<p>This paper deals with flat iron fragments from the Viking Age hall situated in Birkas Garrison, Adelsö parish in Uppland. The aim of the study was to identify which objects these flat fragments were originally derived from. The aim was also to discuss the function of these objects and their presence in the hall. This would hopefully increase the knowledge about the hall and the warriors who lived and worked there. In some cases the fragments form and placement in the hall has not provided enough information to classify the object from which they derived. Where it has been possible, a majority of the fragments has been interpreted as parts of chest mounts or shield buckles. The result of the analysis shows the possibility of a large chest having once stood in the southwest corner of the hall.</p>

<p>This is a study of martial material culture in the context of the Viking Age warrior of Birka, Sweden. The aim is to establish the role, function and affiliation of the Birka warrior and thereby place Birka on the power-political map of the 10th century. The study is based on the excavations of the fortified structures, particularly the Garrison, at the trading post of Birka as well as the extensive remains of material culture deriving from these investigations. A starting hypothesis is that an analysis of material culture constitutes a way of mapping social structures and that style and iconography reflect cultural groups, contacts and loyalties.</p><p>Based on the case studies of six papers, the synthesis deals with questions of the work and world view of the warriors, as too their relation to their contemporary counterparts in eastern and western Europe. Questions are raised concerning the value and function of symbols in a martial context where material culture reflects rank, status and office. In defining the Birka warrior’s particular stylistic expression, a tool is created and used in the search for contacts and affiliations reflected through the distribution patterns. The results show close contacts with the eastern trading posts located on the rivers Volga and Dnjepr in Ancient Russia.</p><p>It is stated that these Rus’ trading posts, essentially inhabited by Northmen, shared a common cultural expression that was maintained throughout a vast area by exceptionally close contacts. It is suggested that a particular stylistic expression developed in these Rus’ trading places containing elements of mainly Scandinavian, Steppe nomadic and Byzantine origin.</p><p>In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that the warriors from Birka’s Garrison had a share in the martial development of contemporary Europe but with their own particular traits. Close relations with the eastern trade route and contact with the powerful Byzantine Empire were enjoyed. As a pointer for future research, it is wondered what organisational form the close-knit structure of the Rus’ trading posts actually took, keeping the subsequent guilds of medieval Europe in mind. The fall of the Garrison, as of Birka, corresponds with the establishment of Christianity in the region. Such changes were not limited to Central Sweden but part of a greater process where a new political structure was developing, better anchored in local concerns.</p>

This essay, When women become men, is written with the intention of illustrating a way in which archaeologists and osteologists can work together to derive from the notion that men and women, and masculinity and femininity, are two rigid binary components which oppose each other. This is done on a practical level by analysing the graves from the Viking age burial site at Stora Hallvards, Silte parish, Gotland, Sweden. The analysis has been carried out through the means of osteological and archaeological sex assessments and osteological means of age assessment on the individuals. The main questions asked are how well the archaeological and osteological sex assessments correlate with each other, and what it means when they don’t; whether or not there is a difference in sex and gender based on age; and how the non-normative individuals in the materials can be reached. The essay has been written through intersectional feminist theoretical perspective with a base in queertheory, and an introduction has also been given to different views of, and ways in perceiving, sex and gender in different cultures around the world, with a broad time perspective to broaden the sex/gender discussion over time and space. The results of the analysis show that the archaeological and osteological sex assessments matched in 47,8% of the cases, and did not in 8,7% of the cases. The results are then discussed from a gender perspective, and it shows that there are differences between both children and adults, but also between adults, and between children. The difference can to some extent be linked to age. In this essay, it has been shown that it is fully possible to interpret the material based on more parameters than femininity and masculinity, and that this can only be achieved by seeing gender as the wide range of humanity that it actually includes, such as identity, status, sexuality, occupation and age. All that is required is that one is open to the idea that gender is not linked binary to biological sex.

No description available.

The purpose with this work is to try and see an economic development on Gotland during the Viking Age, where society went from a weight-based economy, to a monetary economy with its own coins. The aim is to try and distinguish a pattern in the investigated depots. How has the deposit structure changed during the Viking era when it comes to the minted and unminted silver?   The research about the silver deposits aim on the dating of the coins in order to create an approximate closing period for the contents of the depots.   The development of the silver structural change in the silver depots during the Viking Age makes it possible to study how the dominance of the early Islamic coins, in both coin and fragmented form, is phased out to be replaced by mainly English and German coins. The English and German coins that are found on Gotland could be seen as a model for the coins and the minting that began at the end of the Viking Age on the island.

An iron age double grave containing a man and a woman has been found in Klinta, Köpings Parish, Öland, Sweden. Archaeologist have debated this grave and have begun to interpret the woman as a völva. The most famous artefact was found in the womans grave. It was an iron staff, Klintastaven. This staff have been the main focus when it comes to this grave but there were also three types of artifacts found with the bones: base metal artifacts covered in runes, amulets, as well as animal bones. This essay aims to analyse the artifacts from the grave and their relation to the Old Norse religion of Scandinavia and the research have established a connection between these artifacts and the Old Norse religion of Viking times.

Meu trabalho propõe uma investigação sobre as possíveis representações imagéticas do heroi semilegendário Sigurðr Fáfnisbani em uma pequena ínsula no meio do Mar irlandês conhecida como Ilha de Man. Essa região foi habitada por populações celtas e cristianizadas desde o século V, mas assistiram a chegada de novas levas humanas provindas da Escandinávia em c.875. As representações evocadas foram cinzeladas entre meados do século X e o início do século XI sobre quatro lajes de pedra, ainda que elas componham um conjunto maior de monumentos congêneres. Após muitos séculos, a rigor, no final do século XIX, os quatro artefatos foram intitulados como Cruzes de Sigurðr. Minha preocupação inicial foi apresentar as cruzes de maneira abrangente, o contexto geográfico e sociocultural da Ilha de Man, tal como as mudanças políticas e religiosas que ela enfrentou durante a Era Viking. Tentei demonstrar como essas cruzes serviram como um índice do novo cenário de transformação socioreligiosa e de amálgama cultural em território manx. A seguir, propus debates teóricos sobre a runologia, o principal campo de estudos escandinavos dedicado a esses monumentos em pedra, e os estudos de estilos artísticos escandinavos, além de sua influência sobre o que os intelectuais manx propuseram sobre as Cruzes de Sigurðr. Após isso, fiz um balanço dos estudos sobre as representações de Sigurðr nas cruzes manx. Por fim, eu apresentei uma análise descritiva-formal e sintática das possíveis representações sigurdianas nas quatro cruzes. Minha conclusão foi que não é possível ter certeza que elas representam o herói, mas certamente são monumentos seculares com um relevante impacto na paisagem dos pontos de vista social e religioso, como demonstrações de poder e forma de controle sobre a sociedade circunvizinha. Elas também expressam possíveis alianças matrimoniais e políticas dos habitantes manx em uma sociedade muito transformada após a chegada dos novos colonos nórdicos. / My work proposes an investigation on the possible imagetical representations of the semilegendary hero Sigurðr Fáfnisbani in the Isle of Man, a small island in the middle of the Irish Sea. This region was historically inhabited by celtic and christians populations since the 5th century; However at the end of 9th century, they received a new contingent of inhabitants from Scandinavia. The representations above mentioned were sculptured between the middle of 10th century and the beginning of the 11th century on four cross slabs; Nevertheless they belonged to a major group of similar monuments. But only after many centuries, the four arctefacts were entitled as Sigurðr crosses (or slabs). My first concern was to expose the crosses in a broader view, their geographical and sociocultural context in the Isle of Man, as well as the political and religious changes beeing faced during the Viking Age. Ive also proposed that these crosses were an index of a new socioreligious scenario, in a deep cultural amalgamation and transformations in manx region. Hereafter, I have exposed many theories on runology, the main field of studies on these rock monuments, and also a summary of questions and characteristics of Scandinavian art studies, mainly about style studies. Both perspectives had a strong influence on manx intellectual milieu and their ideas about Sigurðr crosses. After this, I exposed briefly the main works about Sigurðrs representation on manx crosses. At the end, I proposed a descriptive, formal and syntax analysis of these possible representations of the hero. My conclusion was that it is not possible to be sure that the hero was displayed on these rocks. But, on the other hand, they certainly provided an important impact on manx social and religious landscape, as well as demonstrations of power and social control. They can also be taken as signs of matrimonial and political alliances of manx aristocracy.

<p>Abstract</p><p>Terrace III in the Birka Garrison. An analysis of function based on artifact quantification and find preparation. This paper deals with Terrace III in the Garrison of Birka, Uppland, Sweden. The main purpose is to investigate the function of Terrace III. The analysis consists of two parts. One is to analyse the stratigraphy including layers, constructions and finds. Beads and coins are selected for a discussion of dating. The other part consists of a comparison between the find material from the Hall building, the Smithy and Terrace III. Beads are discussed separately. The results are not definite due to the fact that the terrace is not completely excavated. The finds indicate that Terrace III could have been used as storage house or a dwelling house. The pottery could be taken as evidence for a storage house (and possibly the amount of rivets and nails). The presence of personal finds show that the house might have been used as a dwelling house. A few finds indicate some kind of workshop activity. The finds from Terrace III can be dated to the end of the 10th Century.</p>

This is a study of martial material culture in the context of the Viking Age warrior of Birka, Sweden. The aim is to establish the role, function and affiliation of the Birka warrior and thereby place Birka on the power-political map of the 10th century. The study is based on the excavations of the fortified structures, particularly the Garrison, at the trading post of Birka as well as the extensive remains of material culture deriving from these investigations. A starting hypothesis is that an analysis of material culture constitutes a way of mapping social structures and that style and iconography reflect cultural groups, contacts and loyalties. Based on the case studies of six papers, the synthesis deals with questions of the work and world view of the warriors, as too their relation to their contemporary counterparts in eastern and western Europe. Questions are raised concerning the value and function of symbols in a martial context where material culture reflects rank, status and office. In defining the Birka warrior’s particular stylistic expression, a tool is created and used in the search for contacts and affiliations reflected through the distribution patterns. The results show close contacts with the eastern trading posts located on the rivers Volga and Dnjepr in Ancient Russia. It is stated that these Rus’ trading posts, essentially inhabited by Northmen, shared a common cultural expression that was maintained throughout a vast area by exceptionally close contacts. It is suggested that a particular stylistic expression developed in these Rus’ trading places containing elements of mainly Scandinavian, Steppe nomadic and Byzantine origin. In conclusion, the results of this thesis show that the warriors from Birka’s Garrison had a share in the martial development of contemporary Europe but with their own particular traits. Close relations with the eastern trade route and contact with the powerful Byzantine Empire were enjoyed. As a pointer for future research, it is wondered what organisational form the close-knit structure of the Rus’ trading posts actually took, keeping the subsequent guilds of medieval Europe in mind. The fall of the Garrison, as of Birka, corresponds with the establishment of Christianity in the region. Such changes were not limited to Central Sweden but part of a greater process where a new political structure was developing, better anchored in local concerns.

Abstract Terrace III in the Birka Garrison. An analysis of function based on artifact quantification and find preparation. This paper deals with Terrace III in the Garrison of Birka, Uppland, Sweden. The main purpose is to investigate the function of Terrace III. The analysis consists of two parts. One is to analyse the stratigraphy including layers, constructions and finds. Beads and coins are selected for a discussion of dating. The other part consists of a comparison between the find material from the Hall building, the Smithy and Terrace III. Beads are discussed separately. The results are not definite due to the fact that the terrace is not completely excavated. The finds indicate that Terrace III could have been used as storage house or a dwelling house. The pottery could be taken as evidence for a storage house (and possibly the amount of rivets and nails). The presence of personal finds show that the house might have been used as a dwelling house. A few finds indicate some kind of workshop activity. The finds from Terrace III can be dated to the end of the 10th Century.