Uppsala University Library owns eight volumes of manuscripts attributed to the academy equerry Johan Leven Ekelund (c.1701−1775). In this thesis, I apply methods from the field of material culture studies in order to establish which of the volumes that formed the donation from Leven to the library mentioned in his will. By mapping certain markers such as places, names and dates I am able to identify to some extent where Leven gained his practical skills and which writers influenced him. By analysing the texts, I draw the conclusion that the manuscripts can be divided into groups aimed for different audiences. Some of them fit in an utilitarian context, some of them aim to give riding and horsemanship scientific legitimacy. Some are aimed for a narrow circle of peers, connaisseurs of the art of riding. By examining Leven’s networks, I seek to shed light on whether he wrote in order to further his career. My conclusion is that in that case, Leven’s main focus was probably to help his son, who had a remarkably successful career as a physician after the death of his father. / <p>Orcid nr: 0000-0002-8791-4109</p>

In this thesis the Oceania collection of Anders Sparrman is examined and discussed. Anders Sparrman, who was a disciple of Carl von Linnaeus, participated on James Cooks second voyage around the world. During this voyage, Sparrman assembled the collection that today is stored at the museum of Ethnography in Stockholm. The collection is complemented by Sparrman’s own journal from his travels, providing his perspective on the items he collected and the islands he visited. The items in the collection are analyzed through the aspects of hybridization, colonial herit-age and repatriation together with how collections of this type, with a dual cultural heritage, can be exhibited in a way so that both a national and international audience can take part of it. A rel-evant question is also what further research that can be done on collections of this type. With this thesis I argue that a digital exhibition would be the best way to make collections of this kind available on a national and international level. Also research projects over country- and institutional- borders on these types of items would extend the knowledge about them and elabo-rate the whole history around these objects that both have a cultural value in Sweden and in the South Pacific.

The interest for doing this study is developed during my time as a student in textile history atUppsala university, Sweden. Textile history, as it is taught in Uppsala, uses both practical andtheoretical knowledge as a base for analysing, understanding and interpreting, textiles as sourcematerial in research. As a student in textile history I have sometimes experienced a lack ofunderstanding for the position it takes in the academic field, both from people within the textilehistorical field and from the outside. In this study, I take the opportunity to explore this position.I understand textile history research as a field in between the practical and theoretical.Knowledge in craft are used as a base for understanding source material, but are then oftenconnected to the theoretical framework of Material culture studies (MCS) for interpretation.But, even though this is an often-used theory, the problems of finding relevant texts and frame-works are difficult.By generating a grounded theory about the field of craft- and practical research in Swe-den, and then moving on to see what kind of literature the field of MCS can offer, I discuss theposition that textile historical research take between them. The generated theory shows that themain concern in the field of practical research are the aim to be an accepted part of the academy.The analysis of the literature in the field of MCS shows that the areas of technology and materialsciences need tools to understand the human aspect of production. From this I conclude thattextile history, as a field that is already part of creating a meeting between practical researchand MCS, could well take up the position to write its own theories. Theories grounded in prac-tical knowledge, but as a part of the field of MCS. Doing that would be of gain for both fields,and for the textile historians inhabiting and creating a meeting in between the fields.

Den här uppsatsen undersöker de identifikationer som erbjuds av tidskriften Hemslöjden (från 2011 Hemslöjd). Som källmaterial används alla ledartexter samt, som komplettering, framsidor under dess utgivning under åren 1933–2020. Undersökningen sker mot ett bakgrundsantagande om att hemslöjdsrörelsen har och har haft en stor påverkan på vad som ses som slöjd och vem som ses som slöjdare, vilket i sin tur kan påverka identifikationer mellan elever och slöjd i grundskolan. Resultatet visar att tidskriftens första tre decennier är betydligt mindre präglade av nationalism än vad man kan förvänta sig utifrån tidigare forskning, men att anknytning tilll andskap är viktig under hela utgivningen. Först från 1960-talet och kommande tre årtionden syns en tydlig retorik om nationell identitet och kulturarv. Detta kan framförallt kopplas till en argumentation om att hemslöjdsrörelsen då går dåligt ekonomiskt och behöver stöd från samhället. En intern identitetskonflikt som källmaterialet verkar kämpa med handlar om att hemslöjdsrörelsen vill vara folklig men inte upplever sig lyckas med det. Från och med 1990-talet flyttas myndigheten Nämnden för Hemslöjdsfrågor från industridepartementet till kulturdepartementet och samtidigt får hemslöjdsrörelsen en ny roll som kulturinstitution, från att tidigare i första hand ha varit en sysselsättningspolitisk verksamhet. Under denna sista tredjedel av utgivningsperioden skiftar också fokus från slöjden till slöjdaren. När det inte längre främst handlar om att marknadsföra produkterna, får slöjden som livsstilsaktivitet en mer framskjuten plats. Undersökningen visar vidare att tidskriften kommunicerar en romantisering av naturen som allra tydligast tar sig uttryck i utsagor om naturmaterial, men som efter millennieskiftet paras ihop med en retorik om miljö och hållbarhet som under denna period blir en dominant del av diskursen. Sammantaget visar undersökningen att det finns en förändring över tid med två tydliga milstolpar, en i början av 1960-talet och en under 1990-talet. De tre perioder som utgivningen därmed kan delas in i gestaltas på sidorna 81-82 i uppsatsen i form av tre olika personas baserade på varje periods mest typiska identifikationer. / <p>Godkänt datum 2021-08-29</p>

This thesis examines and discusses how creolisation theory has influenced the material culture of enslaved people from former Danish West Indies plantations. The essay contends that creolisation is the theory required to advance slavery studies because it demonstrates how enslaved people created their own identity, belonging, and kept African cultures and customs alive despite being socially dead. This was accomplished through an examination of the amount of material discovered at archaeological investigations on former Danish plantations within slave contexts. Through the presentation and analysis of "Afro-Cruzan" ceramics, beads, shells, and pipe fragments, the thesis discusses and argues how the abundance of various objects from enslaved communities is evidence of long-term preservation of cultures, cultural identity, and expression. Furthermore, the usefulness of creolisation theory is emphasised because it is argued to have been developed with a post-processual perspective, avoiding the normative theorisation that has based slavery studies on a perspective in which the enslaved were only marginalised. Finally, the discussion emphasises the importance of remaining critical of how theories and theoretical frameworks have been applied in archaeological studies on slavery, as well as the need to broaden perspectives and include other Scandinavian countries, such as Sweden. / Den här uppsatsen analyserar och diskuterar hur materiell kultur från förslavade människor från plantage tidigare tillhörande danska Västindien är bevis för kreolisering. Uppsatsen argumenterar för hur kreolisering är den teori som krävs för att fortskrida inom studier gällande slaveri då det belyser hur förslavade individer lyckades skapade en egen identitet, samhörighet samt bibehöll sina kulturer och seder levande trots att de ansågs vara socialt döda. Detta görs genom att analysera kvantiteten av påträffat material under arkeologiska undersökningar inom slavkontexter på före detta plantage på de danska kolonierna. Uppsatsen presenterar och analyserar material i form av så kallat ”Afro-Cruzan” keramik, pärlor, snäckskal och pipfragment som används för att diskutera och argumentera för hur den höga kvantiteten av diverse föremål från slavsamhällen är bevis på ett långsiktigt bevarande av kulturer och kulturella identitet och uttryck samt de förslavades bibehållna agens. Vidare belyses även hur kreoliseringsteorin är mer applicerbar med hänsyn till att teorin tycks att ha skapats ur ett post-processuellt perspektiv då det undviker den normativa mentaliteten och teoretisering att slaveristudier grundas i ett perspektiv där de förslavade var endast varor inom ett socio-ekonomiskt samhälle.Diskussionen leder slutligen till hur det är väsentligt att bibehålla ett kritiskt öga om hur teorier och teoretiska ramverk har använts inom arkeologiska studier om slaveri samt hur det är nödvändigt att vidga perspektiven och inkludera andra skandinaviska länder, så som Sverige.

Abstract  Erik Samuelsson: A View Towards the Sea – Towards a Changed Understanding of the Culture and Social Life of the Middle Neolithic in Eastern Central Sweden.  The objective of this essay is to undertake an investigation and critical review of the Neolithic cultural groups as defined by contemporary archaeologists. This will be achieved through the analysis of empirical material derived from the Neolithic site of Tibble, located in the Björklinge parish of Uppland, Sweden. The primary aim is to develop a more comprehensive understanding and interpretation of not only the specific site but also the cultural and social aspects of the Neolithic period as a whole. Key questions addressed in this study include the impact of material studies on the overall interpretation of Neolithic culture and social life, as well as the potential for attaining a more holistic understanding of a time and place through an analytical approach that oscillates between detailed analysis and broader contextual perspectives. The primary sources utilized in this research consist of material artifacts, reports, and relevant literature pertaining to the Middle Neolithic settlement at Tibble, Björklinge parish, Uppland, Sweden. The theoretical framework employed in this study, as well as the chosen methodology, is rooted in the hermeneutic spiral. Previous investigations into the Stone Age have been largely characterized by the classification of cultural groups, with limited consideration given to the criticism of the concept of culture itself. Consequently, substantial changes in the interpretation of the Neolithic period and its inhabitants have not been extensively pursued. In this essay, the integration of hermeneutics and interdisciplinary approaches is demonstrated as a valuable means to foster a transformative understanding of both specific sites and broader chronological periods. By doing so, it becomes possible to harness the knowledge embedded in material studies.It is important to note that this essay does not aspire to provide an ultimate solution to the perceived problem but rather represents an initial step towards a new direction of inquiry. This process is not necessarily confined to a singular location or region but can be applied to the interpretative work concerning other Neolithic sites as well.

Using the account from the royal wardrobe as a source to discover the gift giving practices at the court of Gustav Vasa (Gustav I of Sweden), this thesis studies how material culture was part of the state formation process in 16th century Sweden. By analyzing the king’s gifts the study traces the informal networks that functioned as a base of power for the king’s reign. But it also exposes the material stuff as part of these network and thus part of that power. The thesis argues that to fully understand the political and social transformations that took place during the dynamic 16th century, it is mandatory not only to analyze the individuals who were part of that process, but also the material things they had at their disposals and how the things functioned as part of that process. The conclusion is that the king’s gift giving was due to carefully strategic considerations and part of a highly political strategy, and that the objects given acted as part in a process where – in the century to come – the aristocracy became a more distinguished group, both materially, culturally and socially.

This study investigates copies of silk-embroidered linen cloths from the 16th and 17th century, created by the Danish Handcraft Guild during the period 1928–1980. The originals are most often embroidered with stem stitches in red silk with motives generally based on contemporary graphic prints. The Danish Handcraft Guild was founded in 1928 with ambitions to bring to life national textile traditions. The aim of the study is to find out which aspects of the historical textiles that were adopted in the copies, and possible reasons for these choices. Based on this case-study, the usage of historical originals for copies in relation to general understanding and development of cultural heritage is discussed. From a theoretical viewpoint, material culture is understood as having both physical and practical properties, related to memories and identities of individuals and societies. The study consists of two parts, one explorative study and one text analysis. In the explorative study five original textiles and nine copies are documented and compared. The text analysis deals with 77 texts from the Danish Handcraft Guild journal 1934–1980. The results show that the Danish Handcraft Guild practiced two approaches to historical originals. The mayor one was to find originals suitable for adoption on present-day products, often in simplified versions. A second approach is represented by big copies of silk-embroidered linen cloths. These were made as splendor display objects, related to a fine and noble national history. The tendency in this case-study is that copies of silk-embroidered linen cloths used for exhibitions seem to be closer to the original’s motives than those made for personal use. A conclusion of the study is that copies from historical originals do have potential to gain understanding and to develop cultural heritage. Which collective memory, history and value they convey depends on the context in which they were created, and to the story they mediate.