Bengt Nordqvist

The buckle has become a hallmark, a symbol of Offerplats Finnestorp.

It can easily only be interpreted as a figure-rich object from the early 500s e.Kr. But its characters and their relationship to each other are told the most dramatic story of the life-changing event of the Aesir god Odin. Everything "boiled" down in a buckle. It contains Asa mysticism, symbolism, and divine drama. That this pantheon still and repeatedly fascinates is obvious. An exciting thing about the buckle is also that its sculptural representations have a direct association with the Old Norse Edda.

The goldsmith who made this magnificent object has not only been a smith. He should be seen at least as much as an enterprising, clever and imaginative master artist. Through his artwork, he has "brought to life" not just a figure, but an event that turns into a story. It took me a couple of years before I managed to solve the mystery of the buckle and its sculptural figures. Now that the riddle has been cracked, it is obvious that the buckle portrays Odin. This artwork highlights one of the more significant events in the history of the Aesir god. But the trickiness has been visualized in the form of an enigma. All according to the customs of the time.

Welcome to the world of Odin buckle.

Correct adress
Odin's Secret – a 1500-year-old story (youtube.com)


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Spännet har blivit ett signum, en symbol för Offerplats Finnestorp. Den kan lätt bara tolkas som ett figurrikt föremål från tidigt 500-tal e.Kr. Men dess figurer och deras förhållande till varandra berättas den mest dramatiska historien kring asaguden Odens livsavgörande händelse. Allt "ner kokat" i ett spänne. Här ryms asa-mystik, symbolik och guda dramatik. Att denna gudavärld fortfarande och återkommande fascinerar är uppenbart. Spännande med spännet är också att dess skulpturala gestaltningar har en direkt association till den fornnordiska Eddan.

Välkomna in i Odensöljans värld!

Correct adress
Odin's Secret – a 1500-year-old story (youtube.com)

Oral health in historical populations has mostly been studied using morphology in teeth and jaw bone. However, DNA sequences from dental calculus, and chewed pitch provide hitherto inaccessible information on oral health via the composition of microbial DNA sequences. Here we present the metagenomic analysis of three chewed pitches from Huseby Klev in Sweden that were dated to 9890-9540 before present. The microbial profile exposes a Mesolithic oral microbiome that include oral and systemic pathogens. We compared the data with healthy and dysbiotic microbiome datasets and we identified periodontitis specific microbes, along with infective endocarditis causing bacteria. In addition, trained machine learning models predicted dysbiosis with 70-80% probability. Moreover, we identified DNA sequences from eukaryotic species as red fox, trout and apple. Our results indicate poor oral health during the Scandinavian Mesolithic, and show that pitch pieces have the potential to provide information on material use, diet and oral health.

The discussion of an early postglacial dual-route colonization of the Scandinavian Peninsula is largely based on associating genomic data to an early dispersal of lithic technology from the East European Plain. However, a direct link between the two has been lacking. We tackle this problem by analysing human DNA from birch bark pitch mastics, “chewing gums”, from Huseby Klev, a site in western Sweden with eastern lithic technology. We generate genome-wide data for three individuals, and show their affinity to the Scandinavian hunter-gatherers, more precisely, to individuals from postglacial Norway and Sweden. Our samples date to 9880-9540 calBP, expanding the temporal range of this genetic group as well as its distribution. Human DNA from mastics provides a clear connection between material culture and genetic data. We also propose that DNA from different types of mastics can be used to study environment, ecology, and oral microbiome of prehistoric populations

The discussion of an early postglacial dual-route colonization of the Scandinavian Peninsula is largely based on associating genomic data to an early dispersal of lithic technology from the East European Plain. However, a direct link between the two has been lacking. We tackle this problem by analysing human DNA from birch bark pitch mastics, “chewing gums”, from Huseby Klev, a site in western Sweden with eastern lithic technology. We generate genome- wide data for three individuals, and show their affinity to the Scandinavian hunter-gatherers, or more precisely, to individuals from postglacial Sweden. Our samples date to 9880-9540 calBP, expanding the temporal range of this genetic group as well as its distribution. Human DNA from mastics provides a clear connection between material culture and genetic data. We also propose that DNA from different types of mastics can be used to study environment, ecology, and oral microbiome of prehistoric populations.

... This graph has often been quoted as a major piece of evidence for a Mesolithic/Neolithic dietarytransition in southern Scandinavia (eg Larsen 1997; Meiklejohn et al. 1988; Price 2000; Bonsall et al. 2002; Schulting & Richards 2002a; Richards et al. 2003). ...

Wetland archaeology. There are also a video from the excavation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50koHDP1bwI&t=41s
Wooden items from boats, charts, farm. 14C datings 40-410 AD and 410-650 AD. A lot of finds from the whole process concerning work at different wooden artefacts (halvfabrics, complete and broken items).  Vehicle for using on the sea as well on land. Wetland offering. 14C- , makro-, pollen analysis. Type of wood. Transgressed refuse layer. Key words (every item is made of wood): oarlook, oars (prefabricated and broken parts), anchor, bowl, tray, ladder, basket, wheel, club, board, peg, tool for making ropes (fig 107), wooden sword, groove/channel for ships (pre wiking ships), ships for sailing. A lot of photos. The text is in Swedish.

Living children Living children – crawling, laughing, playing, working, looking after younger sisters and brothers, and whatever else they did – are notoriously hard to glimpse in archaeological data from prehistoric and early historical times. Archaeological children are usually associated with contexts related to death, and are excavated from burial grounds and churchyards, or were sacrificed and later excavated from various ritual sites (cf. Swedish examples: Johnsen & Welinder 1995, Welinder 1998). We have previously discussed living children from the time when they lost their milk teeth (Kjellstrom et al. 2009). The starting point was the extraordinary find of seventeen milk teeth from at least three or four children between the ages of 5 and 10 years. After they fell out, the teeth had been stuck between the logs of an early modern log house. In this article, we will again use teeth, but now to discuss another aspect of the lives of children both before and after they lost the...

Human demography research in grounded on the information derived from ancient DNA and archaeology. For example, the study on the early postglacial dual-route colonisation of the Scandinavian Peninsula is largely based on associating genomic data with the early dispersal of lithic technology from the East European Plain. However, a clear connection between material culture and genetics has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate that direct connection by analysing human DNA from chewed birch bark pitch mastics. These samples were discovered at Huseby Klev in western Sweden, a Mesolithic site with eastern lithic technology. We generated genome-wide data for three individuals, and show their affinity to the Scan-dinavian hunter-gatherers. Our samples date to 9880-9540 calBP, expanding the temporal range and distribution of the early Scandinavian genetic group. We propose that DNA from ancient mastics can be used to study environment and ecology of prehistoric populations.

The background is that during the excavations (1992-1994), we found a find layer, several meters below surface (Publication, see below – Huseby klev, en kustboplats med bevarat organiskt material…/ ”a coastal site with preserved organic remains”). In connection with the excavation I developed a new excavation technic (water-sieving). By this method we could collect a lot of bones of mammals (from sea as well from land) as well as a lot of fishbones. A lot of artefacts of bone was found (fishhooks, fragments of harpoons etc.). A lot of botanic material was found (hazelnuts, wild apples, wooden artifacts etc.). Some bones of human individuals were also found. Exclusive were the find of harpiks/masticated lumps (chewing gums, boat sealings etc.). All chewing gums have been chewed by children and teenagers (female and male).

The offering site of Finnestorp, Västergötland, Sweden, is presented in this article.
Video from the excavations on Youtube :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lznKbpUULIE
Offerings of weapons and other types of military equipment took place here following victorious battles. Conquered equipment was offered in a wetland on a few occasions. Approx. 50% of the finds represent horse tack (horse gear and saddles). Artefacts related to bridles and saddles are presented and their chronological distribution is discussed. Several mounts of gilt silver are punch-decorated in Sösdala style others are made in animal style. The Finnestorp artefacts are compared to other Scandinavian finds. They are also placed in an European context. The majority of the deposited objects at Finnestorp date to the Migration Period Scand-D1–D2a, the early 5th century AD. With photos, reconstructions, distribution maps of artefacts of the personal equipment of warriors, weaponry and horse equiments etc

A coastal Ahrensburgian site
This site from the late paleolithic has been dated by typology and shore-line to Ahrensburgian culture (10 000 B.C.) On the site was found arrowpoints, blades and cores of flint. The points, cores and blades were of a classic Ahrensburgian -type. On the site it was also found flint artifacts from Mesolithic and Neolithic. Photos and shoreline maps

A coastal Federmesser site
This site from the late paleolithic has been dated by typology and shore-line to Federmesser culture (11 000 B.C.) On the site was found arrowpoints, blades and cores of flint. One point was of a classic Federmesser-type. Typical for this site was the lack of flint. The people has been utilizing flint at maximum. Photos and shoreline maps

Ph.D. about the coastal sites in West Sweden. They date to late Paleolithic and Mesolithic period. This dissertation discusses chronology and lithics. Bone, macrofossil, resin clump with teeth marks (“chewing gum”) and boat sealing remains are presented. There is a discussion about excavations methods. There is a discussion about methods of identification concerning microliths, barbed points and blades. 14C and 13C analyses of skeletal material are presented. 14C- datings from the entire Mesolithic period. There is a discussion about archeology and shore level displacement as well as fauna, flora and settlement patterns. Unique for West Sweden is the possibilities to discuss utilisation of marine as well as terrestrial resources. Process of change for the coastal sites in West Sweden are presented.

A new find of bracteat of gold
This is an excavation report. It is a new find of a C-brakteat, 1867 it was found an F-brakeat on the same spot, direct to a small wetland and close to sea.
The brakteat found in 2016 was worn, but the brakteat found in 1867 was not. The brakteat from 1867 has runic inscriptions “WīgaR, ich, der Eril”. ”Erilar” use to be connected to the tribe Heruli. The tube is of an exclusive type.
Photos, excavation, Sweden, gold, bracteat, runic inscriptions, heruli, 2016 and 1867, wetland
All in swedish

Ett nytt begrepp, I vått och torrt, Strandförskjutning och transgression, Hur blottlägger man det fördolda?, Exempel på våtmarksarkeologiska lämningar, Tuggummin och båt tätningar 10 000 år gamla, offrade hundar och spädbarn, Offerfynd i mossar Finnestorp, Tulebo krigsbytesoffer och kokgropsrader

From Samarkand to Göta river- actual archeological finds from roman iron age to early Viking age. Three important finds spots along the river. “Grönån-Wooden manufacturing center” - wooden object dated from roman iron age to Germanic iron age (“pre Viking”). Key words: Tools made of wood, objects from carriages, charts as well as boats and ships, wooden wheel, wooden bowls, ladder, basket, oarlock, oar, tools for making ropes. Next findspot is the “Brakteats of gold from Trollhättan”. Väner region brakteats and south west Norway. Göta river and magnificent falls of Trollhättan, similarity to Sorte mull (Black soil) Bornholm Denmark, brakteat and wetlands, two brakteats has runic inscription and should be read in a reversed manner, the text is: “ I the eril is named Märthief, I wrote a powerful spell”. Key words: gold, runic inscriptions, wetland, eril, earl, Oden. Next subject is “Early Viking age trading centers along the Göta river”, there are locality names that indicate early trading as “kiöping” (Grönkiöping and Kiöping). Key words: finds of weights, coins and lumps of silver, coins from the Arabic word (both from north Africa and Samarkand). Dated between around 750-869 A.D. Archaeological excavation, long-oval pit-houses dated to 660-780 A.D. Photos and figures, all text is in Swedish

The items found represent the high status equipment belonging to elite warriors who were mounted on horseback. Video from the excavations:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lznKbpUULIE
These exclusive, often gilded, weapons and horse equipment are extremely fragmented, but at the same time they are very well preserved.
The artefacts are richly ornamented with both abstract and zoomorphic figures. A whole world of symbols is presented within these
small artefacts. This paper will examine the interrelationship of the figures and consider how they should be interpreted in relation to
the religious disputes of the period in which they were created. 350-550 AD. Keywords: War-booty, offering site, Migration Period, mounted warriors, warlords, Odin, divine leadership, Christianity, Norse religion,
animal style, symbols, identity

The last mammoth hunters
For 13 000 years ago, this site was visited by hunters from the continent. This site was placed on an inland surrounded by an artic archipelago. They could by their own eyes see the inland ice within a few kilometers distant. The visit supposes to been done during summertime. It is supposed that they normally have been living in northern Germany. The seasonal moment between inland and coast has already been seen in the archeological records from Paleolithic time. In France they are proofs that it has been seasonal movement from central France to the Atlantic coast (a distant of 200 km). The finds of sea shells, bones of seal and carvings with figures of sea fish, seabirds and a seal looking at a wild horse – all indicate a common movement from the caves to the sea. The artifacts show close similarities with late Magdelaine artifacts. Similar finds are found in Belgium. This people has been living when the North Sea plains still was above the sea-level and occupied by the megafauna like the mammoth.

Wetland archaeology. There are also a video from the excavation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50koHDP1bwI&t=41s
Wooden items from boats, charts, farm. 14C datings 40-410 AD and 410-650 AD. A lot of finds from the whole process concerning work at different wooden artefacts (halvfabrics, complete and broken items).  Vehicle for using on the sea as well on land. Wetland offering. 14C- , makro-, pollen analysis. Type of wood. Transgressed refuse layer. Key words (every item is made of wood): oarlook, oars (prefabricated and broken parts), anchor, bowl, tray, ladder, basket, wheel, club, board, peg, tool for making ropes (fig 107), wooden sword, groove/channel for ships (pre wiking ships), ships for sailing. A lot of photos. The text is in Swedish.

En analys av de två bygder under 1000 år. En diskussion kring bebyggelse, kommunikation, och centralbygder - från år 0 till 1000 efter Kristus. Landskaptes organisering, Kristnandet och kyrkor, Handel och marknadsplatser, Bebyggelse, Bygdens försvar - fornborgar, Kommunikativa centra, Centralbygder. Romersk järnålder, folkvandringstid, vendeltid, vikingatid, medeltid

The background is that during the excavations (1992-1994), we found a find layer, several meters below surface . In connection with the excavation I developed a new excavation technic (water-sieving). By this method we could collect a lot of bones of mammals (from sea as well from land) as well as a lot of fishbones. A lot of artefacts of bone was found (fishhooks, fragments of harpoons etc.). A lot of botanic material was found (hazelnuts, wild apples, wooden artifacts etc.). Some bones of human individuals were also found. Exclusive were the find of harpiks/masticated lumps (chewing gums, boat sealings etc.). All chewing gums have been chewed by children and teenagers (female and male). The find material belong to the oldest coastal site with preserved organic find material. The oldest datings go back to 9 100- 8 600 BP (uncalibrated). The analyzis of harpiks are in English.

Stretered – The large cult site from the Bronze age
The site is a large cooking-pit system situated on a high rime facing a lake. It was found a 3-row cooking-pit system. The length of the system stretched over 250 m. Totally 132 cooking-pits, 6 hearth and remains of a house were found. Stretered is the largest site found in Sweden for cult activities, dated to bronze age – oldest iron age. The northern system consisted of a 3-row cooking-pit system. In the southern part it converted to a 1-row cooking-pit system. In between there were a stone fundament (altar?). The cooking-pit system ended in the south by facing remains of a house. All 14C dated to 800-400 B.C.

Western Swedish chronologies and research traditions, 75 years of research, methodological developments, updated chronology and selected recent excavations, chronological framework, coastal Ahrensburgian (Hensbacka), early mesolithic (Sandarna), late Mesolithic (Lihult). Key word: artefact presentation, flint drawings. The text is in English.

Blade and blade technology, typology, chronology, historic background, what is important when you like to classify blades, trimming and platform angle, the blade and the butt (platform), blade cores, platform, rejuventation flakes, plunging blades. Flint drawings. From late paelolithic (Hensbacka) to the early-middle Neolithic. The text is partly in English (abstract and figure texts).

Pitted ware from the western part of Sweden. Flint, slate and ceramic, Pitted ware culture, spatial distribution of sites, Kitchen middens belonging to the Pitted ware culture, the characteristics of Pitted ware culture in the western part of Sweden, the relation to beaker and battle axe culture, ritual houses, chronology-ceramics flintpoints and absolute dating’s, hunter-collector-livestock herding-farmer-or-or not, 13C and ceramics, norms and attribute systems. Three regions-two different society systems. The text is in Swedish.

The Mesolithic background, early Neolithic settlements, ceramics from early Neolithic, flint artifacts early Neolithic, 14C dating megaliths, 14C dating ceramics, megaliths from western part of Sweden, inland and coast, the process of Neolithic introduction I west Sweden, pollen analysis, the model of introduction norms and environment, wild and tame, the way of thinking, culture. The text is in Swedish.

Shoreline changes and archaeology, shoreline displacement curves, shoreline displacement curves as dating method, shore line processes, to find transgressed sites. From late paleolithic to recent times. East and west coast of Sweden. The text is in Swedish

Greenstone axes from early Mesolithic to late Mesolithic, coastal and inland settlements, chronological and spatial distribution, reduction processes concerning greenstone axes, debris from greenstone axes manufacture, models for distribution systems, contradictions between coast and inland, special manufacture sites, different redistribution systems, regionality or not, gender. The text is in Swedish.

Coastal sites from late Paleolithic, early Mesolithic, middle Mesolithic, late Mesolithic. coastal and inland settlements, climate changes and the rise of the sea level, big game hunters and collectors of blackberries, dolphins hunters and apple collectors, seasonal movements, climate maximum, kitchen midden, huts, tanged points, flake axes, chewing gums, boat repair, fishing hooks, harpoons, greenstone axes. The text is in Swedish.

The Mesolithic settlements of the west coast of Sweden. Key words: shore line dating, Land rise, coastal settlements, seasonality, boreal period, late Paleolithic, hunt of sea mammals, small vales, ornamented vertebrae of small vales, aurochs, 13C, coast-inland, topography, chronology, tanged points, microliths, flint debris.The text is in English.

Reduction processes of flint from settlements. Methods for identification of specific production processes through the study of flint debris, polished and unpolished, spatial analysis, special analysis concerning manufacturing flint axes, daggers as well as simple tools, hypothetic sites concering reduction processes in flint. Keywords: research history, reduction processes, coastal sites, methods, hard and soft technic, schedule for identification, polished flake identification, model for identification, site analysis, use wear analysis. The text is in Swedish.

Example of a coastal settlement from the late Mesolithic. The finds are viewed in a south Scandinavian perspective. In Swedish but with a summary in English. Keywords: occupation layer, greenstone axes, refuse from making axes, scrapers, knives, micro blades, handle cores, hammer stones, grindstones and a lot of flakes from flint as well from greenstone, dating, traditions, functions, research history, graves, 4200-4700 BC.