Mikael Larsson currently works at the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History at Lund University where he specializes in archaeobotany. His work includes research, teaching and contract archaeology. Ph.D. in Archaeology at Lund University (2015), previous academic achievements are from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver.
Maritime archaeological investigations of the wreck of the medieval warshipGribshunden(1495), fla... more Maritime archaeological investigations of the wreck of the medieval warshipGribshunden(1495), flagship of King Hans of Denmark and Norway, have revealed diverse artifacts including exotic spices imported from far distant origins: saffron, ginger, clove, peppercorns, and almond. The special circumstances of the vessel’s last voyage add unique context to the assemblage.Gribshundenand an accompanying squadron conveyed the king, courtiers, noblemen, and soldiers from Copenhagen to a political summit in Kalmar, Sweden. At that conference, Hans expected the Swedish Council to elect him king of Sweden, and thereby fulfill his ambition to reunify the Nordic region under a single crown. To achieve this, Hans assembled in his fleet and particularly aboard his flagship the people and elite cultural signifiers that would convince the Swedish delegation to accept his rule. Along the way, the ships anchored near Ronneby, Blekinge. Written sources record that an explosion and fire causedGribshunde...
Abstract Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological r... more Abstract Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record contains multiple lines of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental proxy evidence that can contribute to the understanding and analysis of long-term trajectories of change that are key for contextualizing 21st century global environmental challenges. Soil is a capital resource and its nutrient balance is modified by agricultural activities, making it necessary to ensure soil productivity is maintained and managed through human choices and actions. Since prehistory this has always been the case; soil is a non-renewable resource within a human lifetime. Here, we present and interpret carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of charred cereals from southern Scandinavia. Anthropogenic effects on soils are evident from the initiation of farming 6000 years ago, as is amendment to counteract its effects. The earliest cereals were planted on pristine soils, and by the late Neolithic, agriculture extensified. By the Iron Age it was necessary to significantly amend depleted soils to maintain crop yields. We propose that these data provide a record of soil water retention, net precipitation and amendment. From the start of the Neolithic there is a concurrent decrease in both Δ13C and δ15N, mitigated only by the replacement of soil organic content in the form of manure in the Iron Age. The cereal isotopes provide a record of trajectories of agricultural sustainability and anthropogenic adaptation for nearly the entire history of farming in the region.
Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record con... more Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record contains multiple lines of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental proxy evidence that can contribute to the understanding and analysis of long-term trajectories of change that are key for contextualizing 21st century global environmental challenges. Soil is a capital resource and its nutrient balance is modified by agricultural activities, making it necessary to ensure soil productivity is maintained and managed through human choices and actions. Since prehistory this has always been the case; soil is a non-renewable resource within a human lifetime. Here, we present and interpret carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of charred cereals from southern Scandinavia. Anthropogenic effects on soils are evident from the initiation of farming 6000 years ago, as is amendment to counteract its effects. The earliest cereals were planted on pristine soils, and by the late Neolithic, agriculture extensified. By the Iron Age it was necessary to significantly amend depleted soils to maintain crop yields. We propose that these data provide a record of soil water retention, net precipitation and amendment. From the start of the Neolithic there is a concurrent decrease in both D 13 C and d 15 N, mitigated only by the replacement of soil organic content in the form of manure in the Iron Age. The cereal isotopes provide a record of trajectories of agricultural sustainability and anthropogenic adaptation for nearly the entire history of farming in the region.
STAR: Science & Technology of Archeological Research, 2020
In this paper, we examine the exchange of crops and livestock through the application of strontiu... more In this paper, we examine the exchange of crops and livestock through the application of strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotope analysis on cereal grains and faunal tooth enamel from the regional center of Uppåkra and three nearby settlements in Scania, southern Sweden, dating to the first millennium AD. Around a third of the fauna have non-local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values, indicating the import of livestock from several different regions. After cleaning, almost all of the cereal grains have non-local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values, which is surprising given the nearby abundance of fertile agricultural soils. We therefore suggest considering non-locally grown crops to be those whose 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values fall outside the normal distribution; if this approach is used, around 20% of the analyzed crop samples are interpreted as having grown non-locally. This study demonstrates the potential of combining strontium isotopic data of archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological material for gaining insights into the movement of agricultural products in prehistory. ARTICLE HISTORY
This study uses crop stable nitrogen isotope analysis of charred grain to explore manuring practi... more This study uses crop stable nitrogen isotope analysis of charred grain to explore manuring practices in arable production at the affluent regional center Uppåkra and a set of smaller surrounding sites, dating to the first millennium AD in southern Sweden. The isotopic analysis focuses on hulled barley, the principle crop in the Scandinavian Iron Age, and the minor crops: bread wheat, emmer wheat, rye and oat, are included to compare manuring practices in cultivation of other crop species during this period. A field experiment was first conducted to establish relationships between manuring and δ¹⁵N values in modern grain from known growing conditions. The data formed an interpretive framework to reconstruct past agricultural practices and manuring intensity in the archaeological study area. Our results from the ancient grains have demonstrated that barley from the early phase in the study area (AD 0–200) varies widely in its δ¹⁵N values, reflecting mixed manuring regimes. In the following periods (AD 200–1000), isotopic values are relatively high overall, indicating systematic input of manure. In this paper, we explore whether the isotopic data that indicates sustained and high manuring levels could reflect the wealth of Uppåkra and its surrounding areas by showing prosperity also in its agricultural production, since intensive manuring would have required more resource and labor investments. The new crop nitrogen isotopic data shed light on the agricultural practices of a long-lived Iron Age center and its surrounding areas.
Little is known about arable agriculture in the Early Neolithic (4000-3300 cal BC, Funnel Beaker ... more Little is known about arable agriculture in the Early Neolithic (4000-3300 cal BC, Funnel Beaker Culture) of Southern Scandinavia. Archaeobotanical material is rare and few archaeological sites have yielded more than a small number of charred cereal grains. In this short communication, we present single-entity carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of charred cereals from Stensborg, an early Funnel Beaker Culture site near Stockholm, Sweden. This cereal assemblage is important as it is large, well-preserved and consists of multiple crop species. Our isotopic results indicate that many of the Stensborg cereal crops had been manured and that there is intra-and inter-species variation in manuring. We interpret these data as evidence of an integrated regime of stock-keeping and small-scale agriculture in the early Funnel Beaker Culture near its northernmost limit.
The excavation of a low-temperature kiln structure at an affluent Iron Age regional center, Uppåk... more The excavation of a low-temperature kiln structure at an affluent Iron Age regional center, Uppåkra, located in southern Sweden, revealed from archeobotanical samples and its context evidence of malting in the process to make beer. Carbonized germinated hulled barley grain (Hordeum vulgare) was recovered from the kiln structure itself and from the surrounding occupational surface. Located somewhat from the central area of the site, where previous excavations have uncovered hall-buildings, a ceremonial structure, and several smaller houses, the investigated kiln was situated in an area on the site that is absent of remains to indicate a living quarter. Activities using kilns have instead primarily been linked to this area and archeological finds are mainly of charred crops remains. In this paper, we argue that the germination of grain was deliberate and that the kiln was used to stop the germination process by drying or roasting the grain. If the malting process for large-scale beer production was carried out at a designated area of the site is discussed, as well as if this activity area was part of a structural organization observed elsewhere on the settlement.
A metric analysis on hulled barley grain from the
Iron Age regional centre of Uppåkra and surroun... more A metric analysis on hulled barley grain from the Iron Age regional centre of Uppåkra and surrounding sites in southern Sweden has identified a variation in the size of the grain found on these archaeological sites. Large, highquality grain was found more frequently at Uppåkra when compared to sites in the surrounding area, where smaller grain was more frequent. The observed large grain found at Uppåkra was, however, restricted to only a few house contexts, including hall-buildings, while other contexts on the site, such as areas dedicated to craft production, had barley assemblages containing smaller grain, similar to the size range found on the surrounding sites. The intrasite variation between different contexts at Uppåkra points to a degree of sorting for larger grain and that this variation between grain assemblages was the result of selection after the crop processing was completed. The distribution of grain size at Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates that the high-quality barley grain was indented for specific individuals or households. The different contexts at Uppåkra have together produced a record spanning the first millennium ad, representing almost the whole existence of the site. The evidence for selection of larger grain can be seen in the hall-buildings throughout most of the first millennium ad, although less prominently during the Late Roman Iron Age (ad 200–400), while during the Migration Period (ad 400– 550) several houses on the main site Uppåkra had assemblages of large grain size. The distribution of grain size at the regional centre Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates that the handling of large high-quality barley grain was part of a spatial organization, and such organization is similar to other functions observed on the site. The long-term record of grain size patterns across time shows that a structure for handling grain was already in place during the early phase of the settlement and that it remained for centuries. This study indicates that the affluence otherwise seen at the regional centre Uppåkra from an abundance of high-status objects, could also include agricultural wealth, with extensive access to high-quality grain.
Traditionally, the study of Roman cultural imports to Roman Iron Age societies in
Scandinavia ha... more Traditionally, the study of Roman cultural imports to Roman Iron Age societies in
Scandinavia has been based on analysis of the artefactual record. The starting point has
been artefacts held to be high-status objects deriving chiefly from funerary contexts and, to a lesser degree, from settlement sites.1 Although the existing evidence at Uppåkra, a highstatus settlement site in Scania province, Sweden, comes only from residential contexts, we will address the ongoing debate concerning Roman cultural imports with ecofactual evidence, to consider which aspects of Roman culture were introduced, which parts of Roman society were mediators, and the underlying social reasons for the introduction of the archaeobotanical remains into indigenous Iron Age society.
Subfossil remains of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) have been found at Lindängelund in the region of M... more Subfossil remains of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) have been found at Lindängelund in the region of Malmö,
southern Sweden. These represent the earliest robust evidence so far for hemp retting in Scandinavia.
Finds of seeds, stems and pollen of C. sativa from a waterlogged context on a settlement dating to the
Roman Iron Age demonstrate that the plant was locally cultivated and processed during the 1st–2nd
centuries AD. An introductory phase in Scandinavia is proposed (c. AD 1–400) during which the
cultivation of hemp was apparently small scale and processing was probably carried out within
settlements. In the succeeding centuries, c. AD 400–550 (the Migration Period), remains of hemp are
mostly found in pollen records from lake sediments, and less frequently in the archaeological record. This
could indicate that the process of hemp retting relocated from settlements to lakes shores where activity
became larger in scale and more integrated with the prevailing agricultural system.
Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum
(flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) ... more Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum
(flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were
found at Uppa°kra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in Ska°ne,
southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing
with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of
pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical
data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use,
processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron
Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax
seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this
site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman
Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the
flax cultivation at Uppa°kra 2:25 was intended for the production
of oil-rich seeds. The contextual relationship indicates
that both flax and gold of pleasure seeds were
processed in a similar way and used for oil. Furthermore, the
pure seed conglomerate of gold of pleasure suggests that this
plant was not a weed, but rather an intentionally grown crop
which was cultivated separately from flax.
This report presents the result from the excavations that took place in 2012 to determine the arc... more This report presents the result from the excavations that took place in 2012 to determine the archaeological context of previously found deposition within the fortification of Sandby borg. The deposition consisted, among other things, of relief brooches from the Migration period (400–550 AD) and a variation of different sets of beads. In 2011 and 2012 The County museum of Kalmar examined the archaeological context of the depositions. They were hidden in houses within the fortication. The excavations consisted of hand digging six shafts, located where the deposition finds were found. In addition to these, the finds consisted of pottery, iron fragments, a bronze button, unburnt bones from animals, and most remarkably human remains from possibly three different individuals in addition to the two found in 2011. At least one of the skeletons had suffered lethal blows to the head. 14C‐analysis of the body and nds dates the activities, including both the deaths and depositions, to the Migration period. There were hardly any cultural layers, indicating that Sandby borg has only been used for a short period of time, after which it was abandoned.
Maritime archaeological investigations of the wreck of the medieval warshipGribshunden(1495), fla... more Maritime archaeological investigations of the wreck of the medieval warshipGribshunden(1495), flagship of King Hans of Denmark and Norway, have revealed diverse artifacts including exotic spices imported from far distant origins: saffron, ginger, clove, peppercorns, and almond. The special circumstances of the vessel’s last voyage add unique context to the assemblage.Gribshundenand an accompanying squadron conveyed the king, courtiers, noblemen, and soldiers from Copenhagen to a political summit in Kalmar, Sweden. At that conference, Hans expected the Swedish Council to elect him king of Sweden, and thereby fulfill his ambition to reunify the Nordic region under a single crown. To achieve this, Hans assembled in his fleet and particularly aboard his flagship the people and elite cultural signifiers that would convince the Swedish delegation to accept his rule. Along the way, the ships anchored near Ronneby, Blekinge. Written sources record that an explosion and fire causedGribshunde...
Abstract Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological r... more Abstract Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record contains multiple lines of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental proxy evidence that can contribute to the understanding and analysis of long-term trajectories of change that are key for contextualizing 21st century global environmental challenges. Soil is a capital resource and its nutrient balance is modified by agricultural activities, making it necessary to ensure soil productivity is maintained and managed through human choices and actions. Since prehistory this has always been the case; soil is a non-renewable resource within a human lifetime. Here, we present and interpret carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of charred cereals from southern Scandinavia. Anthropogenic effects on soils are evident from the initiation of farming 6000 years ago, as is amendment to counteract its effects. The earliest cereals were planted on pristine soils, and by the late Neolithic, agriculture extensified. By the Iron Age it was necessary to significantly amend depleted soils to maintain crop yields. We propose that these data provide a record of soil water retention, net precipitation and amendment. From the start of the Neolithic there is a concurrent decrease in both Δ13C and δ15N, mitigated only by the replacement of soil organic content in the form of manure in the Iron Age. The cereal isotopes provide a record of trajectories of agricultural sustainability and anthropogenic adaptation for nearly the entire history of farming in the region.
Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record con... more Maintaining soil health is integral to agricultural production, and the archaeological record contains multiple lines of palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental proxy evidence that can contribute to the understanding and analysis of long-term trajectories of change that are key for contextualizing 21st century global environmental challenges. Soil is a capital resource and its nutrient balance is modified by agricultural activities, making it necessary to ensure soil productivity is maintained and managed through human choices and actions. Since prehistory this has always been the case; soil is a non-renewable resource within a human lifetime. Here, we present and interpret carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis of charred cereals from southern Scandinavia. Anthropogenic effects on soils are evident from the initiation of farming 6000 years ago, as is amendment to counteract its effects. The earliest cereals were planted on pristine soils, and by the late Neolithic, agriculture extensified. By the Iron Age it was necessary to significantly amend depleted soils to maintain crop yields. We propose that these data provide a record of soil water retention, net precipitation and amendment. From the start of the Neolithic there is a concurrent decrease in both D 13 C and d 15 N, mitigated only by the replacement of soil organic content in the form of manure in the Iron Age. The cereal isotopes provide a record of trajectories of agricultural sustainability and anthropogenic adaptation for nearly the entire history of farming in the region.
STAR: Science & Technology of Archeological Research, 2020
In this paper, we examine the exchange of crops and livestock through the application of strontiu... more In this paper, we examine the exchange of crops and livestock through the application of strontium (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) isotope analysis on cereal grains and faunal tooth enamel from the regional center of Uppåkra and three nearby settlements in Scania, southern Sweden, dating to the first millennium AD. Around a third of the fauna have non-local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values, indicating the import of livestock from several different regions. After cleaning, almost all of the cereal grains have non-local 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values, which is surprising given the nearby abundance of fertile agricultural soils. We therefore suggest considering non-locally grown crops to be those whose 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values fall outside the normal distribution; if this approach is used, around 20% of the analyzed crop samples are interpreted as having grown non-locally. This study demonstrates the potential of combining strontium isotopic data of archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological material for gaining insights into the movement of agricultural products in prehistory. ARTICLE HISTORY
This study uses crop stable nitrogen isotope analysis of charred grain to explore manuring practi... more This study uses crop stable nitrogen isotope analysis of charred grain to explore manuring practices in arable production at the affluent regional center Uppåkra and a set of smaller surrounding sites, dating to the first millennium AD in southern Sweden. The isotopic analysis focuses on hulled barley, the principle crop in the Scandinavian Iron Age, and the minor crops: bread wheat, emmer wheat, rye and oat, are included to compare manuring practices in cultivation of other crop species during this period. A field experiment was first conducted to establish relationships between manuring and δ¹⁵N values in modern grain from known growing conditions. The data formed an interpretive framework to reconstruct past agricultural practices and manuring intensity in the archaeological study area. Our results from the ancient grains have demonstrated that barley from the early phase in the study area (AD 0–200) varies widely in its δ¹⁵N values, reflecting mixed manuring regimes. In the following periods (AD 200–1000), isotopic values are relatively high overall, indicating systematic input of manure. In this paper, we explore whether the isotopic data that indicates sustained and high manuring levels could reflect the wealth of Uppåkra and its surrounding areas by showing prosperity also in its agricultural production, since intensive manuring would have required more resource and labor investments. The new crop nitrogen isotopic data shed light on the agricultural practices of a long-lived Iron Age center and its surrounding areas.
Little is known about arable agriculture in the Early Neolithic (4000-3300 cal BC, Funnel Beaker ... more Little is known about arable agriculture in the Early Neolithic (4000-3300 cal BC, Funnel Beaker Culture) of Southern Scandinavia. Archaeobotanical material is rare and few archaeological sites have yielded more than a small number of charred cereal grains. In this short communication, we present single-entity carbon and nitrogen isotope analyses of charred cereals from Stensborg, an early Funnel Beaker Culture site near Stockholm, Sweden. This cereal assemblage is important as it is large, well-preserved and consists of multiple crop species. Our isotopic results indicate that many of the Stensborg cereal crops had been manured and that there is intra-and inter-species variation in manuring. We interpret these data as evidence of an integrated regime of stock-keeping and small-scale agriculture in the early Funnel Beaker Culture near its northernmost limit.
The excavation of a low-temperature kiln structure at an affluent Iron Age regional center, Uppåk... more The excavation of a low-temperature kiln structure at an affluent Iron Age regional center, Uppåkra, located in southern Sweden, revealed from archeobotanical samples and its context evidence of malting in the process to make beer. Carbonized germinated hulled barley grain (Hordeum vulgare) was recovered from the kiln structure itself and from the surrounding occupational surface. Located somewhat from the central area of the site, where previous excavations have uncovered hall-buildings, a ceremonial structure, and several smaller houses, the investigated kiln was situated in an area on the site that is absent of remains to indicate a living quarter. Activities using kilns have instead primarily been linked to this area and archeological finds are mainly of charred crops remains. In this paper, we argue that the germination of grain was deliberate and that the kiln was used to stop the germination process by drying or roasting the grain. If the malting process for large-scale beer production was carried out at a designated area of the site is discussed, as well as if this activity area was part of a structural organization observed elsewhere on the settlement.
A metric analysis on hulled barley grain from the
Iron Age regional centre of Uppåkra and surroun... more A metric analysis on hulled barley grain from the Iron Age regional centre of Uppåkra and surrounding sites in southern Sweden has identified a variation in the size of the grain found on these archaeological sites. Large, highquality grain was found more frequently at Uppåkra when compared to sites in the surrounding area, where smaller grain was more frequent. The observed large grain found at Uppåkra was, however, restricted to only a few house contexts, including hall-buildings, while other contexts on the site, such as areas dedicated to craft production, had barley assemblages containing smaller grain, similar to the size range found on the surrounding sites. The intrasite variation between different contexts at Uppåkra points to a degree of sorting for larger grain and that this variation between grain assemblages was the result of selection after the crop processing was completed. The distribution of grain size at Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates that the high-quality barley grain was indented for specific individuals or households. The different contexts at Uppåkra have together produced a record spanning the first millennium ad, representing almost the whole existence of the site. The evidence for selection of larger grain can be seen in the hall-buildings throughout most of the first millennium ad, although less prominently during the Late Roman Iron Age (ad 200–400), while during the Migration Period (ad 400– 550) several houses on the main site Uppåkra had assemblages of large grain size. The distribution of grain size at the regional centre Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates that the handling of large high-quality barley grain was part of a spatial organization, and such organization is similar to other functions observed on the site. The long-term record of grain size patterns across time shows that a structure for handling grain was already in place during the early phase of the settlement and that it remained for centuries. This study indicates that the affluence otherwise seen at the regional centre Uppåkra from an abundance of high-status objects, could also include agricultural wealth, with extensive access to high-quality grain.
Traditionally, the study of Roman cultural imports to Roman Iron Age societies in
Scandinavia ha... more Traditionally, the study of Roman cultural imports to Roman Iron Age societies in
Scandinavia has been based on analysis of the artefactual record. The starting point has
been artefacts held to be high-status objects deriving chiefly from funerary contexts and, to a lesser degree, from settlement sites.1 Although the existing evidence at Uppåkra, a highstatus settlement site in Scania province, Sweden, comes only from residential contexts, we will address the ongoing debate concerning Roman cultural imports with ecofactual evidence, to consider which aspects of Roman culture were introduced, which parts of Roman society were mediators, and the underlying social reasons for the introduction of the archaeobotanical remains into indigenous Iron Age society.
Subfossil remains of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) have been found at Lindängelund in the region of M... more Subfossil remains of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) have been found at Lindängelund in the region of Malmö,
southern Sweden. These represent the earliest robust evidence so far for hemp retting in Scandinavia.
Finds of seeds, stems and pollen of C. sativa from a waterlogged context on a settlement dating to the
Roman Iron Age demonstrate that the plant was locally cultivated and processed during the 1st–2nd
centuries AD. An introductory phase in Scandinavia is proposed (c. AD 1–400) during which the
cultivation of hemp was apparently small scale and processing was probably carried out within
settlements. In the succeeding centuries, c. AD 400–550 (the Migration Period), remains of hemp are
mostly found in pollen records from lake sediments, and less frequently in the archaeological record. This
could indicate that the process of hemp retting relocated from settlements to lakes shores where activity
became larger in scale and more integrated with the prevailing agricultural system.
Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum
(flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) ... more Charred seed conglomerates of Linum usitatissimum
(flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were
found at Uppa°kra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in Ska°ne,
southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing
with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of
pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical
data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use,
processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron
Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax
seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this
site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman
Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the
flax cultivation at Uppa°kra 2:25 was intended for the production
of oil-rich seeds. The contextual relationship indicates
that both flax and gold of pleasure seeds were
processed in a similar way and used for oil. Furthermore, the
pure seed conglomerate of gold of pleasure suggests that this
plant was not a weed, but rather an intentionally grown crop
which was cultivated separately from flax.
This report presents the result from the excavations that took place in 2012 to determine the arc... more This report presents the result from the excavations that took place in 2012 to determine the archaeological context of previously found deposition within the fortification of Sandby borg. The deposition consisted, among other things, of relief brooches from the Migration period (400–550 AD) and a variation of different sets of beads. In 2011 and 2012 The County museum of Kalmar examined the archaeological context of the depositions. They were hidden in houses within the fortication. The excavations consisted of hand digging six shafts, located where the deposition finds were found. In addition to these, the finds consisted of pottery, iron fragments, a bronze button, unburnt bones from animals, and most remarkably human remains from possibly three different individuals in addition to the two found in 2011. At least one of the skeletons had suffered lethal blows to the head. 14C‐analysis of the body and nds dates the activities, including both the deaths and depositions, to the Migration period. There were hardly any cultural layers, indicating that Sandby borg has only been used for a short period of time, after which it was abandoned.
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Papers by Mikael Larsson
revealed from archeobotanical samples and its context evidence of malting in the process to make beer. Carbonized germinated
hulled barley grain (Hordeum vulgare) was recovered from the kiln structure itself and from the surrounding occupational
surface. Located somewhat from the central area of the site, where previous excavations have uncovered hall-buildings, a
ceremonial structure, and several smaller houses, the investigated kiln was situated in an area on the site that is absent of remains
to indicate a living quarter. Activities using kilns have instead primarily been linked to this area and archeological finds are
mainly of charred crops remains. In this paper, we argue that the germination of grain was deliberate and that the kiln was used to
stop the germination process by drying or roasting the grain. If the malting process for large-scale beer production was carried out
at a designated area of the site is discussed, as well as if this activity area was part of a structural organization observed elsewhere
on the settlement.
Iron Age regional centre of Uppåkra and surrounding sites
in southern Sweden has identified a variation in the size of
the grain found on these archaeological sites. Large, highquality
grain was found more frequently at Uppåkra when
compared to sites in the surrounding area, where smaller
grain was more frequent. The observed large grain found
at Uppåkra was, however, restricted to only a few house
contexts, including hall-buildings, while other contexts on
the site, such as areas dedicated to craft production, had
barley assemblages containing smaller grain, similar to
the size range found on the surrounding sites. The intrasite
variation between different contexts at Uppåkra points
to a degree of sorting for larger grain and that this variation
between grain assemblages was the result of selection
after the crop processing was completed. The distribution
of grain size at Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates that
the high-quality barley grain was indented for specific individuals
or households. The different contexts at Uppåkra
have together produced a record spanning the first millennium
ad, representing almost the whole existence of the site.
The evidence for selection of larger grain can be seen in the
hall-buildings throughout most of the first millennium ad,
although less prominently during the Late Roman Iron Age (ad 200–400), while during the Migration Period (ad 400–
550) several houses on the main site Uppåkra had assemblages
of large grain size. The distribution of grain size at
the regional centre Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates
that the handling of large high-quality barley grain was part
of a spatial organization, and such organization is similar to
other functions observed on the site. The long-term record
of grain size patterns across time shows that a structure for
handling grain was already in place during the early phase of
the settlement and that it remained for centuries. This study
indicates that the affluence otherwise seen at the regional
centre Uppåkra from an abundance of high-status objects,
could also include agricultural wealth, with extensive access
to high-quality grain.
Scandinavia has been based on analysis of the artefactual record. The starting point has
been artefacts held to be high-status objects deriving chiefly from funerary contexts and, to a lesser degree, from settlement sites.1 Although the existing evidence at Uppåkra, a highstatus settlement site in Scania province, Sweden, comes only from residential contexts, we will address the ongoing debate concerning Roman cultural imports with ecofactual evidence, to consider which aspects of Roman culture were introduced, which parts of Roman society were mediators, and the underlying social reasons for the introduction of the archaeobotanical remains into indigenous Iron Age society.
southern Sweden. These represent the earliest robust evidence so far for hemp retting in Scandinavia.
Finds of seeds, stems and pollen of C. sativa from a waterlogged context on a settlement dating to the
Roman Iron Age demonstrate that the plant was locally cultivated and processed during the 1st–2nd
centuries AD. An introductory phase in Scandinavia is proposed (c. AD 1–400) during which the
cultivation of hemp was apparently small scale and processing was probably carried out within
settlements. In the succeeding centuries, c. AD 400–550 (the Migration Period), remains of hemp are
mostly found in pollen records from lake sediments, and less frequently in the archaeological record. This
could indicate that the process of hemp retting relocated from settlements to lakes shores where activity
became larger in scale and more integrated with the prevailing agricultural system.
(flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were
found at Uppa°kra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in Ska°ne,
southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing
with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of
pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical
data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use,
processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron
Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax
seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this
site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman
Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the
flax cultivation at Uppa°kra 2:25 was intended for the production
of oil-rich seeds. The contextual relationship indicates
that both flax and gold of pleasure seeds were
processed in a similar way and used for oil. Furthermore, the
pure seed conglomerate of gold of pleasure suggests that this
plant was not a weed, but rather an intentionally grown crop
which was cultivated separately from flax.
Books by Mikael Larsson
revealed from archeobotanical samples and its context evidence of malting in the process to make beer. Carbonized germinated
hulled barley grain (Hordeum vulgare) was recovered from the kiln structure itself and from the surrounding occupational
surface. Located somewhat from the central area of the site, where previous excavations have uncovered hall-buildings, a
ceremonial structure, and several smaller houses, the investigated kiln was situated in an area on the site that is absent of remains
to indicate a living quarter. Activities using kilns have instead primarily been linked to this area and archeological finds are
mainly of charred crops remains. In this paper, we argue that the germination of grain was deliberate and that the kiln was used to
stop the germination process by drying or roasting the grain. If the malting process for large-scale beer production was carried out
at a designated area of the site is discussed, as well as if this activity area was part of a structural organization observed elsewhere
on the settlement.
Iron Age regional centre of Uppåkra and surrounding sites
in southern Sweden has identified a variation in the size of
the grain found on these archaeological sites. Large, highquality
grain was found more frequently at Uppåkra when
compared to sites in the surrounding area, where smaller
grain was more frequent. The observed large grain found
at Uppåkra was, however, restricted to only a few house
contexts, including hall-buildings, while other contexts on
the site, such as areas dedicated to craft production, had
barley assemblages containing smaller grain, similar to
the size range found on the surrounding sites. The intrasite
variation between different contexts at Uppåkra points
to a degree of sorting for larger grain and that this variation
between grain assemblages was the result of selection
after the crop processing was completed. The distribution
of grain size at Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates that
the high-quality barley grain was indented for specific individuals
or households. The different contexts at Uppåkra
have together produced a record spanning the first millennium
ad, representing almost the whole existence of the site.
The evidence for selection of larger grain can be seen in the
hall-buildings throughout most of the first millennium ad,
although less prominently during the Late Roman Iron Age (ad 200–400), while during the Migration Period (ad 400–
550) several houses on the main site Uppåkra had assemblages
of large grain size. The distribution of grain size at
the regional centre Uppåkra shows a pattern that indicates
that the handling of large high-quality barley grain was part
of a spatial organization, and such organization is similar to
other functions observed on the site. The long-term record
of grain size patterns across time shows that a structure for
handling grain was already in place during the early phase of
the settlement and that it remained for centuries. This study
indicates that the affluence otherwise seen at the regional
centre Uppåkra from an abundance of high-status objects,
could also include agricultural wealth, with extensive access
to high-quality grain.
Scandinavia has been based on analysis of the artefactual record. The starting point has
been artefacts held to be high-status objects deriving chiefly from funerary contexts and, to a lesser degree, from settlement sites.1 Although the existing evidence at Uppåkra, a highstatus settlement site in Scania province, Sweden, comes only from residential contexts, we will address the ongoing debate concerning Roman cultural imports with ecofactual evidence, to consider which aspects of Roman culture were introduced, which parts of Roman society were mediators, and the underlying social reasons for the introduction of the archaeobotanical remains into indigenous Iron Age society.
southern Sweden. These represent the earliest robust evidence so far for hemp retting in Scandinavia.
Finds of seeds, stems and pollen of C. sativa from a waterlogged context on a settlement dating to the
Roman Iron Age demonstrate that the plant was locally cultivated and processed during the 1st–2nd
centuries AD. An introductory phase in Scandinavia is proposed (c. AD 1–400) during which the
cultivation of hemp was apparently small scale and processing was probably carried out within
settlements. In the succeeding centuries, c. AD 400–550 (the Migration Period), remains of hemp are
mostly found in pollen records from lake sediments, and less frequently in the archaeological record. This
could indicate that the process of hemp retting relocated from settlements to lakes shores where activity
became larger in scale and more integrated with the prevailing agricultural system.
(flax) and Camelina sativa (gold of pleasure) were
found at Uppa°kra 2:25, a Roman Iron Age site in Ska°ne,
southern Sweden. The conglomerates showed no mixing
with each other, as they were almost pure flax and gold of
pleasure respectively. Together with other archaeobotanical
data from the site, they provide new evidence on the use,
processing and cultivation of these two plants in early Iron
Age in Scandinavia. Metric analyses were applied to flax
seeds from both conglomerates and other contexts at this
site, and compared to seed assemblages from other Roman
Iron Age sites in Europe. The comparison showed that the
flax cultivation at Uppa°kra 2:25 was intended for the production
of oil-rich seeds. The contextual relationship indicates
that both flax and gold of pleasure seeds were
processed in a similar way and used for oil. Furthermore, the
pure seed conglomerate of gold of pleasure suggests that this
plant was not a weed, but rather an intentionally grown crop
which was cultivated separately from flax.