Medieval fishing and abandonment: A dendrochronological investigation of a 14 th-century stationary fishing trap in Lake Nord-Mesna, in the interior of Scandinavia: Fishing in rivers and lakes has traditionally been a longstanding and... more
Medieval fishing and abandonment: A dendrochronological investigation of a 14 th-century stationary fishing trap in Lake Nord-Mesna, in the interior of Scandinavia:
Fishing in rivers and lakes has traditionally been a longstanding and dependable means of sustenance for the people of inland Scandinavia. However, our understanding of pre-modern fishing traditions has been hampered by a lack of written sources, as well as a scarcity of archaeological data. However, a recent excavation and comprehensive dendrochronological analysis of a fish trapping enclosure system in Lake Nord-Mesna (520 masl.), in the boreal forests of inland Norway, has provided unique insight into freshwater fishing traditions, techniques and organization. The excavated structure, believed to be a fish weir with lath screen traps set into shallow water, was established in the late 1200s. In the following years it was regularly maintained in the spring/early summer. The last documented repair was in 1343. Its abandonment is interpreted as resulting from a recession likely induced by factors such as plague and climatic deterioration, that affected inland areas of Scandinavia in the 1300s. These results provide archaeological evidence of medieval utilization of effective enclosure traps in the region. This contradicts the prevailing notion that this form of fishing was later introduced by Forest Finns who migrated to the area in the 17 th century. In addition, the findings give new and significant information about the organization and practice of medieval fishing in inland Scandinavia.
Fishing in rivers and lakes has traditionally been a longstanding and dependable means of sustenance for the people of inland Scandinavia. However, our understanding of pre-modern fishing traditions has been hampered by a lack of written sources, as well as a scarcity of archaeological data. However, a recent excavation and comprehensive dendrochronological analysis of a fish trapping enclosure system in Lake Nord-Mesna (520 masl.), in the boreal forests of inland Norway, has provided unique insight into freshwater fishing traditions, techniques and organization. The excavated structure, believed to be a fish weir with lath screen traps set into shallow water, was established in the late 1200s. In the following years it was regularly maintained in the spring/early summer. The last documented repair was in 1343. Its abandonment is interpreted as resulting from a recession likely induced by factors such as plague and climatic deterioration, that affected inland areas of Scandinavia in the 1300s. These results provide archaeological evidence of medieval utilization of effective enclosure traps in the region. This contradicts the prevailing notion that this form of fishing was later introduced by Forest Finns who migrated to the area in the 17 th century. In addition, the findings give new and significant information about the organization and practice of medieval fishing in inland Scandinavia.
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In Old Norse poetic literature, the smiðr was a master of the arts, able to control and shape multiple materials into various kinds of objects. While the mythological smiðr has been regarded as separate from the real-world blacksmiths and... more
In Old Norse poetic literature, the smiðr was a master of the arts, able to control and shape multiple materials into various kinds of objects. While the mythological smiðr has been regarded as separate from the real-world blacksmiths and metalworkers of gold, silver, and copper alloys, the archaeological evidence recovered in towns and workshops of the Viking Age, as well as medieval written sources, provide a different perspective. In 2015, a hitherto unknown, well-preserved workshop was excavated in the Viking town of Kaupang in Norway, containing evidence of complex metalworking requiring the skills of blacksmiths and workers of soft metals. In this article, the authors venture beyond the Old Norse myths, into the world of the proficient smiths as multi-crafters and their tools of the trade.
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E18 Tvedestrand–Arendal-prosjektet er et forvaltningsinitiert utgravningsprosjekt og organisert som en del av virksomheten til Arkeologisk seksjon ved Kulturhistorisk museum (KHM), Universitetet i Oslo (UiO). Prosjektet ble etablert ved... more
E18 Tvedestrand–Arendal-prosjektet er et forvaltningsinitiert utgravningsprosjekt og organisert som en del av virksomheten til Arkeologisk seksjon ved Kulturhistorisk museum (KHM), Universitetet i Oslo (UiO). Prosjektet ble etablert ved KHM 7. juli 2014 og avsluttet 31. mai 2017. Bakgrunnen for prosjektet er bygging av ny firefelts motorvei mellom Tvedestrand og Arendal i Aust-Agder, opprinnelig i regi av Statens vegvesen Region sør. Nye Veier AS overtok som tiltakshaver 1. januar 2016. Tiltaket berører til sammen 50 automatisk fredede kulturminner. Av disse ble 35 undersøkt (se tabell i Reitan, kap. 2.1, denne bok). Utgravningene ble gjennomført i løpet av tre feltsesonger i perioden 2014–2016. Utgravningene er gjennomført i medhold av LOV 1978-06-09 Nr. 50 (kulturminneloven) med en overordnet målsetting om å ivareta og dokumentere gjenstandsfunn og dermed sikre det vitenskapelige informasjonspotensialet til de berørte kulturminnene. De faglige hovedmålsettingene var å fremskaffe k...
The transition to the Late Neolithic (c. 2350 BCE) is characterised by large-scale cultural and economic changes across southern Norway, connected to the spread of a cultural package with an unprecedented homogeneity, consisting of the... more
The transition to the Late Neolithic (c. 2350 BCE) is characterised by large-scale cultural and economic changes across southern Norway, connected to the spread of a cultural package with an unprecedented homogeneity, consisting of the introduction of the two-aisled houses, farming and several new technologies. Although material components belonging to this cultural package spread fast in southern Norway, the Oslo Fjord area included, there has been a lack of (two-aisled) houses and clear evidence of the breakthrough of farming in this area. In this article, we aim to create a proxy for better understanding the agricultural developments and the trajectories of the early farm-based settlements in the aftermath of the LN revolution. This is done through studying the settlement material from three selected case areas around the Oslo Fjord, alongside a larger body of radiocarbon-dated buildings, cereals and cultivation layers. Our results show a delay in the onset of crop farming compar...
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A legend tells the dramatic and colourful story of the farmer Sveinung the Cruel and how he killed a dwarf (in Norwegian tusse/dverg) named Fegge in his smithy at the farm Heggtveit in Kviteseid, Norway. In the story the smithy is... more
A legend tells the dramatic and colourful story of the farmer Sveinung the Cruel and how he killed a dwarf (in Norwegian tusse/dverg) named Fegge in his smithy at the farm Heggtveit in Kviteseid, Norway. In the story the smithy is positioned below the hill Smiuberget (lit. Smithy Hill). During an excavation in 2020, a relatively well-preserved smithy from the 13th century was excavated at the place described in the legend. The discovery offered a unique opportunity to explore the complex and dynamic relationship between the rich record of Norwegian folklore, excavated “reality” and the history of place names. Because of this complexity, the authors argue that to seek the “real” roots of the legend is a difficult and maybe also a meaningless task. Rather, they argue that the history of Fegge`s death and other legends are valuable sources to immaterial aspects of the region’s Medieval and Renaissance metal crafting.
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A legend tells the dramatic and colourful story of the farmer Sveinung the Cruel and how he killed a dwarf (in Norwegian tusse/dverg) named Fegge in his smithy at the farm Heggtveit in Kviteseid, Norway. In the story the smithy is... more
A legend tells the dramatic and colourful story of the farmer Sveinung the Cruel and how he killed a dwarf (in Norwegian tusse/dverg) named Fegge in his smithy at the farm Heggtveit in Kviteseid, Norway. In the story the smithy is positioned below the hill Smiuberget (lit. Smithy Hill). In 2020, a relatively wellpreserved smithy from the 13 th century was excavated at the place described in the legend. The discovery offered a unique opportunity to explore the complex and dynamic relationship between the rich record of Norwegian folklore, excavated "reality" and the history of place names. Because of this complexity, the authors argue that to seek the "real" roots of the legend is a difficult and maybe also a meaningless task. Rather, they argue that the history of Fegge`s death and other legends are valuable sources to immaterial aspects of the region's Medieval and Renaissance metal crafting.
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I perioden fra 1.-12. august 2005 ble det undersøkt et jernvinneanlegg med seks kullgroper ved Beito Høyfiellshotell (3/121), Øystre Slidre, Oppland, På lokaliteten ble det påvist deler av en blestertuft (S21) med en bredde på 6,8 m, og... more
I perioden fra 1.-12. august 2005 ble det undersøkt et jernvinneanlegg med seks kullgroper ved Beito Høyfiellshotell (3/121), Øystre Slidre, Oppland, På lokaliteten ble det påvist deler av en blestertuft (S21) med en bredde på 6,8 m, og med en bevart lengde på 4,6 m. Grunnet modeme forstyrrelser var det ikke mulig å avgjøre dens opprinnelige lengde. Tuften hadde flere likhetstrekk med tufter påvist på anlegg av Larsens (1991) type llIC. I tuften (S21) var det to sjaktovner med sideavtapping av slagg (S8 og S9), og i ytterkant av huskonstruksjonen ble det funnet et malmlager, S 11. I nedkant av tuften lå det to mindre slagghauger, S7 og S20. I begge haugene ble det påvist renneslagg og bunnskoller, og de hadde en samlet totalvekt på anslagsvis 2980 kg, hvorav 1610 kg var slagg. Slagghaug S21. var om lag tre ganger så stor som S7. I tilknytning til jernvinneanlegget befant det seg fem kullgroper (S1-S5), alle med nær kvadratisk bunnplan. Omkring 40 m vest for tuften ble det påvist res...
I perioden fra 21. juni til 02. juli 2004 ble et nærmest komplett jemvinneanlegg undersøkt på Beito søndre i Øystre Slidre kommune, Oppland. Det ble undersøkt en tuft næmest Narmos (1996) type A. Inngravd i den nordre veggvollen lå en... more
I perioden fra 21. juni til 02. juli 2004 ble et nærmest komplett jemvinneanlegg undersøkt på Beito søndre i Øystre Slidre kommune, Oppland. Det ble undersøkt en tuft næmest Narmos (1996) type A. Inngravd i den nordre veggvollen lå en sjaktovn som var bevart i opptil 30 cm høyde over markoverflaten. I tilknytning til ovnen ble det funnet en slaggrenne i brent leire. I tuftens S-del lå et malmlager. Umiddelbart nordøst for tuften lå en slagghaug med beregnet totalvekt på ca 2890 kg. Vest for tuften ble det avdekket et større område med røstet malm. I nær tilknytning til anlegget ble det også undersøkt to kullgroper med sirkulær bunnfom. Kullprøver fra lokaliteten har blitt vedartsbestemt (jf. vedlagte analyser 1). Seks prøver med trekull av bjørk fra kullgroper, slagghaug, ovn og tuft har senere blitt datert til tidsrommet AD 1040-1390 (se vedlagte analyser 2, dateringsrapport fra NTNU, DF-2835). En trekullprøve av furu har blitt datert til AD 545-655. Arne Espelund ved NTNU har fore...
Den 18. og 19. april 2005 og i tidsrommet 20. oktober til 7. november 2008 gjennomførte KHM arkeologiske utgravninger av to gravhauger (id 50199, haug 1 og haug 2) på gården Brandsrud vestre (53/28) i Eidsberg k., Østfold. I tillegg ble... more
Den 18. og 19. april 2005 og i tidsrommet 20. oktober til 7. november 2008 gjennomførte KHM arkeologiske utgravninger av to gravhauger (id 50199, haug 1 og haug 2) på gården Brandsrud vestre (53/28) i Eidsberg k., Østfold. I tillegg ble det gjort undersøkelser i området omkring haugene. Utgravningene fant sted på Monaryggen i forbindelse med utbygging av ny E18 på strekningen Melleby - Askim grense i Eidsberg og Trøgstad kommuner. Begge haugene var om lag 7,5 m i diameter og de var 0,26 og 0,36 m høye. De var bygget av sand og torv, delvis omgitt av fotgrøfter og det var spor etter plyndring av begge gravminnene. Det fremkom ikke gjenstandsfunn eller brente bein ved utgravningen. Under den ytre delen av haugkappen til haug 2 lå det imidlertid to uregelmessig formede groper (S8 og S9) med trekull. Disse kan være rester av gravlegginger. Begge nedgravningene hadde en diameter på om lag 0,8 m og var 0,12 og 0,27 m dype. I undergrunnen under haug 1 ble det også påvist en uregelmessig sa...
See under "Files" for links to DOI and the publisher's Open Access-platform to download the complete publication. With English captions, comprehensive English summaries (ch. 2.71.-2.7.16) and a section with nine... more
See under "Files" for links to DOI and the publisher's Open Access-platform to download the complete publication. With English captions, comprehensive English summaries (ch. 2.71.-2.7.16) and a section with nine chapters written in English, focussing on specific questions under discussion in current Stone Age research. I forkant av byggingen av ny E18 mellom Tvedestrand og Arendal i Aust-Agder gjennomførte Kulturhistorisk museum, Universitetet i Oslo, omfattende arkeologiske utgravninger i årene 2014 til 2016. Innenfor den 23 km lange traséen ble til sammen 34 lokaliteter fra steinalderen undersøkt. I tid spenner lokalitetene fra ca. 9000 f.Kr. til 1700 f.Kr. og dekker med det nesten hele steinalderen fra tidligmesolitikum til og med seinneolitikum. I tillegg ble en lokalitet med gravhauger og hulveier fra jernalderen undersøkt. Resultatene fra undersøkelsene presenteres i denne publikasjonen. Resultatene fra E18 Tvedestrand-Arendal-prosjektet bidrar med ny og viktig kunnskap om steinalderen langs kysten i Aust-Agder, et område hvor steinalderen fram til nå har vært lite undersøkt. I tillegg til å øke kunnskapen om steinalderen i Aust-Agders kystlandskap har dette nylig framgravde, arkeologiske kildematerialet også et stort vitenskapelig potensial i overregionale og internasjonale sammenhenger.
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I perioden 11. april - 24. mai 2007 ble lokalitetene id-91748 og id-91751 arkeologisk undersøkt på Robsrud, Lørenskog k. Disse var to av totalt åtte lokaliteter som ble utgravd i forbindelse med etablering av ny postterminal på stedet.... more
I perioden 11. april - 24. mai 2007 ble lokalitetene id-91748 og id-91751 arkeologisk undersøkt på Robsrud, Lørenskog k. Disse var to av totalt åtte lokaliteter som ble utgravd i forbindelse med etablering av ny postterminal på stedet. R91748 Lokaliteten R91748 (id-91748) ble undersøkt med flateavdekking og maskinell sålding. Ved såldingen fremkom et skår av en bartmannskrukke i steingods datert til middelalder/nyere tid, et bryne av ukjent alder og et flintfragment med retusj. I tillegg ble det funnet et forholdsvis omfattende etterreformatorisk gjenstandsmateriale. Det ble videre avdekket 6 nedgravninger som trolig kan sees i sammenheng med oppdyrkning eller dyrkning på stedet. 5 trekullprøver har blitt vedartsbestemt til bjørk og furu av statsstipendiat Helge I. Høeg. 3 prøver av furu og 1 av bjørk har senere blitt 14Cdatert innenfor tidsrommet 980 e.Kr. - nåtid (Beta-237924 - 237927). R-91751 Lokaliteten R91748 (id-91751) ble undersøkt ved maskinell sålding av matjord. Ved såldi...
I 1986 utkom Igor Kopytoffs artikkel The cultural biography of things: commoditization as process (publisert i The social life of things. Commodities in cultural perspective, redigert av A. Appadurai). Her påpeker Kopytoff at det er... more
I 1986 utkom Igor Kopytoffs artikkel The cultural biography of things: commoditization as process (publisert i The social life of things. Commodities in cultural perspective, redigert av A. Appadurai). Her påpeker Kopytoff at det er fruktbart å følge gjenstander gjennom hele deres livsløp. Det vil si fra de blir produsert til de blir henlagt. Et slikt sammenhengende studium vil si mye om gjenstandene i seg selv, men også mye om de menneskene som er med på å forme gjenstandsbiografiene. Denne oppgaven har hatt som målsetning å følge de østnorske flintøksenes livsløp, som redskaper og gjenstander som har båret med seg rike livshistorier. Ut fra studier av redskaper, fragmenter og avslag fra boplasser, løsfunn og funn av flintøkser i østnorske graver og depoter blir det konkludert med at de firesidige flintøksene utelukkende er produsert i Sør-Skandinavia. En liten gruppe tosidige flintøkser er imidlertid produsert på Østlandet, med samme produksjonsteknikk som er anvendt for neolittis...
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I perioden 20. september til 1. oktober 2004 ble det undersøkt et jernvinneanlegg i Beitostølen sentrum. Anlegget lå inneklemt mellom to veier, en skiløype, rør- og kabelgrøfter og et massedeponi. Anleggselementer som ovner, røsteplasser,... more
I perioden 20. september til 1. oktober 2004 ble det undersøkt et jernvinneanlegg i Beitostølen sentrum. Anlegget lå inneklemt mellom to veier, en skiløype, rør- og kabelgrøfter og et massedeponi. Anleggselementer som ovner, røsteplasser, kullgroper og slagghauger kan ha gått tapt på grunn av disse moderne inngrepene i kulturminnet. Det ble imidlertid undersøkt fire kullgroper, alle med kvadratisk bunnfom. De skiller seg med dette fra gropene som tidligere har vært undersøkt i Valdres, som har hatt en sirkulær bunnfom. I tillegg ble det undersøkt en relativt liten slagghaug med en beregnet totalvekt på 1,9 tonn. Kullprøver fra lokaliteten har blitt vedartsbestemt (jf. vedlagte analyser 1). Hoveddelen av prøvematerialet er bestemt til bjørk, men flere prøver har et innslag av furu. Seks prøver med trekull av bjørk fra kullgroper og slagghaug har senere blitt datert til tidsrommet AD975-1270, det vil si siste del av vikingtid og tidlig-/høymiddelalder (se vedlagte analyser 2, datering...
Kulturhistorisk museum og Norsk Maritimt Museum foretok den 13.–14. august 2019 en undersøkelse av en fiskefelle (ID 178651) i innsjøen Grunna i Modum kommune i Buskerud. Formålet var å sikre kunnskap om restene av anlegget, ettersom... more
Kulturhistorisk museum og Norsk Maritimt Museum foretok den 13.–14. august 2019 en undersøkelse av en fiskefelle (ID 178651) i innsjøen Grunna i Modum kommune i Buskerud. Formålet var å sikre kunnskap om restene av anlegget, ettersom dette er det eneste fiskeanlegget som er C14-datert til vikingetid i Norge. I tillegg har anlegget vist klare tegn til forfall etter at den ble påvist i 1996. Ved undersøkelsen gikk en arkeolog fra Norsk Maritimt Museum i tørrdrakt ut i vannet/gytja for å identifisere ledegjerder, flettverk og eventuelt annet som kunne befinne seg under overflaten. Gjerderestene ble målt inn. I forbindelse med undersøkelsen ble det tatt inn ytterligere fem prøver av furu til radiologisk datering. De ytre årringene av disse har blitt tidfestet til tidsrommet 890–1635 e.Kr., noe som innebærer at anlegget må ha blitt driftet mer eller mindre sammenhengende fra slutten av vikingtiden og gjennom hele middelalderen. Undersøkelsen viste også at anlegget var betydelig forringet...
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I forbindelse med reguleringsplanen av Andstorfeltet, Vang, Oppland ble det undersøkt 18 kullgroper, ti ved hjelp av gravemaskin og åtte ved prøvestikking. De som ble undersølst med maskin kan deles inn i to ulike typer. Fire kullgroper... more
I forbindelse med reguleringsplanen av Andstorfeltet, Vang, Oppland ble det undersøkt 18 kullgroper, ti ved hjelp av gravemaskin og åtte ved prøvestikking. De som ble undersølst med maskin kan deles inn i to ulike typer. Fire kullgroper var rektangulære med avrunda hjømer og fire hadde en sirkulær bunnfom. I tillegg hadde to groper en usikker bunnfom. Kullgropene i området var for øvrig små og mange hadde voll bare i nedkant av gropa. I en av gropene lyktes det å påvise to bruksfaser. Det ble også gjort en begrenset undersøkelse av et jernvinneanlegg (S77). Anlegget viste seg å bestå av en liten slagghaug, et ovnsområde, og en malmkonsentrasjon. I nærheten av anlegget lå også en kullgrop (S48). To kullprøver fra slagghaugen og 14 prøver fra kullgropene er vedartsbestemt. Trevirket ble i all hovedsak bestemt til Betula (bjørk). I en av kullgropene og i slagghaugen har en liten andel blitt bestemt til furu. 16 kullprøver har blitt vedartsbestemt av Helge I Høeg (jf. Vedlegg, analyser ...
I perioden fra 6. juni -16. august 2006 ble det undersøkt et jemvinneanlegg (ID 98590) ved Godtstøylbekken på Hovden (2/8) i Bykle k., Aust-Agder. Undersøkelsen inngår i et mer omfattende utgravningsprosjekt i forbindelse med utvidelse av... more
I perioden fra 6. juni -16. august 2006 ble det undersøkt et jemvinneanlegg (ID 98590) ved Godtstøylbekken på Hovden (2/8) i Bykle k., Aust-Agder. Undersøkelsen inngår i et mer omfattende utgravningsprosjekt i forbindelse med utvidelse av Hovden Skisenter mot Breivevatn. På lokaliteten ble det utgravd en velbevart ettroms blestertuft som var skåret ned i en liten morenehøyde. Tuften samsvarer i hovedsak med Rolfsens blestertufter av type 2a. De nordligste delene av tuften lå i flukt med markoverflaten i området, mens de sørlige delene av gulvflaten var gravd 1,6 m ned i bakken. Nedskjæringene tilknyttet gulvflaten og inngangspartiet gjorde at tuften fikk et nært hesteskoformet preg. En mindre del av de utgravde massene var benyttet som veggvoller, men hoveddelen lå i skråningen nedenfor huskonstriksjonen. Gulvflaten hadde en kvadratisk til trapesaktig form og målte 3,4x3,4 m. Dette tilsvarer et gulvareal på 11,5 m2. Inngangspartiet lå midt på tuftens nordlige langvegg. Langs veggene...
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This repository holds the results and the data and code for assembling the GIF <em>Holocene shoreline displacement, inner Oslo Fjord, Norway</em> by Isak Roalkvam, Axel Mjærum & Per Persson 2020. This is a visualisation of... more
This repository holds the results and the data and code for assembling the GIF <em>Holocene shoreline displacement, inner Oslo Fjord, Norway</em> by Isak Roalkvam, Axel Mjærum & Per Persson 2020. This is a visualisation of displacement data derived and extended from Tore Påsse (2003) by Per Persson (see Fossum 2020), which takes account of variation in displacement along a southwest-northeast gradient. Licences associated with the contents of the repository are detailed in README.md Fossum, Guro 2020. Specialists facing climate change. The 8200 cal BP event and its impact on the coastal settlement in the inner Oslo fjord, southeast Norway. In <em>Coastal Landscapes of the Mesolithic. Human Engagement with the Coast from the Atlantic to the Baltic Sea</em>, edited by Almut Schülke, pp. 179–201. Routledge, London & New York. Påsse, Tore 2003. Strandlinjeförskjutning i norra Bohuslän under holocen. In <em>Strandlinjer och vegetationshistoria. Kvartärgeolog...
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Charcoal from archaeological contexts differs from off-site pollen samples as it is mainly a product of intentional human action. As such, analysis of charcoal from excavations is a valuable addition to studies of past vegetation and the... more
Charcoal from archaeological contexts differs from off-site pollen samples as it is mainly a product of intentional human action. As such, analysis of charcoal from excavations is a valuable addition to studies of past vegetation and the interaction between humans and the environment. In this paper, we use a dataset consisting of 6186 dated tree species samples from 1239 archaeological sites as a proxy to explore parts of the Holocene forest development and human-vegetation dynamics in SouthEastern Norway. From the middle of the Late Neolithic (from c. 2000 BC) throughout the Early Iron Age (to c. AD 550) the region's agriculture is characterized by fields, pastures and fallow. Based on our data, we argue that these practices, combined with forest management, clearly altered the natural distribution of trees and favoured some species of broadleaved trees. The past distribution of hazel (Corylus avellana) is an example of human impact on the vegetation. Today, hazel is not even among the 15 most common tree species, while it is one of the most prevalent species in the archaeological record before AD 550. The data indicate that this species was favoured already by the region's Mesolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers, and that it was among the species that thrived extremely well in the early farming landscape. Secondly, our analysis also indicates that spruce (Picea abies) first formed large stands in the southeastern parts of Norway c. 500 BC, centuries earlier than previously assumed. It is argued that this event, and a further westward expansion of spruce, was partly a consequence of a specific historical event-the first millennium BC farming expansion.
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Present-day global warming has great consequences, both for individuals and on a larger scale for society as a whole. However, environmental changes also affected everyday life in the past. The purpose of this article is to apply... more
Present-day global warming has great consequences, both for individuals and on a larger scale for society as a whole. However, environmental changes also affected everyday life in the past. The purpose of this article is to apply perspectives developed in studies of how contemporary societies adapt to shore-level changes and to use this insight in a study of the way Mesolithic populations handled a situation of large land uplift. More specifically, the author discusses four common adaptation strategies devised to cope with changing sea level, both on a site level and on a regional scale – to accommodate, relocate, protect, or not respond to the changing environment. In the Oslo Fjord in Norway, the shorelines moved from approximately 200–40 m above the present-day sea level in the period 9300–3900 cal BC, caused by the strong post-glacial rebound. Along the shores lived populations that based much of their life on the local marine resources. Building on information from the large ha...
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Research on the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8300−6350 cal. BC) of Scandinavia north of the Skagerrak Strait has mainly been based on data from the thousands of settlements found along the former sea, lake, and river shores. Far fewer sites have... more
Research on the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8300−6350 cal. BC) of Scandinavia north of the Skagerrak Strait has mainly been based on data from the thousands of settlements found along the former sea, lake, and river shores. Far fewer sites have been located or investigated further away from the former waters. The excavation of three Middle Mesolithic pit houses at Eidsberg in eastern Norway has therefore provided an unprecedented opportunity to gain detailed knowledge of Mesolithic activities in the hitherto under-explored forested inland. In this article, the newly discovered site and a range of other data are discussed in an ethnographical framework to understand the utilization of this hinterland as part of a semi-sedentary lifestyle.
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Present-day global warming has great consequences, both for individuals and on a larger scale for society as a whole. However, environmental changes also affected everyday life in the past. The purpose of this article is to apply... more
Present-day global warming has great consequences, both for individuals and on a larger scale for society as a whole. However, environmental changes also affected everyday life in the past. The purpose of this article is to apply perspectives developed in studies of how contemporary societies adapt to shore-level changes and to use this insight in a study of the way Mesolithic populations handled a situation of large land uplift. More specifically, the author discusses four common adaptation strategies devised to cope with changing sea level, both on a site level and on a regional scaleto accommodate, relocate, protect, or not respond to the changing environment. In the Oslo Fjord in Norway, the shorelines moved from approximately 200-40 m above the present-day sea level in the period 9300-3900 cal BC, caused by the strong post-glacial rebound. Along the shores lived populations that based much of their life on the local marine resources. Building on information from the large habitation area Havsjødalen and a statistical analysis of 529 critically selected sites in the region, the author concludes that single sites were systematically accommodated or relocated when the distance to the shores receded. However, sea level changes caused more dramatic regional landscape transformation and a less bountiful environment c. 5000 cal BC, with a period of maladaptation and a subsequent population collapse as a result. Like modern societies facing human-caused climate changes, the Mesolithic population had difficulties in handling the need for large-scale shifts in their society.
Research Interests:
Research on the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8300−6350 cal. BC) of Scandinavia north of the Skagerrak Strait has been based mainly on data from the thousands of settlements found along the former sea, lake, and river shores. Far fewer sites have... more
Research on the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8300−6350 cal. BC) of Scandinavia north of the Skagerrak Strait has been based mainly on data from the thousands of settlements found along the former sea, lake, and river shores. Far fewer sites have been located or investigated further away from these waters. The excavation of three Middle Mesolithic pit houses at Eidsberg in eastern Norway has therefore provided an unprecedented opportunity to gain detailed knowledge of Mesolithic activities in the hitherto under-explored forested inland. In this article, the newly discovered site and a range of other data are discussed in an ethno graphical framework to understand the utilization of this hinterland as part of a semi-sedentary lifestyle.
Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge. Faglig program for steinalderundersøkelser ved Kulturhistorisk museum inneholder en helhetlig oversikt over utgravinger av 430 boplasser, begravelser, depoter, fangstanlegg m.m. fra år 2000 til 2017, og... more
Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge. Faglig program for steinalderundersøkelser ved Kulturhistorisk museum inneholder en helhetlig oversikt over utgravinger av 430 boplasser, begravelser, depoter, fangstanlegg m.m. fra år 2000 til 2017, og presenterer en bred og oppdatert redegjørelse for forskningsstatus knyttet til steinalderen (ca. 9500–1700 f.Kr.) i regionen. Den manglede kunnskapen har dannet utgangspunkt for formuleringen av fire framtidige satsingsområder: Teknologi Bosetning og landskapsbruk Ressursgrunnlag og økonomi Ritualer og ritualisert praksis I dette faglige programmet for steinalderundersøkelser presenteres konkrete forslag til strategier og tiltak som vil bidra til å tette disse kunnskapshullene, skape faglig utvikling og danne grunnlag for videre forskning. Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge er skrevet for forskere, forvaltere, studenter og andre som vil gjøre dypdykk i vår eldste forhistorie. Boken vil være et viktig verktøy for planlegging og gjennomføring av kommende steinalde...
Research Interests:
The Stone Age in Southeastern Norway. The Academic Program for Stone Age Research at the Museum of Cultural History comprises a general overview of excavations, carried out between 2000–2017, of 430 sites, graves, depots, hunting pits and... more
The Stone Age in Southeastern Norway. The Academic Program for Stone Age Research at the Museum of Cultural History comprises a general overview of excavations, carried out between 2000–2017, of 430 sites, graves, depots, hunting pits and other sites, and presents a broad and updated report on the status of research relating to the Stone Age (c. 9500–1700 BC) in the region.
Insufficient knowledge has been the impetus for identification of four main areas for concerted prospective effort:
- Technology
- Settlement and land use
- Subsistence and economy
- Rituals and their practice
Also presented in this program for Stone Age research are concrete strategies and initiatives that will contribute to filling in these knowledge gaps, advancing the field, and laying foundations for further research.
The Stone Age in Southeastern Norway has been written with researchers, managers of cultural heritage and students in mind, as well as all others interested in a deep dive into our earliest history. This book will be an important reference for planning and carrying out future Stone Age excavations under the museum’s aegis. It will also serve as a foundation for guidelines the museum provides regarding conservation of our oldest cultural heritage.
Insufficient knowledge has been the impetus for identification of four main areas for concerted prospective effort:
- Technology
- Settlement and land use
- Subsistence and economy
- Rituals and their practice
Also presented in this program for Stone Age research are concrete strategies and initiatives that will contribute to filling in these knowledge gaps, advancing the field, and laying foundations for further research.
The Stone Age in Southeastern Norway has been written with researchers, managers of cultural heritage and students in mind, as well as all others interested in a deep dive into our earliest history. This book will be an important reference for planning and carrying out future Stone Age excavations under the museum’s aegis. It will also serve as a foundation for guidelines the museum provides regarding conservation of our oldest cultural heritage.
Research Interests:
This chapter addresses the economic and societal importance of coastal and freshwater fishing during the Mesolithic of eastern Norway. Here, new archaeological evidence of fishbone, fishing gear and site locations from different... more
This chapter addresses the economic and societal importance of coastal and freshwater fishing during the Mesolithic of eastern Norway. Here, new archaeological evidence of fishbone, fishing gear and site locations from different topographic environments – the coastal zone, the eastern interior zone and the mountain areas – are compiled and discussed. Increased use of aquatic resources is noticeable during the Middle and Late Mesolithic (c. 8200–6350 cal bc), even though the studied organic archaeological record is severely affected by taphonomic loss.
Based on general data from the region, selected key sites and comparison with diachronic finds from western Norway, Sweden and southern Scandinavia, we maintain that increased use of temporally and spatially predictable aquatic foods is linked with socio-economic consequences such as reduced mobility, delay return systems and economic and social differentiation. We further argue that rather than passively adapting to the environment, late Mesolithic populations actively intervened, transformed their landscape and managed its resources. There is ample ethnographic evidence that indigenous non-agrarian people employed management techniques that allowed them to enhance the productivity of the local environment, and sustain supplies of key species. Based on archaeological evidence, we suggest that such resource management included the transportation of living trout to the upper part of the large watercourses during the last part of the Mesolithic period.
Based on general data from the region, selected key sites and comparison with diachronic finds from western Norway, Sweden and southern Scandinavia, we maintain that increased use of temporally and spatially predictable aquatic foods is linked with socio-economic consequences such as reduced mobility, delay return systems and economic and social differentiation. We further argue that rather than passively adapting to the environment, late Mesolithic populations actively intervened, transformed their landscape and managed its resources. There is ample ethnographic evidence that indigenous non-agrarian people employed management techniques that allowed them to enhance the productivity of the local environment, and sustain supplies of key species. Based on archaeological evidence, we suggest that such resource management included the transportation of living trout to the upper part of the large watercourses during the last part of the Mesolithic period.
The archaeological field course is the forum where many archaeology students meet and take part in an archaeological excavation for the first time. To excavate and generate scientific data through excavations is at the core of the... more
The archaeological field course is the forum where many archaeology students meet and take part in an archaeological excavation for the first time. To excavate and generate scientific data through excavations is at the core of the archaeological discipline. For that reason, introducing students for theoretical and practical knowledge about field archaeology have been a central part of the discipline for the last 150 years at Norwegian universities. In this paper, we look closer at how the field course has developed at the University of Oslo during the last half century. Based on a compiled overview of field courses, we discuss how the field course has developed and changed over time in relation to the development in the discipline and higher education at large. A central question is whether the field course succeed in giving the students skills to perform an excavation and document the process. A main find is that collegial knowledge transfer run as a thread through the disciplines’...
Research Interests:
Research on the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8300−6350 cal. BC) of Scandinavia north of the Skagerrak Strait has been based mainly on data from the thousands of settlements found along the former sea, lake, and river shores. Far fewer sites have... more
Research on the Middle Mesolithic (c. 8300−6350 cal. BC) of Scandinavia north of the Skagerrak Strait has been based mainly on data from the thousands of settlements found along the former sea, lake, and river shores. Far fewer sites have been located or investigated further away from these waters. The excavation of three Middle Mesolithic pit houses at Eidsberg in eastern Norway has therefore provided an unprecedented opportunity to gain detailed knowledge of Mesolithic activities in the hitherto under-explored forested inland. In this article, the newly discovered site and a range of other data are discussed in an ethno graphical framework to understand the utilization of this hinterland as part of a semi-sedentary lifestyle.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Published in: 2016: A. Mjærum og E. U. Wammer (red.). Fjellfiske i fortiden. Årtusener med svømmende rikdom. Portal forlag, Kristiansand. Not only is the southern Norwegian inland an area with long fishing traditions; it is also an... more
Published in:
2016: A. Mjærum og E. U. Wammer (red.). Fjellfiske i fortiden. Årtusener med svømmende rikdom. Portal forlag, Kristiansand.
Not only is the southern Norwegian inland an area with long fishing traditions; it is also an area with hydroelectric power installations in 70% of the watercourses. For more than a hundred years, power dams have caused erosion and been a threat to the cultural heritage. Recent surveys have revealed that all the heritage sites along the shores of Lake Tesse are heavily damaged or completely lost as a result of the power production. A similar situation is seen in several lakes in the south of Norway. Many of the sites are affected, and more sites will be damaged or at worst disappear in the years to come.
Conclusively, there are still a great deal of new data to be gained by conducting archeological excavations in these areas. Nevertheless, important traces from the past have been eroded away, and valuable knowledge is lost forever.
2016: A. Mjærum og E. U. Wammer (red.). Fjellfiske i fortiden. Årtusener med svømmende rikdom. Portal forlag, Kristiansand.
Not only is the southern Norwegian inland an area with long fishing traditions; it is also an area with hydroelectric power installations in 70% of the watercourses. For more than a hundred years, power dams have caused erosion and been a threat to the cultural heritage. Recent surveys have revealed that all the heritage sites along the shores of Lake Tesse are heavily damaged or completely lost as a result of the power production. A similar situation is seen in several lakes in the south of Norway. Many of the sites are affected, and more sites will be damaged or at worst disappear in the years to come.
Conclusively, there are still a great deal of new data to be gained by conducting archeological excavations in these areas. Nevertheless, important traces from the past have been eroded away, and valuable knowledge is lost forever.
Research Interests:
Published in 2016: Fjellfiske i fortiden. Årtusener med svømmende rikdom. Portal forlag, Kristiansand. From around 9500 BC, a rapid deglaciation took place in the inland. This enabled the migration of species less well adapted to a cold... more
Published in
2016: Fjellfiske i fortiden. Årtusener med svømmende rikdom. Portal forlag, Kristiansand.
From around 9500 BC, a rapid deglaciation took place in the inland. This enabled the migration of species less well adapted to a cold climate into these areas. Mammals and birds could quite easily move into this new landscape, while waterfalls and steep elevation made it impossible for the fish to naturally migrate to large parts of these areas. The first human visitors thereby met a special situation, a large area with rivers and lakes without fish. This article discusses when the practice of transporting fish and the cultivation of the watercourses started. The vantage points are archaeological material from sites in the mountain areas as well as the knowledge of the importance and complexity of Scandinavian Stone Age fishing in general.
The article discusses the possibility of using the location of Stone Age sites to approach the question of early fishing and the context and age of burned fish bones found along the shores of two of the main
watercourses in the southern Norwegian inland.
The article emphasizes the many source-critical aspects related to the material but concludes that the mountain fishing most likely started in the Stone Age (before 1700 BC) and maybe already in the last part of the Mesolithic (before 3800 BC). It is also argued that the transportation of fish to mountain lakes and rivers made it possible to base the existence on a wider specter of activities, and combine unpredictable activities like big game hunting with more predictable net fishing.
2016: Fjellfiske i fortiden. Årtusener med svømmende rikdom. Portal forlag, Kristiansand.
From around 9500 BC, a rapid deglaciation took place in the inland. This enabled the migration of species less well adapted to a cold climate into these areas. Mammals and birds could quite easily move into this new landscape, while waterfalls and steep elevation made it impossible for the fish to naturally migrate to large parts of these areas. The first human visitors thereby met a special situation, a large area with rivers and lakes without fish. This article discusses when the practice of transporting fish and the cultivation of the watercourses started. The vantage points are archaeological material from sites in the mountain areas as well as the knowledge of the importance and complexity of Scandinavian Stone Age fishing in general.
The article discusses the possibility of using the location of Stone Age sites to approach the question of early fishing and the context and age of burned fish bones found along the shores of two of the main
watercourses in the southern Norwegian inland.
The article emphasizes the many source-critical aspects related to the material but concludes that the mountain fishing most likely started in the Stone Age (before 1700 BC) and maybe already in the last part of the Mesolithic (before 3800 BC). It is also argued that the transportation of fish to mountain lakes and rivers made it possible to base the existence on a wider specter of activities, and combine unpredictable activities like big game hunting with more predictable net fishing.