<p>In the Zimbabwean past, farming societies utilized mineral resources for their own use and for exchange to local and regional populations, as well as to markets beyond African borders. Successful agriculture was constrained by environmental hazards, principally unpredictable and often inadequate rainfall. Farming communities managed this predicament in various ways. It is likely that some groups used mineral resources found in the vicinity of their settlements to produce materials or items to exchange. The social contexts that defined the nature of mineral production and exchange altered between the mid-first and mid-second millennium AD, as social ranks emerged and political and economic systems became increasingly complex. The thesis is a commentary on how the motivation of society to broaden its resource base, to improve the benefits to households and to society in general, contributed to the emergence of leaders and, ultimately, of an elite class. The focus of the research is on iron and copper production because the author has examined gold production thoroughly in a previous study. Four published papers outline the history of iron and copper production in Zimbabwe. The papers provide case studies of the scale and social context of iron and copper production and exchange.</p>

<p>Archaeology in Bolivia has two strong tendencies: nationalism and regionalism. The proposal aims for an academic reconstruction and expansion of this science in order to develop new scientific criteria, that can be institutionalized and become normative to the whole country to cover the expectations of different regions with regard to its past.</p><p>A fundamental aspect of providing Bolivian archaeological research with new perspectives is the study of formation and development of Andean central places of historic, infrastructural and ritual importance, such Huari, Quillacas, Sevaruyo, Pampa Aullagas and San Miguel de Uruquilla. Research conducted in the south basin of the Lake Poopo identifies evidence of early settlement in Huari towards the Late Archaic period (approximately 4000 to 2000 BC) and the Formative (2000 BC to AD 300), when the first villages were established. This indicates that the formation of agricultural towns was produced by consolidation of multiethnic central places that first consisted of ayllus, socio-dynamic units that gathered together settlers from different regions that simultaneously formed an ample network of centres interconnecting the Andean complex geography, interweaving their cultural diversity owing to the common ideology of Tiwanaku. Routes and llama caravans (llama trekking) integrated this network of central places.</p><p>As indicated by surveys and excavations, convergence of groups from different regions has been recognized in rests of material culture as shown in the ceramic distribution: Local Tiwanaku, Tiwanaku from Cochabamba, Yura, Huruquilla, Puqui, Mojocoya and remains of festivities at the centres during redistribution ceremonies, as well as ritual offers during the Early Regional Development period (300 to AD 900). This dynamic and preponderant ideology was completely transformed during Late Regional Developments (900 to AD 1460) when a series of regional conflicts determined the formation of the regional confederation known as Quillacas- Azanaques. At the time of the Inka Conquest (1460– AD 1530), the Lake Poopo basin was integrated into the Tawantinsuyo region through the implementation of the Royal Road and construction of Paria, Quillacas, San Miguel de Uruquilla and the Sevaruyo lodgings.</p><p>During the Colonial (1530 - 1825) and Republican periods (1825 - ), the Spaniards made changes that imply a deterioration of the socio-political structures of the ayllus, its territorial fragmentation and creation of new reductions for mining operations.</p><p>Recent archaeological research supports the proposition that populated centres in the Andean region of Bolivia were adapted to take advantage of the ecological variability through the social construction of the ayllu and the markas, centres that maintain dynamics, fluctuants and confluence in productive and ritual places.</p>

<p>Is there such a thing as unadulterated nature? All that surrounds us is culturally modified by man somewhere along our past. But culture is only a fictitious conception itself, created in an attempt to break the world into controllable objects.</p><p>So in what do we find culture? In everything? In the objects or the stories they embrace? Who chooses what’s worth saving and how to save? Choosing what is culture is made from personal, ingrained dichotomies of what’s important and what is not. A selective eye creates a distorted truth, which could have unintentional long-term effects.</p><p>This thesis will give a historical account of the archaeological discipline’s development in tending to our cultural heritage. By demonstrating its many complications, with examples of forest remains, I will argue for the need of innovation, communication and documentation. Only then can we get a broader, more varied and slightly less modified picture of the culture we choose to keep.</p>

The essay deals with the phenomena “multiple individual burials”, which implicates a burial with two or more individuals, during the Boat Axe Culture (2800-2300 BC) in Sweden. The focus of this essay is the burial from Bergsvägen in Linköping, east Sweden. The burial is described as unique because of its well-preserved skeletons and grave goods, but the question is how unique is it in comparison with other multiple individual burials? This matter is analysed in the essay by a comparative analysis, and multiple burials are also compared with single burials to understand why some individuals of the community were buried in multiple individual burials while others were not. Maybe they died at the same time and multiple individual burials were practical or maybe they had high or low status within the community. The purpose of this essay is to understand the relationship between the individuals in the multiple individual burials. The later part of the essay deals with the burial from Bergsvägen as a unique culture heritage, and how it is interpreted in an exhibition in the Museum of Östergötland, Linköping.

Woman monks are not uncommon to find in Coptic and other hagiographic literature. They were described to dress into male attire and travel to anchoritic monasteries where they would get a single cell to devote their lives to God through seclusion, prayers, fasting, meditation, studies, and other daily chores, all the while not being known as women by most of the men in their brethren. It was a tough life for a man and it would have been a tough life for a woman. In this study, five hagiographies about woman monks will be examined: three Coptic, one Christian, and one found in both traditions. These women performed miracles and went through changes in both body and mind. The woman Hilaria is one of the most popular saints in Coptic belief and her story is the corner stone of this thesis. Her legend is also considered to be one of the oldest and might be the origin of these kinds of stories, which makes it remarkable on its own. Nonetheless, four other female saints will be examined to find what this essay seeks to answer: What are these women, as women, doing and why? What is the meaning of these stories? Why do they go to anchoritic monasteries? Are we dealing with portraying ideals on Coptic and Christian women? These are some of the questions that this essay is based upon. It combines Egyptological, Christian, literary, as well as gender research for a relevant and fresh view on these texts and their meaning. / Kvinnliga munkar är inte ovanliga att hitta i koptisk och annan hagiografisk litteratur. De klädde sig i manliga kläder och reste till anakoretiska kloster där de fick en cell för att viga sitt liv åt Gud genom avskildhet, böner, fastande, meditation, studier och andra vardagliga sysslor, allt medan de flesta av männen i deras brödraskap inte visste att de var kvinnor. Det var ett hårt liv för en man och det var ett hårt liv för en kvinna. I den här studien kommer fem hagiografier om kvinnomunkar att undersökas: tre koptiska, en kristen och en som återfinns i både traditioner. Dessa kvinnor utfärdade mirakel och gick igenom förändringar i både kropp och sinne. Kvinnan Hilaria är ett av de mest populära helgonen inom koptiskt trosväsende, och hennes historia är hörnpelaren i denna uppsats. Hennes legend anses också vara en av de äldsta och kanske ursprunget till dessa sorts historier, vilket gör den enastående i sig själv. Trots det kommer fyra andra kvinnliga helgon att undersökas för att hitta de svar som denna uppsats söker: Vad gör dessa kvinnor som kvinnor, och varför? Vad betyder dessa historier? Varför går de till anakoretiska kloster? Har vi att göra med porträtterande av ideal för koptiska och kristna kvinnor? Dessa är några av de frågor som denna uppsats bygger på. Den kombinerar egyptologiska, kristna, litteratur- och genusstudier för ett relevant och färskt perspektiv på dessa texter och deras betydelse.

The first image depicted of sail are in Egypt and dated to the late fourth millennium BC. Around the third millennium BC the introduction of sail began in the eastern Mediterranean.Some researchers do not believe that sail have existed in Scandinavia until about 8th century AD. The reason for this is because of the lack of archaeological evidence. The question that may be asked is whether it is reasonable that it took about 3000-3500 years for the sail to getto Scandinavia from the eastern Mediterranean? The purpose of this essay is to examine and describe which indications that are available to support the occurrence of the sail in Scandinavia during the Bronze Age. Indications will be studied in trade contacts, rock art boats, and boat constructions.The study is relevant to gain a greater understanding of the Scandinavia´s movements on the open water, trade contacts and boat construction during the Bronze Age.The result reveals that Scandinavia probably had an indirect contact with areas that used sails. Indications for contact with areas in Europe are shown by imports and exports of amber,metals, artefacts and similarities between rock carvings depicting ships. Some of Scandinavia´s rock art boats seem to show attributes such as mast and sails, but it is difficult to get an understanding by looking at the pictures only. One idea is that a change is required in the keel of the boats for sailing. The result reveals that an alternative to keel may have been double steering oars. From an experimental archaeological survey of Bengtsson &amp; Bengtsson (2011), it seems that Scandinavian Bronze Age boats have managed to get sailed. / Den första avbilden av segel finns i Egypten och dateras till ca år 4000 f.Kr. Runt ca år 3000f.Kr. uppkommer segel i östra Medelhavsområdet, Persiska viken och möjligen Indien. I Skandinavien anser en del forskare att segel inte har existerat förrän ca 700 år e.Kr., då inga arkeologiska bevis för mast eller segel förekommer. Frågan som kan ställas är om det är rimligt att seglet har tagit omkring 3000-3500 år att nå Skandinavien från östra Medelhavsområdet? Syftet med studien är att undersöka och redogöra för vilka indikationer som finns för att seglet kan ha förekommit i Skandinavien under bronsåldern. Frågeställningarna har varit: Var Skandinavien i kontakt med områden som nyttjade segel eller hade kunskap om dem under bronsåldern? Vilka belägg finns för att kontakter med områden i Europa harförekommit? Kan hällbilderna från bronsåldern i Skandinavien tolkas ha mast och segel? Vad krävs i en båtkonstruktion för att den skall kunna segla? Har skandinaviska bronsåldersbåtar haft en båtkonstruktion som klarat av segling? Teorin som antagits i föreliggande uppsats har varit Bengtsson &amp; Bengtssons (2011) som antar att segel kan ha uppkommit tidigare i Skandinavien, möjligtvis redan under bronsåldern. Studien utfördes genom en litteraturöversikt och metoden var empirisk och komperativ då forskares åsikter, antaganden och resultat från deras undersökningar jämfördes och presenterades utifrån frågeställningarnai analysen. En avgränsning har funnits genom att undersökningen främst berört områden därmast och segel kan tolkas ha förekommit samt på platser där tidigare forskning behandlat Skandinaviens hällristningar. Ytterligare avgränsning har funnits genom att en ingåendebeskrivning av hur båtkonstruktionen hos bronsåldersbåtarna såg ut, ej har angivits i detalj, utan i stället har de funktioner som ansetts viktiga för en möjlig introduktion av segel i Skandinavien främst undersökts. Resultatet visar utifrån analysen och diskussionen kring frågeställningarna att indikationerframkommer för att möjligheten finns för att segel förekom i Skandinavien under bronsåldern.

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This master thesis examines cross-boundary connections between a state and an empire. This was done by mapping connections over Kvarken between the Swedish county of Västerbotten and its Finnish counterpart, Österbotten, during the period 1835-1870. Accounts from the custom houses in Jakobstad, Nykarleby, Vasa, Kaskö and Kristinestad served as primary source material together with contemporary Osterbottnian newspapers. For this thesis, a quantitative content- and network analysis as well as a qualitative text analysis was conducted out of a spatial, boundary- and imperial theoretical framework. This thesis shows that the sea trade continued during the entire period without being hindered by neither impending cholera epidemics nor the Crimean War. When other trading routes were cut off by trade embargoes or when ice covered the sea; the trade never ceased. The traffic across Kvarken was primarily Vasterbottnian, and a most Swedish project, except during the Crimean war. During the war, an enormous amount of Osterbottnian trading parties would come to Västerbotten, chiefly in pursuit of salt. Compared to other trade conducted, the Osterbottnian trade with Västerbotten was extensive both in terms of the sheer number of ships, but also in the value of traded goods. Thus, Kvarken can be seen as a cross-border region. The Russian endeavour to severe ties between Sweden and Finland during the 1840’s through the abolishment of particular tariff prescriptions and swedish currency had no noteworthy impact upon trade across the Kvark. Neither value nor flow of goods was impacted. The amount of ships consistently remained at around 25-40 ships anually for the entire study period. To the contrary, temporary prescriptions to promote trade were constantly introduced. It was probably in the greater interest among both Russian and Swedish rulers that the connection between the two peripher, northern regions should function for the well-being and prosperity of the local peoples. In newspaper reports also the cultural value of musicians and theatre companies travelling across Kvarken was greatly appreciated.

Studies on work-related skeletal lesions are a vital part of answering questions about how animals were used by prehistoric populations. In Sweden, this sort of research has mainly been done on cattle. Horse (equus) bones are simply to uncommon to find and the osteometric methods are severely lacking. This essay aims to use previous Swedish as well as foreign research on the subject, as a basis for a new study focusing on horse bones from different contexts. The aim is to find indications of whether or not the relationship between humans and horses has affected the way these animals were treated, and later disposed of after death. A new perspective of theory and methodology will be used to tackle the problems that have previously haunted osteological research on horse bones. By combining osteological analysis and microarchaeology the goal is to reach for information that in the past has been hard to come by.  Swedish osteology needs to step out of its comfort zone and start looking at animal bones as more than a statistic foundation.

The Vendel period, Early Medieval or Merovingian period as it’s called in the rest of Europe, is a time full of wonderful artefacts. Many are those that have heard of the fantastic boat-graves in Vendel and Valsgärde in Sweden and the very similar Sutton Hoo in Great Britain, but what about Gotland? Most of the papers discussing this period focus only on the area around lake Mälaren but I want to contribute by placing Gotland and its artefacts in the center. This paper will focus on disc-on-bow brooches, the special kind of gilded buckles, inlaid with garnets or niello, that are found mostly in women graves from the Vendel period on Gotland and how they can be dated from the differences in shape and the ornamentation. The aim of this text is to by analysing the grave finds in several women graves on Gotland get an idea about the woman who wore the brooch and her social status. The discussion has a gender theme and will discuss the sometimes flawed theory that graves that contain jewellery always belongs to women and graves with weapons always belongs to men. This study shows that the button-on-bow brooches does not indicate any clear differences between women with brooches and those who does not have them, but other artefacts in the graves might.