This thesis is dedicated to an archaeogenetic study of five prehistoric individuals. The sample material comes from central Yakutia, also called Sakha Republic, in the north-eastern part of Russia. The main focus of this study has been the analysis of five mitochondrial genomes, retrieved from osteological material (human bones and teeth), having an estimated age of 6845 BP to 2490 BP. The dates fall within Neolithic, Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. A brief presentation for each individual’s archaeological profile and interpretation of the burial will be provided. While a series of interpretive tests with the mitochondrial DNA material were performed and the results are presented. The neolitization of the north-eastern Eurasia will also be discussed. The correlation between the Neolithic Age, Bronze Age and Early Iron Age populations will be proposed, as well as their connections to modern populations.

This bachelor thesis studies a sample of trepanned individuals/cranium from Sweden and Russia with the intention of uncovering similarities-  and or differences between the conducted trepanations  and their context.  Neolithic trepanned  cranium  found at the end of the 1800(s) and/or start of the 1900(s), generate frequent questions among scientist and scholars alike to this day. The motive for these interventions is unfortunately still unclear. However, the current prevailing belief within scholarly circles is that these procedures are intentional acts and/or even diverging ritualistic in their manner is gaining more sympathizers each day.

This essay is focused on two coastal cairn areas located at the Gulf of Bothnia just south of Umeå in Västerbotten County. Located between 30 – 50 m above sea level today they are thus removed several km from the shoreline due to land uplift and isostatic processes stemming from the last Ice Age. The cairns have been dated to approximately 1700 – 1500 BC at the beginning of the older Scandinaviean Bronze Age, but several strong evidence that are presented in this study is indicating that many of them are older than that dating to the late Neolithic instead – such as a round morphological shape surrounded by a brim of stones and large cists in the middle. Furthermore, the cairns are situated in an environment that mostly are inhabited by a sub-boreal milieu consisting of deciduous forest with some elements of coniferous forest and surrounded by raised shingle beaches. In trying to grasp after ancient settlement indications this paper thesis also analyzes traits after their whereabouts in the past in relationship to the existing cairns along the VästerbottenCounty’s shoreline. In doing this a GIS-analysis is applied in a Deulauney-cluster comparison. Two of the cairns, one located highest above all other cairns in Norrmjöle is being scrutinized as a “mother cairn” and the other cairn is long, almost formed as a ship and discussed in its symbolic meaning. By doing so, the cairns are also seen in a possible way of being ancient territory land-areas, marking to outsiders to keep out, and may also have been an intricate signal-system, to i.e., be lit in times of harmful situations coming from the sea or by land. The cairns are thus mitigated and seen in relationship with otherplaces in Sweden, namely Tjust area in Bohuslän county, and the resemblances of cairns at Gotland and Öland Islands. Finally, the Finnish Kiukais-axe (Eastern Karelien crossedged chisel) found in close terrain, as well as other findings from Bronze-age to a cluster of cairns dated to 2000 BC, is being investigated as a possibility of an alien southeastern affect in the area in late Neolithic times from Southern Sweden and Österbotten County in Fennoscandia, hence making the territory evaluated in many directions. The paper therefore tries to set the ancient landscape in a context in between these factors and give aholistic overview to interpreted cairn and its ancient meaning patterns in the region, seen in these regional circumstances to unlock its potential settlements hiding. Hence, getting a political, cosmologic and a maritime understanding and whereabouts in relationship to Late-Neolithic times in the area.

The application of low-pressure low-temperature hydrogen plasma on artificial corrosion layers on bronze has been studied. For this purpose, three sets of bronze corroded samples were prepared. The first step of the model sample preparation was grinding of the bronze surface by using emery with 60, then 280 and finally by 600 grains density, in order to achieve the defined surface roughness. The next step of the work were optical and scanning electron microscopy observations with energy dispersive X-ray micro analysis (SEM-EDX) of the prepared bronze sample for purpose of surface structure characterization and element composition determination. Bronze samples with defined surface structure were corroded in different corrosion atmospheres. Three different model corrosion layers were formed by acidic atmospheres of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and sulphuric acid. The element composition and structure of corrosion layer was determined by SEM-EDX again. The different amounts of oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, sulfur, copper, tin and lead in the corrosion layer according to different types of corrosion atmospheres were determined. The next and also main part of the work was a plasma chemical reduction of corroded samples. The plasma reactor used the RF discharge (13.56 MHz) created in quartz tube with outer electrodes. The generation of capacitively coupled plasma in continuous or pulse mode by different supplied power was carried out. The plasma radiation emitted from the RF discharge during the sample treatment was measured by optical emission spectroscopy. The quantity of OH radical created in an active discharge by reactions of atomic hydrogen with the corrosion layer is a significant indicator of a reduction process. Therefore the OH radical band integral intensities observed as a function of the treatment time were used as a monitor for plasma chemical reduction process. The OH emission showed different behavior depending on corrosion layer composition during the plasma treatment. The transformations of the corrosion layer due to the plasma effect were investigated by means of SEM-EDX once again. Changes in the element composition of corrosion (or surface) layers in consequence of plasma chemical treatment are given. Generally, the element composition after the plasma chemical treatment showed explicitly that oxygen and chlorine content in the corrosion layer decreased, nitrogen was removed totally. Metal deposition on the reactor wall was observed occasionally. The SEM-EDX analyzes also showed that in some cases the tin content in sample surface layers was significantly decreased. For that reason, in case of bronze sample (artifacts) treatment, the sample and plasma temperature seem to be very important parameters for the process optimization. The acceptable conditions for plasma chemical treatment has been found in case of corrosion layer formed by nitric acid, only. The other corrosions will be a subject of further studies.

This study describes results of analysis of findings obtained during the excavation of Knovíz settlement in Praha - Vinoř "V Žabokřiku". One whole above-ground structure was found and few more can be presumed besides the features. The residential area could be separated from the storege area. Great amount of pottery, loom weights, daub, stone industry and individual animal bones was found mostly in bigger features. This settlement represents Knovíz culture in Late Bronze Age (phases Br D - Ha A1) according to the pottery products' analysis. There is no evidence of other cultures. In the site there were breeded domestic animals, we can presume growing and proccessing corn, also textile production. There is no evidence of bronze itams pruduction. Keywords: Central Bohemia - Praha-Vinoř - Bronze Age - Knovíz culture - settlement - pottery

No description available.

The present thesis shows results of an analysis of Urnfield culture settlement findings, which were obtained during an archeological excavation in 2004-2005 in Hulín - "U Isidorka". The settlement has only been partially documented. The main features of the thesis are an evaluation and interpretation of the excavated settlement pits and material archeological findings, particularly pottery. The settlement dates back to the Late Bronze Age - to the periods from HB2 to HB3, the documented area appears to be mainly used for storage purposes. In appendices, the thesis includes tables with pictorial data, a catalogue of the objects, a extract from a databade of ceramic fragments, a description of loam and photographs.

The present study investigates the f ormation of tribolayers on bronze CuSn12Ni2. Two different test rigs are used, of which one is a sliding bearing test rig in order to perform lubricated thrust bearing tests. Bronze CuSn12Ni2 is used for the sliding elements and the counter body is made of C45 steel. In addition to that, an axial piston pump test rig was used to determine t he transfera bility of the results to th e axial pist on pump. The test conditions are set up in a way t hat the tribological load s in the contacts are similar to each other. Changes in the subsurfa ce morphology and the chemical composition of the tribolayer were analysed using electron pro be micro a nalysis (EPMA), trans mission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X -ray spectro scopy (EDS) and X-ra y photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Focused ion beam (FIB) milling was used to prepare site -specific TE M foils fro m the wear track. The formation of a nano scale tribolayer was associat ed with red uced wear, which leads to low leak age in the a xial piston pump. This tribolayer is enriched with oxygen, sulfur and zinc, which is an effect of tribochemical reactions of environment molecules and surface molecules.

Cupmarks are the most common form of rock art in Sweden, yet it has not been studied as much as the figurative rock art. To understand all the rock art from the Bronze Age in Scandinavia, we need to understand the cupmarks. This essay discusses the differences between different cupmark sites and their number of cup marks by comparing their relation to close-by graves and agricultural fields. It also discusses if an excavation can say anything about the cupmark place and its number. The results of this essay showed that no differences could be made between cup mark sites with many cupmarks and those with few, but three different contexts could be made with the help of studying the excavation reports.

In this work, I have mainly aimed to show how the results of previous field surveysin Misterhult parish, Småland province, Sweden have influenced past andcurrent research. Targeted surveys may in fact still change the picture radically.Our state of knowledge may also change through reviews of previous fieldworkand new excavations targeted at knowledge gaps. I have discussed Misterhult’sBronze Age and problems in that field. I have emphasised our current state ofknowledge and made a call for further fieldwork in the area. There is still muchto be done, and this study pinpoints what, in order to approach an answer towhat attracted people to the area 3000 years ago. Misterhult is one of NorthernEurope’s most extensive and best preserved Bronze Age settled landscapes, andconditions for research are good.In addition to surveys and the spatial site distribution, my focus has been on theunderlying economy, i.e. the economy behind the burial-cairn environments. Ihave tried to show that the economy was crucial to the design and ritualisationof those environments. / <p>Seminarieupplaga</p>