Below Ground. Medieval Finds from Bergen and Western Norway, 2024
Quernstones, whetstones, soapstone vessels and baking stones were all important products that wer... more Quernstones, whetstones, soapstone vessels and baking stones were all important products that were sent to Bergen from uncultivated land in the Middle Ages. But where did these stone products come from, and where they mainly intended for use in the town or for onward export? And who was responsible for the trade in these goods?
UBAS University of Bergen Archaeological Series, 2017
Hansen, G. & Storemyr, P. (eds.) 2017. Soapstone in the North: Quarries, Products and People. 700... more Hansen, G. & Storemyr, P. (eds.) 2017. Soapstone in the North: Quarries, Products and People. 7000 BC – AD 1700. UBAS University of Bergen Archaeological Series, 9, 408 p. Soapstone is a remarkable rock. While it is soft and very workable, it is also durable and heat-resistant, and with a high heat-storage capacity. These properties have been recognised and valued around the world since prehistoric times, and soapstone has been used for a multitude of purposes, ranging from everyday household utensils to prestigious monuments and buildings. This book addresses soapstone use in Norway and the North Atlantic region, including Greenland. Although most papers deal with the Iron Age and Middle Ages, the book spans the Mesolithic to the early modern era. It deals with themes related to quarries, products and associated people and institutions in a broad context. Recent years have seen a revival of basic archaeological and geological research into the procurement and use of stone resources. With its authors drawn from the fields of archaeology, geosciences and traditional crafts, the anthology reflects cross-disciplinary work born of this revival.
The third volume covering the excavations of 1998–2003 in the Viking-period town of Kaupang exami... more The third volume covering the excavations of 1998–2003 in the Viking-period town of Kaupang examines a range of artefacts and discusses the inhabitants of the town: their origins, activities and trading connexions. Certain key threads from both this and the two previous volumes in the series are drawn together. The main categories of artefact are metal jewellery and ornaments, gemstones, vessel glass, pottery, finds of soapstone, whetstones and textile-production equipment. The artefacts are described and dated, and in some cases their areas of origin are discussed. An exceptional wealth and diversity of artefacts distinguishes sites such as Kaupang from all other types of site in the Viking world. This reflects the fact that a large population of some 400–600 people, engaged in a comprehensive range of production and trade, lived closely together in the town c. ad 800–930. The finds and structural remains make it possible to identify the activities that took place within the six buildings excavated. The earliest buildings were in use only periodically, but those erected in the 820s were occupied permanently. The earlier structures were used for limited periods by a variety of craftsmen, but those in permanent occupation were primarily houses and only secondarily workshops. Throughout the life of the town, trade links with southern Scandinavia, the Baltic and the Irish Sea appear to have been strong. In the earliest phases of the town there was considerable trade with the Frisian zone, probably with Dorestad, but this link faded in the second half of the 9th century, probably because Dorestad had been abandoned. Kaupang seems to have been supplied with goods from the interior of eastern Norway, while goods from the western coastland of Norway are all but absent. Finds of personal equipment show that many of the inhabitants were from southern and western Scandinavia. One house can be identified as that of a Frisian household engaged in trade. There were also Slavs in Kaupang, although it is not clear if they too were long-term residents. Kaupang was located in a border zone between southern and northern Scandinavia as well as between the East and the West. The trading potential of such border zones is probably why Kaupang, unlike Ribe, survived the demise of the Frisian trade in the mid-late 9th century.
The theme of this study is the large-scale exploitation of different stone products that took pla... more The theme of this study is the large-scale exploitation of different stone products that took place in Norway during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages (c. AD 800–1500). The research is based on analyses of two different quarry landscapes in Western Norway: the quernstone quarries in Hyllestad, Sogn og Fjordane, and the bakestone quarries in Ølve and Hatlestrand, Hordaland. The centre of attention is the production of utility artefacts: quernstones, millstones and bakestones, and more symbolic products such as stone crosses. The production landscapes are also assessed within wider socio-economic perspectives related to organisation, control and landownership. Following the different products, from production in the quarries to their distribution and use in both urban and rural contexts in Northern Europe, questions regarding trade and networks are addressed. The material is also discussed and assessed in wider methodological and theoretical contexts, and an aim is to illuminate the control and right of use related to the quarrying, also to examine the groups of actors behind production as well as distribution and trade.
SCANDINAVIAN ARTEFACTS FROM THE VIKING AGE ONWARDS are found in Slavic areas, suggesting interact... more SCANDINAVIAN ARTEFACTS FROM THE VIKING AGE ONWARDS are found in Slavic areas, suggesting interactions between Slavs and Scandinavians. In this paper, whetstones from present-day Norway are regarded as a proxy for this contact, and three different locations within the Oder estuary district in present-day north-western Poland are investigated, the Viking-Age town of Wolin, Szczecin Castle Hill and Lubin Stronghold. Geological characterisation and analysis of whetstones indicate that from the 9th/10th to the 13th centuries, whetstones at these sites were largely imported from quarries in present-day Norway, from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag and Eidsborg in Telemark. A reliance on distantly sourced products among Slavic people is demonstrated, and despite cultural and linguistic differences there seem to have been long-lasting networks between Norse and Slavic areas through the centuries.
Eidsborgbryne. Utmarksressurs og handelsvare i vikingtid og mellomalder, 2022
Production of whetstones in Eidsborg in Telemark dates to the very beginning of the 9th century, ... more Production of whetstones in Eidsborg in Telemark dates to the very beginning of the 9th century, indicated by whetstone finds in urban settlement, such as Kaupang in Vestfold and Ribe in Denmark. The whetstones were widely distributed and are found in towns and urban settlements several places in Northern Europe, dating to both the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. The Eidsborg-stones seem to have competed with whetstones from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag in the same markets, and from approximately 1000–1100 AD, Eidsborg ousted the whetstones from Mostadmarka. During the Middle Ages, whetstones from Eidsborg were exported from towns such as Skien and Bergen, and this distribution should be seen in connection with the timber and stockfish trade. Little is known about the people involved in production and distribution, but most likely, local, or regional landlords and farmers may have had disposal of the quarries and have benefited from both production and distribution of whetstones through centuries.
Expanding Horizons. Settlement Patterns and Outfield Land Use in the Norse North Atlanticand Use, 2022
An aim of this paper is to explore exploitation of outlying resources within a socio-political an... more An aim of this paper is to explore exploitation of outlying resources within a socio-political and economic context, where whetstone quarries form the basis for the discussion. Geological analyses of whetstones in Ribe in Denmark demonstrate that most of the finds were quarried within present-day Norway, in Eidsborg in Telemark and Mostadmarka in Trøndelag. Production in Mostadmarka started in the early 8th century, and in Eidsborg approx. a century later. Both sites should be seen in connection with an intensified exploitation of woodlands and mountainous areas that took place in the Scandinavian Peninsula from the early Viking Age onwards. The paper discusses how important products from the outlands were for the Viking-age economy and urban sites, and demonstrates that outlying areas were integrated parts of wider economic, social, and cultural systems.
By, marsk og geest 32. Kulturhistorisk tidsskrift for Sydvestjylland, 2020
Brynesteiner var nødvendige redskaper for å vedlikeholde jernverktøy med skarpe egger og spisser,... more Brynesteiner var nødvendige redskaper for å vedlikeholde jernverktøy med skarpe egger og spisser, og de er en av de mest vanlige gjenstandstypene fra jernalder og middelalder. Geologiske analyser av materialet i Ribe viser at over halvparten av brynene kom fra steinbrudd i dagens Norge – fra Mostadmarka i Trøndelag og Eidsborg i Telemark. Importen av bryner fra Mostadmarka begynte allerede tidlig på 700-tallet, og vitner om en stabil og godt organisert tilførsel som varte i flere århundrer. På begynnelsen av 800-tallet skjer det likevel en endring i materialet, der bryner fra Eidsborg blir mer vanlig og etterhvert dominerer markedet. Bryner fra de norske steinbruddene er synlige eksempel på handel mellom Ribe og fjerne utmarksområder siden tidlig på 700-tallet. Dette var langvarige og stabile kontakter – der de samme steinbruddene forsynte byen med bryner i over 500 år.
Gruel, Bread, Ale and Fish. Changes in the Material Culture related to Food Production in the North Atlantic 800-1300 AD, 2018
The focus in the paper is the apperance and use of bakestones in the North Atlantic, and their or... more The focus in the paper is the apperance and use of bakestones in the North Atlantic, and their origin. Many of the bakestones are of chlorite schist from Norway, and were distributed to the North Atlantic in the Middle Ages. They seem to have been well known and used at a number of sites, but the total number of bakestones documented does not indicate a large-scale and organised export westwards. Bakestones in medieval households may have been connected to ethnicity and gender identities, where the tools were largely used by women wanting to stress a Norse affiliation.
During the Viking Age, Arctic Scandinavia was a source of exquisite furs, down, walrus ivory, and... more During the Viking Age, Arctic Scandinavia was a source of exquisite furs, down, walrus ivory, and other commodities that met with high demand in England and on the Continent. Hitherto, the earliest firm evidence of this trade has been Ohthere’s account c. 890, but in light of this paper’s findings, its history may be pushed further back in time. Geological analyses of whetstones retrieved in eighth- to early ninth-century Ribe, south-western Jylland, in present-day western Denmark, demonstrate that the majority were quarried near the aristocratic manor Lade (‘loading/storing place’) in Trøndelag, present-day central Norway, some 1100 km by sea to the north. Because of their high numbers and durability, whetstones retrieved in Ribe and other urban sites may be regarded as a proxy for long-distance seaborne trade from the Arctic. The peak in this trade on the threshold of the Viking Age invites a reconsideration of the coinciding and conflicting interests of Scandinavian long-distance traders, kings, and Vikings. It is argued that coalitions and conflicts that arose from these interests, and new constraints and opportunities that emerged for these three types of agents, provide keys to understanding why and where Vikings raided overseas up to the mid-ninth century.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9221-3
Langs Vestlandskysten står det fleire høge, frittståande steinkrossar. Sjølv om det fleire stader... more Langs Vestlandskysten står det fleire høge, frittståande steinkrossar. Sjølv om det fleire stader her i landet er funne mindre steinkrossar nytta som gravkrossar, er dette den einaste regionen i landet med dei høge, frittståande krossane. Når vart krossane reiste – og kvifor?
Soapstone in the North. Quarries, Products and People 7000 BC-AD 1700. , 2017
During the Middle Ages, bakestones, or stone griddles, were an important part of Norwegian househ... more During the Middle Ages, bakestones, or stone griddles, were an important part of Norwegian households, representing everyday products required for the preparation of food over the hearth. Demand for these tools formed the basis for large-scale production, which is the subject of this paper. The study is based on analyses of an extended quarry landscape in Ølve and Hatlestrand in the County of Hordaland, representing the largest and most important production centre for bakestones in Norway. The griddles were produced from chlorite-rich talc-amphibole schist, a material able to withstand repeated heating and cooling without an imminent risk of fracturing. The range of products from the quarries also included tiles, building stones, and stone crosses. Small scale archaeological excavations in some of the quarries, and at a workplace where the finishing of bakestones took place, date the production to between the early Middle Ages (c. 11th or early 12th centuries) and the early modern period. The character and scale of production indicate an intense and well-organised activity, a specialisation where the quarries were exploited for profit. Most evidence points to a so-called semi-professional craft where people working and living at the surrounding farms also worked in the quarries. Some of the largest quarry sites may, however, have demanded different organisation and larger workforces. The bakestones were distributed all over Norway from the 1100s and into the early modern period. Outside Norway, they are mainly to be found within the North Atlantic region, whereas in Sweden and Denmark they are only found in small numbers, indicating random export.
Viking-Age Transformations. Trade, Craft and Resources in Western Scandinavia, 2017
From the early Viking Age until the late Middle Ages, the use of different resources in outlying ... more From the early Viking Age until the late Middle Ages, the use of different resources in outlying areas of Norway became more intensive, and a change from small-scale to large-scale exploitation can be seen. Various resources offered possibilities for creating surpluses for larger markets, and special mineral outcrops were exploited on a near industrial scale. The aim of this study is to look into the distribution of soapstone vessels and quernstones in the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. A central question is if they represent traded commodities or whether their distribution si the result of other modes of transfer, such as migration of people.
Below Ground. Medieval Finds from Bergen and Western Norway, 2024
Quernstones, whetstones, soapstone vessels and baking stones were all important products that wer... more Quernstones, whetstones, soapstone vessels and baking stones were all important products that were sent to Bergen from uncultivated land in the Middle Ages. But where did these stone products come from, and where they mainly intended for use in the town or for onward export? And who was responsible for the trade in these goods?
UBAS University of Bergen Archaeological Series, 2017
Hansen, G. & Storemyr, P. (eds.) 2017. Soapstone in the North: Quarries, Products and People. 700... more Hansen, G. & Storemyr, P. (eds.) 2017. Soapstone in the North: Quarries, Products and People. 7000 BC – AD 1700. UBAS University of Bergen Archaeological Series, 9, 408 p. Soapstone is a remarkable rock. While it is soft and very workable, it is also durable and heat-resistant, and with a high heat-storage capacity. These properties have been recognised and valued around the world since prehistoric times, and soapstone has been used for a multitude of purposes, ranging from everyday household utensils to prestigious monuments and buildings. This book addresses soapstone use in Norway and the North Atlantic region, including Greenland. Although most papers deal with the Iron Age and Middle Ages, the book spans the Mesolithic to the early modern era. It deals with themes related to quarries, products and associated people and institutions in a broad context. Recent years have seen a revival of basic archaeological and geological research into the procurement and use of stone resources. With its authors drawn from the fields of archaeology, geosciences and traditional crafts, the anthology reflects cross-disciplinary work born of this revival.
The third volume covering the excavations of 1998–2003 in the Viking-period town of Kaupang exami... more The third volume covering the excavations of 1998–2003 in the Viking-period town of Kaupang examines a range of artefacts and discusses the inhabitants of the town: their origins, activities and trading connexions. Certain key threads from both this and the two previous volumes in the series are drawn together. The main categories of artefact are metal jewellery and ornaments, gemstones, vessel glass, pottery, finds of soapstone, whetstones and textile-production equipment. The artefacts are described and dated, and in some cases their areas of origin are discussed. An exceptional wealth and diversity of artefacts distinguishes sites such as Kaupang from all other types of site in the Viking world. This reflects the fact that a large population of some 400–600 people, engaged in a comprehensive range of production and trade, lived closely together in the town c. ad 800–930. The finds and structural remains make it possible to identify the activities that took place within the six buildings excavated. The earliest buildings were in use only periodically, but those erected in the 820s were occupied permanently. The earlier structures were used for limited periods by a variety of craftsmen, but those in permanent occupation were primarily houses and only secondarily workshops. Throughout the life of the town, trade links with southern Scandinavia, the Baltic and the Irish Sea appear to have been strong. In the earliest phases of the town there was considerable trade with the Frisian zone, probably with Dorestad, but this link faded in the second half of the 9th century, probably because Dorestad had been abandoned. Kaupang seems to have been supplied with goods from the interior of eastern Norway, while goods from the western coastland of Norway are all but absent. Finds of personal equipment show that many of the inhabitants were from southern and western Scandinavia. One house can be identified as that of a Frisian household engaged in trade. There were also Slavs in Kaupang, although it is not clear if they too were long-term residents. Kaupang was located in a border zone between southern and northern Scandinavia as well as between the East and the West. The trading potential of such border zones is probably why Kaupang, unlike Ribe, survived the demise of the Frisian trade in the mid-late 9th century.
The theme of this study is the large-scale exploitation of different stone products that took pla... more The theme of this study is the large-scale exploitation of different stone products that took place in Norway during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages (c. AD 800–1500). The research is based on analyses of two different quarry landscapes in Western Norway: the quernstone quarries in Hyllestad, Sogn og Fjordane, and the bakestone quarries in Ølve and Hatlestrand, Hordaland. The centre of attention is the production of utility artefacts: quernstones, millstones and bakestones, and more symbolic products such as stone crosses. The production landscapes are also assessed within wider socio-economic perspectives related to organisation, control and landownership. Following the different products, from production in the quarries to their distribution and use in both urban and rural contexts in Northern Europe, questions regarding trade and networks are addressed. The material is also discussed and assessed in wider methodological and theoretical contexts, and an aim is to illuminate the control and right of use related to the quarrying, also to examine the groups of actors behind production as well as distribution and trade.
SCANDINAVIAN ARTEFACTS FROM THE VIKING AGE ONWARDS are found in Slavic areas, suggesting interact... more SCANDINAVIAN ARTEFACTS FROM THE VIKING AGE ONWARDS are found in Slavic areas, suggesting interactions between Slavs and Scandinavians. In this paper, whetstones from present-day Norway are regarded as a proxy for this contact, and three different locations within the Oder estuary district in present-day north-western Poland are investigated, the Viking-Age town of Wolin, Szczecin Castle Hill and Lubin Stronghold. Geological characterisation and analysis of whetstones indicate that from the 9th/10th to the 13th centuries, whetstones at these sites were largely imported from quarries in present-day Norway, from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag and Eidsborg in Telemark. A reliance on distantly sourced products among Slavic people is demonstrated, and despite cultural and linguistic differences there seem to have been long-lasting networks between Norse and Slavic areas through the centuries.
Eidsborgbryne. Utmarksressurs og handelsvare i vikingtid og mellomalder, 2022
Production of whetstones in Eidsborg in Telemark dates to the very beginning of the 9th century, ... more Production of whetstones in Eidsborg in Telemark dates to the very beginning of the 9th century, indicated by whetstone finds in urban settlement, such as Kaupang in Vestfold and Ribe in Denmark. The whetstones were widely distributed and are found in towns and urban settlements several places in Northern Europe, dating to both the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. The Eidsborg-stones seem to have competed with whetstones from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag in the same markets, and from approximately 1000–1100 AD, Eidsborg ousted the whetstones from Mostadmarka. During the Middle Ages, whetstones from Eidsborg were exported from towns such as Skien and Bergen, and this distribution should be seen in connection with the timber and stockfish trade. Little is known about the people involved in production and distribution, but most likely, local, or regional landlords and farmers may have had disposal of the quarries and have benefited from both production and distribution of whetstones through centuries.
Expanding Horizons. Settlement Patterns and Outfield Land Use in the Norse North Atlanticand Use, 2022
An aim of this paper is to explore exploitation of outlying resources within a socio-political an... more An aim of this paper is to explore exploitation of outlying resources within a socio-political and economic context, where whetstone quarries form the basis for the discussion. Geological analyses of whetstones in Ribe in Denmark demonstrate that most of the finds were quarried within present-day Norway, in Eidsborg in Telemark and Mostadmarka in Trøndelag. Production in Mostadmarka started in the early 8th century, and in Eidsborg approx. a century later. Both sites should be seen in connection with an intensified exploitation of woodlands and mountainous areas that took place in the Scandinavian Peninsula from the early Viking Age onwards. The paper discusses how important products from the outlands were for the Viking-age economy and urban sites, and demonstrates that outlying areas were integrated parts of wider economic, social, and cultural systems.
By, marsk og geest 32. Kulturhistorisk tidsskrift for Sydvestjylland, 2020
Brynesteiner var nødvendige redskaper for å vedlikeholde jernverktøy med skarpe egger og spisser,... more Brynesteiner var nødvendige redskaper for å vedlikeholde jernverktøy med skarpe egger og spisser, og de er en av de mest vanlige gjenstandstypene fra jernalder og middelalder. Geologiske analyser av materialet i Ribe viser at over halvparten av brynene kom fra steinbrudd i dagens Norge – fra Mostadmarka i Trøndelag og Eidsborg i Telemark. Importen av bryner fra Mostadmarka begynte allerede tidlig på 700-tallet, og vitner om en stabil og godt organisert tilførsel som varte i flere århundrer. På begynnelsen av 800-tallet skjer det likevel en endring i materialet, der bryner fra Eidsborg blir mer vanlig og etterhvert dominerer markedet. Bryner fra de norske steinbruddene er synlige eksempel på handel mellom Ribe og fjerne utmarksområder siden tidlig på 700-tallet. Dette var langvarige og stabile kontakter – der de samme steinbruddene forsynte byen med bryner i over 500 år.
Gruel, Bread, Ale and Fish. Changes in the Material Culture related to Food Production in the North Atlantic 800-1300 AD, 2018
The focus in the paper is the apperance and use of bakestones in the North Atlantic, and their or... more The focus in the paper is the apperance and use of bakestones in the North Atlantic, and their origin. Many of the bakestones are of chlorite schist from Norway, and were distributed to the North Atlantic in the Middle Ages. They seem to have been well known and used at a number of sites, but the total number of bakestones documented does not indicate a large-scale and organised export westwards. Bakestones in medieval households may have been connected to ethnicity and gender identities, where the tools were largely used by women wanting to stress a Norse affiliation.
During the Viking Age, Arctic Scandinavia was a source of exquisite furs, down, walrus ivory, and... more During the Viking Age, Arctic Scandinavia was a source of exquisite furs, down, walrus ivory, and other commodities that met with high demand in England and on the Continent. Hitherto, the earliest firm evidence of this trade has been Ohthere’s account c. 890, but in light of this paper’s findings, its history may be pushed further back in time. Geological analyses of whetstones retrieved in eighth- to early ninth-century Ribe, south-western Jylland, in present-day western Denmark, demonstrate that the majority were quarried near the aristocratic manor Lade (‘loading/storing place’) in Trøndelag, present-day central Norway, some 1100 km by sea to the north. Because of their high numbers and durability, whetstones retrieved in Ribe and other urban sites may be regarded as a proxy for long-distance seaborne trade from the Arctic. The peak in this trade on the threshold of the Viking Age invites a reconsideration of the coinciding and conflicting interests of Scandinavian long-distance traders, kings, and Vikings. It is argued that coalitions and conflicts that arose from these interests, and new constraints and opportunities that emerged for these three types of agents, provide keys to understanding why and where Vikings raided overseas up to the mid-ninth century.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9221-3
Langs Vestlandskysten står det fleire høge, frittståande steinkrossar. Sjølv om det fleire stader... more Langs Vestlandskysten står det fleire høge, frittståande steinkrossar. Sjølv om det fleire stader her i landet er funne mindre steinkrossar nytta som gravkrossar, er dette den einaste regionen i landet med dei høge, frittståande krossane. Når vart krossane reiste – og kvifor?
Soapstone in the North. Quarries, Products and People 7000 BC-AD 1700. , 2017
During the Middle Ages, bakestones, or stone griddles, were an important part of Norwegian househ... more During the Middle Ages, bakestones, or stone griddles, were an important part of Norwegian households, representing everyday products required for the preparation of food over the hearth. Demand for these tools formed the basis for large-scale production, which is the subject of this paper. The study is based on analyses of an extended quarry landscape in Ølve and Hatlestrand in the County of Hordaland, representing the largest and most important production centre for bakestones in Norway. The griddles were produced from chlorite-rich talc-amphibole schist, a material able to withstand repeated heating and cooling without an imminent risk of fracturing. The range of products from the quarries also included tiles, building stones, and stone crosses. Small scale archaeological excavations in some of the quarries, and at a workplace where the finishing of bakestones took place, date the production to between the early Middle Ages (c. 11th or early 12th centuries) and the early modern period. The character and scale of production indicate an intense and well-organised activity, a specialisation where the quarries were exploited for profit. Most evidence points to a so-called semi-professional craft where people working and living at the surrounding farms also worked in the quarries. Some of the largest quarry sites may, however, have demanded different organisation and larger workforces. The bakestones were distributed all over Norway from the 1100s and into the early modern period. Outside Norway, they are mainly to be found within the North Atlantic region, whereas in Sweden and Denmark they are only found in small numbers, indicating random export.
Viking-Age Transformations. Trade, Craft and Resources in Western Scandinavia, 2017
From the early Viking Age until the late Middle Ages, the use of different resources in outlying ... more From the early Viking Age until the late Middle Ages, the use of different resources in outlying areas of Norway became more intensive, and a change from small-scale to large-scale exploitation can be seen. Various resources offered possibilities for creating surpluses for larger markets, and special mineral outcrops were exploited on a near industrial scale. The aim of this study is to look into the distribution of soapstone vessels and quernstones in the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. A central question is if they represent traded commodities or whether their distribution si the result of other modes of transfer, such as migration of people.
Kommunikasjon, kontaktar og nettverk er viktige trekk ved dagens samfunn, der menneske, ressursar... more Kommunikasjon, kontaktar og nettverk er viktige trekk ved dagens samfunn, der menneske, ressursar, gjenstandar og idear spreier seg over store avstandar. Også i fortidige samfunn var det kontaktar og samhandling på ulike nivå, lokalt, regionalt og overregionalt – dvs. på tvers av regionar – både direkte og gjennom ulike nettverk. Det er ikkje alltid lett å spore historisk kjende regionar og grenser i eit arkeologisk materiale. Ved å trekkje inn ulike typar regionar definerte gjennom ulike kjeldekategoriar ønsker eg å problematisere og diskutere regionsperspektivet. Eit viktig spørsmål er i kva grad omgrep som ‘region’ og ‘regionalitet’ er eigna i analysar av ulike former for samhandling i mellomalderen. Korleis kan desse omgrepa vere nyttige innfallsvinklar i arkeologiske analysar på ulikt geografisk nivå? Artikkelen har fokus på kontaktar og kommunikasjon mellom lokalsamfunn og regionar i mellomalderens Skandinavia, ca. 1000–1500 e.Kr., med enkelte døme frå vikingtid. Eksempel er hovudsakleg frå Noreg, men danske område blir òg trekte fram. Sentrale spørsmål er i kva grad distribusjonsmønster av arkeologisk materiale vitnar om regionale og overregionale kontaktar, og i kva grad likskapar og ulikskapar i den materielle kulturen indikerer ulike regionar frå ein materiell synsstad. Målet er å sjå i kva grad ulike kjeldetypar samsvarar eller divergerer, og i kva grad arkeologiske kjelder kastar nytt lys i slike studiar.
In a Northern European context, little knowledge exists about the representational things prior t... more In a Northern European context, little knowledge exists about the representational things prior to the establishment of statehood. In Norway, approximately 30 courtyard sites are known (c. 100-1000 AD). Essentially, a courtyard site is a collection of house-plots or booths situated around an oval semi-circular open space (yard). More recently, courtyard sites have been interpreted as thing-sites. However, several issues remain unsolved: if they are thing-sites, on what level did they function as such? Could the courtyard sites be evidence of representational things? This study focus on one such site, Øygarden in Rogaland, Western Norway (c. 150-700 AD). In what way did Øygarden function as a thing-site? Does the site reflect a local thing or was it an assembly place of the partitioned quarter, possibly for the entire shire of Rogaland?
The medieval Church of Lavik in Sogn og Fjordane County is mentioned in written sources from the ... more The medieval Church of Lavik in Sogn og Fjordane County is mentioned in written sources from the 14th Century. When was this Church built and by whom? And who donated land to the Church and priest in the Middle Ages?
Quernstones, bakestones and soapstone vessels represent everyday products related to food process... more Quernstones, bakestones and soapstone vessels represent everyday products related to food processing in prehistory. The preparation and consumption of food represent one of the most central aspects of all cultures, reflecting biological needs, established cutoms and identity. Querns and quernstones were needed to crush the grain. Bakestones were necessary for baking bread over the hearth, and soapstone vessels were important for making porridge. But was bread and porridge the only food that was baked and cooked using these tools? The paper also discuss what causes differences, similarities and changes temporarily and spatially regarding the distribution of these household artefacts. A discussion of habitual practices and traditions versus innovations is also central. How do changes in the composition of the population affect food processing and the use of household utensils?
The medieval marketplace is a familiar setting in popular and academic accounts of the Middle Age... more The medieval marketplace is a familiar setting in popular and academic accounts of the Middle Ages, but we actually know very little about the people involved in the transactions that took place there, how their lives were influenced by those transactions, or about the complex networks of individuals whose actions allowed raw materials to be extracted, hewn into objects, stored and ultimately shipped for market. Twenty diverse case studies combine leading edge techniques and novel theoretical approaches to illuminate the identities and lives of these much overlooked ordinary people, painting of a number of detailed portraits to explore the worlds of actors involved in the lives of everyday products - objects of bone, leather, stone, ceramics, and base metal - and their production and use in medieval northern Europe. In so doing, this book seeks to draw attention away from the emergent trend to return to systems and global models, and restore to centre stage what should be the archaeologist’s most important concern: the people of the past.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Everyday products in the Middle Ages: Crafts, Consumption and the Individual in Northern Europe c. AD 800-1600: An Introduction
Steven P. Ashby, Gitte Hansen, and Irene Baug
Chapter 2: ‘With staff in hand, and dog at heel’? What did it mean to be an ‘Itinerant’ artisan?
Steven P. Ashby
Chapter 3: Itinerant Craftspeople in 12th Century Bergen, Norway - Aspects of Their Social Identities
Gitte Hansen
Chapter 4: Urban craftspeople at Viking-age Kaupang
Unn Pedersen
Chapter 5. Crafts in the landscape of the powerless
A combmaker’s workshop at Viborg Søndersø AD 1020-1024
Jette Linaa
Chapter 6. Bone-workers in medieval Viljandi, Estonia: comparison of finds from downtown and the Order’s castle
Heidi Luik
Chapter 7: Consumers and Artisans: Marketing Amber and Jet in the Early Medieval British Isles
Carolyn Coulter
Chapter 8. The home-made shoe, a glimpse of a hidden, but most ‘affordable’, craft.
Quita Mould
Chapter 9. Fashion and Necessity. Anglo-Norman leatherworkers and changing markets
Quita Mould and Esther Cameron
Chapter 10. Tracing the nameless actors: Leatherworking and production of leather artefacts in the town of Turku and Turku Castle, SW Finland
Janne Harjula
Chapter 11. Ambiguous Stripes: a Sign for Fashionable Wear in Medieval Tartu
Riina Rammo,
Chapter 12. Silk finds from Oseberg: Production and distribution of high status markers across ethnic boundaries
Marianne Vedeler
Chapter 13. The soapstone vessel production and trade of Agder and its actors
Torbjørn P. Schou
Chapter 14. Actors in quarrying. Production and distribution of quernstones and bakestones during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages
Irene Baug
Chapter 15. The role of Laach Abbey in the medieval quarrying and stone trade
Meinrad Pohl
Chapter 16. Iron producers in Hedmark in the medieval period - who were they?
Bernt Rundberget
Chapter 17. What did the blacksmiths do in Swedish towns? Some new results
Hans Andersson
Chapter 18. The Iron Age blacksmith, simply a craftsman?
Roger Jørgensen
Chapter 19. Bohemian Glass in the North: Producers, distributors and consumers of late medieval vessel glass
Georg Haggrén
Chapter 20. If sherds could tell: imported ceramics from the Hanseatic hinterland in Bergen, Norway. Producers, traders and consumers: who were they, and how were they connected?
Volker Demuth
Chapter 21. Marine trade and transport-related crafts and their actors: People without archaeology?
Natascha Mehler
Already before 1537 monastic property was secularised. Did this also apply to non-monastic eccles... more Already before 1537 monastic property was secularised. Did this also apply to non-monastic ecclesiastical property? How did the secularisation of ecclesiastical property influence the economic structures in the agrarian sector?
Several tall, freestanding stone crosses are located on the west-coast of Norway. When where they... more Several tall, freestanding stone crosses are located on the west-coast of Norway. When where they erected, and why?
A unique quarry landscape in Hordaland is telling the story of large scale production of bakeston... more A unique quarry landscape in Hordaland is telling the story of large scale production of bakestones and other products. Archaeology and geology in tandem provide the answers.
Book review:
"Faglig program for middelalderarkeologi. Byer, sakrale steder, befestninger og bor... more Book review: "Faglig program for middelalderarkeologi. Byer, sakrale steder, befestninger og borger." Riksantikvaren. Live Johannesen & Jan-Erik G. Eriksson (ed.) 2015.
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Books by Irene Baug
Soapstone is a remarkable rock. While it is soft and very workable, it is also durable and heat-resistant, and with a high heat-storage capacity. These properties have been recognised and valued around the world since prehistoric times, and soapstone has been used for a multitude of purposes, ranging from everyday household utensils to prestigious monuments and buildings. This book addresses soapstone use in Norway and the North Atlantic region, including Greenland. Although most papers deal with the Iron Age and Middle Ages, the book spans the Mesolithic to the early modern era. It deals with themes related to quarries, products and associated people and institutions in a broad context. Recent years have seen a revival of basic archaeological and geological research into the procurement and use of stone resources. With its authors drawn from the fields of archaeology, geosciences and traditional crafts, the anthology reflects cross-disciplinary work born of this revival.
Papers by Irene Baug
Age and the Middle Ages. The Eidsborg-stones seem to have competed with whetstones from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag in the same markets, and from approximately 1000–1100 AD, Eidsborg ousted the whetstones from Mostadmarka. During the Middle Ages, whetstones from Eidsborg were exported from towns such as Skien and Bergen, and this distribution should be seen in connection with the timber and stockfish trade. Little is known about the people involved in production and distribution, but most likely, local, or regional landlords and farmers may have had disposal of the quarries and have benefited from both production and distribution of whetstones through centuries.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9221-3
Publisert på Sogn og Fjordane fylkeskommune, Kulturblogg: http://www.sfj.no/steinkrossane-paa-vestlandet.6081594-361710.html
Soapstone is a remarkable rock. While it is soft and very workable, it is also durable and heat-resistant, and with a high heat-storage capacity. These properties have been recognised and valued around the world since prehistoric times, and soapstone has been used for a multitude of purposes, ranging from everyday household utensils to prestigious monuments and buildings. This book addresses soapstone use in Norway and the North Atlantic region, including Greenland. Although most papers deal with the Iron Age and Middle Ages, the book spans the Mesolithic to the early modern era. It deals with themes related to quarries, products and associated people and institutions in a broad context. Recent years have seen a revival of basic archaeological and geological research into the procurement and use of stone resources. With its authors drawn from the fields of archaeology, geosciences and traditional crafts, the anthology reflects cross-disciplinary work born of this revival.
Age and the Middle Ages. The Eidsborg-stones seem to have competed with whetstones from Mostadmarka in Trøndelag in the same markets, and from approximately 1000–1100 AD, Eidsborg ousted the whetstones from Mostadmarka. During the Middle Ages, whetstones from Eidsborg were exported from towns such as Skien and Bergen, and this distribution should be seen in connection with the timber and stockfish trade. Little is known about the people involved in production and distribution, but most likely, local, or regional landlords and farmers may have had disposal of the quarries and have benefited from both production and distribution of whetstones through centuries.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-018-9221-3
Publisert på Sogn og Fjordane fylkeskommune, Kulturblogg: http://www.sfj.no/steinkrossane-paa-vestlandet.6081594-361710.html
vere nyttige innfallsvinklar i arkeologiske analysar på ulikt geografisk nivå? Artikkelen har fokus på kontaktar og kommunikasjon mellom lokalsamfunn og regionar i mellomalderens Skandinavia, ca. 1000–1500 e.Kr., med enkelte døme frå vikingtid. Eksempel er hovudsakleg
frå Noreg, men danske område blir òg trekte fram. Sentrale spørsmål er i kva grad distribusjonsmønster av arkeologisk materiale vitnar om regionale og overregionale kontaktar, og i kva grad likskapar og ulikskapar i den materielle kulturen indikerer ulike regionar frå
ein materiell synsstad. Målet er å sjå i kva grad ulike kjeldetypar samsvarar eller divergerer, og i kva grad arkeologiske kjelder kastar nytt lys i slike studiar.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Everyday products in the Middle Ages: Crafts, Consumption and the Individual in Northern Europe c. AD 800-1600: An Introduction
Steven P. Ashby, Gitte Hansen, and Irene Baug
Chapter 2: ‘With staff in hand, and dog at heel’? What did it mean to be an ‘Itinerant’ artisan?
Steven P. Ashby
Chapter 3: Itinerant Craftspeople in 12th Century Bergen, Norway - Aspects of Their Social Identities
Gitte Hansen
Chapter 4: Urban craftspeople at Viking-age Kaupang
Unn Pedersen
Chapter 5. Crafts in the landscape of the powerless
A combmaker’s workshop at Viborg Søndersø AD 1020-1024
Jette Linaa
Chapter 6. Bone-workers in medieval Viljandi, Estonia: comparison of finds from downtown and the Order’s castle
Heidi Luik
Chapter 7: Consumers and Artisans: Marketing Amber and Jet in the Early Medieval British Isles
Carolyn Coulter
Chapter 8. The home-made shoe, a glimpse of a hidden, but most ‘affordable’, craft.
Quita Mould
Chapter 9. Fashion and Necessity. Anglo-Norman leatherworkers and changing markets
Quita Mould and Esther Cameron
Chapter 10. Tracing the nameless actors: Leatherworking and production of leather artefacts in the town of Turku and Turku Castle, SW Finland
Janne Harjula
Chapter 11. Ambiguous Stripes: a Sign for Fashionable Wear in Medieval Tartu
Riina Rammo,
Chapter 12. Silk finds from Oseberg: Production and distribution of high status markers across ethnic boundaries
Marianne Vedeler
Chapter 13. The soapstone vessel production and trade of Agder and its actors
Torbjørn P. Schou
Chapter 14. Actors in quarrying. Production and distribution of quernstones and bakestones during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages
Irene Baug
Chapter 15. The role of Laach Abbey in the medieval quarrying and stone trade
Meinrad Pohl
Chapter 16. Iron producers in Hedmark in the medieval period - who were they?
Bernt Rundberget
Chapter 17. What did the blacksmiths do in Swedish towns? Some new results
Hans Andersson
Chapter 18. The Iron Age blacksmith, simply a craftsman?
Roger Jørgensen
Chapter 19. Bohemian Glass in the North: Producers, distributors and consumers of late medieval vessel glass
Georg Haggrén
Chapter 20. If sherds could tell: imported ceramics from the Hanseatic hinterland in Bergen, Norway. Producers, traders and consumers: who were they, and how were they connected?
Volker Demuth
Chapter 21. Marine trade and transport-related crafts and their actors: People without archaeology?
Natascha Mehler
"Faglig program for middelalderarkeologi. Byer, sakrale steder, befestninger og borger."
Riksantikvaren. Live Johannesen & Jan-Erik G. Eriksson (ed.) 2015.