transitions (the Roman conquest of Gaul, and the Germanic migrations). This evolution is the basis of deep social and economic changes.Based on field surveys, artifact analysis (querns and millstones) and a literature survey, this thesis presents a regional synthesis on a modest but structuring element of ancient societies and their economies. ; Les meules, pièces maîtresses et les mieux conservées des moulins, sont emblématiques des questions relatives à l'histoire de l'économie et des techniques.De l'économie, parce que l'analyse des roches meulières révèle une chaîne complexe de recherche des ressources, d'extraction, de mise en forme, de distribution et d'utilisation qui dépend d'une série de facteurs qui ne concernent pas seulement les meules mais peuvent s'appliquer à toutes sortes de productions artisanales répondant à des besoins primaires de subsistance.Des techniques, parce que l'amélioration des procédés de mouture est le fruit d'une transmission des savoir-faire techniques alliée à une recherche constante de la meilleure réponse possible à des besoins alimentaires qui eux-mêmes évoluent. Cette notion de progrès technique, que l'on observe à la fois sur le temps long (ici plus d'un millénaire) et à l'occasion de brèves transitions politico-culturelles (la conquête romaine de la Gaule puis les migrations germaniques), est à l'origine de profonds changements socio-économiques.Sur la base de travaux de terrain (prospections thématiques), d'analyses d'objets (les meules) et d'un tour d'horizon bibliographique, cette thèse présente une synthèse régionale sur un type de mobilier modeste mais structurant des sociétés et des économies anciennes.

Millstones, as the centerpieces and the best preserved elements of mills, are characteristic of the questions relating to the history of techniques and economics.Of economics, because analysis of the rocks from which they are made reveal a complex chain including their research, extraction, shaping, distribution and use. The factors on which this chain depends don't only concern querns and millstones but can be applied to all types of craft production that answer to primary needs of subsistence.Of techniques because the improving of milling processes is due to a transmission of technical savoir-faire, mixed with a constant research for the best solution to evolving food needs. This notion of technical progress is observed both over a long time scale (1000 years) and during brief political and cultural transitions (the Roman conquest of Gaul, and the Germanic migrations). This evolution is the basis of deep social and economic changes.Based on field surveys, artifact analysis (querns and millstones) and a literature survey, this thesis presents a regional synthesis on a modest but structuring element of ancient societies and their economies. ; Les meules, pièces maîtresses et les mieux conservées des moulins, sont emblématiques des questions relatives à l'histoire de l'économie et des techniques.De l'économie, parce que l'analyse des roches meulières révèle une chaîne complexe de recherche des ressources, d'extraction, de mise en forme, de distribution et d'utilisation qui dépend d'une série de facteurs qui ne concernent pas seulement les meules mais peuvent s'appliquer à toutes sortes de productions artisanales répondant à des besoins primaires de subsistance.Des techniques, parce que l'amélioration des procédés de mouture est le fruit d'une transmission des savoir-faire techniques alliée à une recherche constante de la meilleure réponse possible à des besoins alimentaires qui eux-mêmes évoluent. Cette notion de progrès technique, que l'on observe à la fois sur le temps long (ici plus d'un millénaire) et à l'occasion de brèves transitions politico-culturelles (la conquête romaine de la Gaule puis les migrations germaniques), est à l'origine de profonds changements socio-économiques.Sur la base de travaux de terrain (prospections thématiques), d'analyses d'objets (les meules) et d'un tour d'horizon bibliographique, cette thèse présente une synthèse régionale sur un type de mobilier modeste mais structurant des sociétés et des économies anciennes.

Millstones, as the centerpieces and the best preserved elements of mills, are characteristic of the questions relating to the history of techniques and economics.Of economics, because analysis of the rocks from which they are made reveal a complex chain including their research, extraction, shaping, distribution and use. The factors on which this chain depends don't only concern querns and millstones but can be applied to all types of craft production that answer to primary needs of subsistence.Of techniques because the improving of milling processes is due to a transmission of technical savoir-faire, mixed with a constant research for the best solution to evolving food needs. This notion of technical progress is observed both over a long time scale (1000 years) and during brief political and cultural transitions (the Roman conquest of Gaul, and the Germanic migrations). This evolution is the basis of deep social and economic changes.Based on field surveys, artifact analysis (querns and millstones) and a literature survey, this thesis presents a regional synthesis on a modest but structuring element of ancient societies and their economies. ; Les meules, pièces maîtresses et les mieux conservées des moulins, sont emblématiques des questions relatives à l'histoire de l'économie et des techniques.De l'économie, parce que l'analyse des roches meulières révèle une chaîne complexe de recherche des ressources, d'extraction, de mise en forme, de distribution et d'utilisation qui dépend d'une série de facteurs qui ne concernent pas seulement les meules mais peuvent s'appliquer à toutes sortes de productions artisanales répondant à des besoins primaires de subsistance.Des techniques, parce que l'amélioration des procédés de mouture est le fruit d'une transmission des savoir-faire techniques alliée à une recherche constante de la meilleure réponse possible à des besoins alimentaires qui eux-mêmes évoluent. Cette notion de progrès technique, que l'on observe à la fois sur le temps long (ici plus d'un millénaire) et à ...

Millstones, as the centerpieces and the best preserved elements of mills, are characteristic of the questions relating to the history of techniques and economics.Of economics, because analysis of the rocks from which they are made reveal a complex chain including their research, extraction, shaping, distribution and use. The factors on which this chain depends don't only concern querns and millstones but can be applied to all types of craft production that answer to primary needs of subsistence.Of techniques because the improving of milling processes is due to a transmission of technical savoir-faire, mixed with a constant research for the best solution to evolving food needs. This notion of technical progress is observed both over a long time scale (1000 years) and during brief political and cultural transitions (the Roman conquest of Gaul, and the Germanic migrations). This evolution is the basis of deep social and economic changes.Based on field surveys, artifact analysis (querns and millstones) and a literature survey, this thesis presents a regional synthesis on a modest but structuring element of ancient societies and their economies. ; Les meules, pièces maîtresses et les mieux conservées des moulins, sont emblématiques des questions relatives à l'histoire de l'économie et des techniques.De l'économie, parce que l'analyse des roches meulières révèle une chaîne complexe de recherche des ressources, d'extraction, de mise en forme, de distribution et d'utilisation qui dépend d'une série de facteurs qui ne concernent pas seulement les meules mais peuvent s'appliquer à toutes sortes de productions artisanales répondant à des besoins primaires de subsistance.Des techniques, parce que l'amélioration des procédés de mouture est le fruit d'une transmission des savoir-faire techniques alliée à une recherche constante de la meilleure réponse possible à des besoins alimentaires qui eux-mêmes évoluent. Cette notion de progrès technique, que l'on observe à la fois sur le temps long (ici plus d'un millénaire) et à ...

The paper presents small finds from the fortified settlement at Žerovnišček near Bločice in the Notranjska region. The majority of finds are dated to the Early and Late Iron Age, particularly to the Late La Tène period. It seems that the abandonment of the settlement at the end of Late Iron Age or at the beginning of the Roman period denotes political changes – the Roman conquest of the Cerkniško polje area. The reason was probably the good strategic position, as Žerovnišček allowed control over an important communication route running from the Amber Route towards Dolenjska, Bela krajina and Kvarner Bay. ; Prispevek obravnava drobne najdbe z utrjene naselbine na Žerovniščku pri Bločicah. Glavnina opredeljivih najdb je iz starejše in mlajše železne dobe, zlasti iz poznega latenskega obdobja. Kaže, da je bila z rimsko osvojitvijo tega dela Notranjske naselbina opuščena. Razlog je verjetno strateški, saj je utrjena naselbina nadzirala pomembno komunikacijo, ki je vodila od Jantarne poti proti Dolenjski, Beli krajini in Kvarnerju.

Desde os anos de 1970, enterramentos ricos como aqueles de Vix e Hochdorf têm sido analisados como ícones de um fenômeno pan-regional – a emergência de Estados tradicionais, a qual é largamente sustentada pelo impacto de sua interação com as sociedades mediterrâneas. Contudo, nas últimas duas décadas, tem havido uma crítica significativa a um tal modelo interpretativo. No seio desse debate, o presente artigo afirma que o registro arqueológico fornece evidência de que depósitos rituais (também e juntamente com outras formas de dom e contra-dom) constituíam parte significativa do que podemos chamar "economia de prestações". A fim de tal demonstrar, este artigo analisa os enterramentos e respectivos depósitos funerários das regiões de quatro "centros principescos" (Fürstensitze) – a saber: Bourges, Châtillon-sur-Glâne, Mont Lassois e Hohenasperg. ; Since the 1970's, rich burials like those of Vix and Hochdorf have been analysed as the icons of a pan-regional phenomenon – the emergence of traditional states, which is largely underpinned by the impact of their interaction with Mediterranean societies. However, during the last two decades, there has been significant criticism of such an interpretative model. In the core of such a debate, this paper argues that the archaeological record provides evidence that ritual deposits (likewise and alongside other forms of gift-giving) constituted a significant part of what I name as 'prestation economy'. In order to demonstrate that, this paper analyses the burials and their grave-goods from the regions of four Fürstensitze, namely: Bourges, Châtillon-sur-Glâne, Mont Lassois, and Hohenasperg.

Описывается скелет человека из раскопок могильника Ширакаван (Армения). Биоархеологический анализ выявил различные патологии, позволяющие реконструировать жизнедеятельность индивида, погребенного в эпоху широкого освоения производства железа. Целью исследования является выявление вариантов травм для реконструкции социальной обстановки, в которой могли быть получены повреждения. Проявленная агрессия по отношению к индивиду могла быть результатом сложной социально-политической обстановки, царящей в эту эпоху. Кроме травматических повреждений фиксируются признаки интенсивных физических нагрузок на скелете, связанных с трудовой деятельностью, и различные инфекционные заболевания. У индивида обнаружен абсцесс головного мозга, что согласуется с диагнозом туберкулеза. Эти данные позволяют предположить, что стрессовые условия жизни и труда были достаточно суровыми. Этот случай подчеркивает важность палеопатологического анализа для исторической реконструкции . The article provides the description a human skeleton, recovered during the archeological excavation of the Shirakavan burial (Armenia). Palaeopathological analyses revealed a variety of pathologies, allowing inferences about the lifestyle and well-being of an individual from Late Iron Age in Armenia. The study aims to trace the possible evidence of violent interactions that may have happened to the individual. The violent behavior may be the result of the social and political disruption during this period. In addition to traumatic injuries, skeletal lesions are associated with heavy labor and infectious diseases. The man from this cemetery is of special interest owing to the presence of lesions associated with tuberculosis that resulted in a brain abscess. These data suggest stressful living conditions and heavy labor of the period. This case highlights the importance of supplementing palaeopathological analyses with research using historical reconstructions.

The objective of this study was to develop, test and evaluate a specifically defined interdisciplinary approach—the human-centred approach—as applied to a case study, Iron Age Öland. Four themes were selected to highlight different aspects of particular interest in Öland: taphonomy, diet, migration, and social organization. The uncremated human skeletal remains from Öland are the basis for this study. Different aspects of the bones, such as spatial distribution and chemical and physical properties, were investigated. The methods used include osteological methods, image-based modelling, isotopic analysis of bone (δ13C and δ15N; 14C) and enamel (87Sr/86Sr, δ18O), statistical modelling, and graph-based network analysis.The great impact of the choice of methodology in the different papers was apparent in evaluating how the human-centred approach could be practiced.The concept developed in Paper I, Virtual Taphonomy, provided deeper insight into the specific case study of Öland but also showed the potential of this methodology for archaeology and osteology in general.The approach to migration in Paper II gave results differing from those in Paper IV. The use of a second isotope (δ18O) in Paper IV showed how some individuals were clearly not from an area close by enough to fit within the proposed areas in Paper II. Paper IV also questioned the definitions of 87Sr/86Sr baseline and the interpretation process for deciding whether an individual is determined as a migrant. While the population level approach to migration in Paper II allowed for a discussion on the mechanisms behind migration, the approach in Paper IV instead gave insight into the nature and expression of migration within Öland's society.In Paper III, it was demonstrated that a shift in diet (isotope variation) did not coincide with the relative typological chronology but instead should be studied by more independent chronology (such as 14C). The isotope results for Öland could also be interpreted completely differently today due to new standards for understanding how isotope values relate to human diet.Paper V showed how a transparent analysis of isotope results, osteological analysis, and archaeological parameters could be used to discuss societal development using graph-based network analysis.Using the human-centred approach to Iron Age Öland resulted in some new insights and a rethinking of society, particularly regarding diet and migration. The interpretation of the diet isotopes means that the pastoralist subsistence likely transformed the Ölandic landscape much earlier than previously thought. The dietary shift places the start of this in the final two centuries BC, not AD 200. In the Late Iron Age, the migration levels doubled, especially as women were immigrating. The people settling Öland were coming from diverse geographical areas in both periods, with the addition of more distant migrants in the Late period. I argue this is part of a creolization process in Öland in the Late Iron Age, detectable in burial practice and diet. The starting point of this great immigration is difficult to define as uncremated human remains are largely lacking in the period AD 200–700. Around AD 200, there is also a change in social organization indicated through the perceptible use of violence. I interpret this as a society where elders had diminished social power compared to earlier times, and when the increasing military focus throughout Scandinavia was also established in Öland.In conclusion, the exploration of a human-centred archaeology gave new insights of relevance to archaeology at large, not just Iron Age Öland. In particular, the strong interpretational aspects of isotopes could be demonstrated, as well as the great advantages of applying digital archaeological theory and method to human skeletal remains.

This paper explores Iron Age depositions in wetlands and on dry ground in Kormt. The types of objects deposited and their contexts are discussed from a longterm perspective, and the emerging patterns are interpreted in cultural-historical terms. The early Iron Age depositions cluster on northeastern and southwestern Kormt, especially in the Avaldsnes and Ferkingstad areas. They indicate the presence of men of military rank and are placed at strategic maritime sites: Ferkingstad and northern Kormt. The depositional traditions of the early Iron Age resemble those of nearby Jæren and southernmost Hordaland, and indeed those of northern Jylland, Denmark. No depositions are known from the period AD 550–700. In the Viking Period, the depositional tradition in Kormt society seems to have played a more limited and less aristocratic role than previously. The depositional traditions differ from neighbouring as well as distant regions with which there formerly were similarities. ; The Avaldsnes Royal Manor Project