Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2006.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the age of the hillforts in the muncipality of Skara, their original purpose, why they were erected and what their function may have been. Hillforts are often thought to have been erected due to a need for protection and defence in times of political and societal turbulence. Many of the hillforts that have been subjected to archaeological investigations and partial excavations in other parts of Sweden have been dated to the iron age, mostly to the period which is known in Sweden as ”folkvandringstiden” or the migration period, 400–500 AD. Most of these fortifications share common traits such as being located on elevated areas, on hilltops and mountains. They are also often restricted in all directions by either steep slopes, cliffs and mounds. Most often they are located in areas difficult to gain access to, sometimes almost hidden away. Many of them are also located in such a way that one has a good outlook on the surrounding landscape from the location of thehillfort. All of the known hillforts of Skaraborg also share these traits, and it it possible that the hillforts of Skaraborg have had the function of being a refuge, perhaps also used for defense. Though it is hard to tell for certain. 7 of the 23 known hillforts were further investigated in this work. Only two of the 23 documented hillforts in the muncipality have been subjected to a partial excavation, which in turn showed that these remains were erected much earlier than expected. They showed signs of being inhabited as early as the stone age. Perhaps these two are the exception and should not be named ”fornborg”. However, judging by older, written sources, names, locations and remains such as walls, it seems likely that these hillforts have had a purpose of protecting and closing off a restricted area. Perhaps in the meaning of protection in times of unrest.

<p>Genom att titta på utvalda kategorier av fasta fornlämningar, fornfynd och platsnamn lokaliserar uppsatsen centralplatser på Öland under folkvandringstid. Kategorierna som har studerats närmre är fynd av guld, glas, bronsstatyetter, svärd och svärdsdetaljer, fornborgar, storgårdar samt platsnamn indikerande gudanamn och kultplatser. Centralplatsindikatorer från romersk järnålder har också gåtts igenom i syftet att få en bild av även denna periods centralområden på Öland. Resultaten har sedan jämförts och kontinuitet respektive diskontinuitet diskuterats. Resultaten har även jämförts med tidigare studier av centralområden och sett om dessa har gått att vidimera eller falsifiera.</p> / <p>This study has located central places from the Migration Period on Öland by studying chosen categories of ancient monuments, archaeological finds and place names. The chosen categories are gold, glass, bronze statuettes, swords and sword details, hillforts, large farms and place names indicating names from the gods and places of worship. I have also studied indications of central places from the Roman Iron Age, to get a picture of the central areas from this period too. The results from the two periods have then been compared and continuity and discontinuity is discussed. The results has also been compared with earlier research and watched if their theories have been possible to certify or falsify.</p>

Genom att titta på utvalda kategorier av fasta fornlämningar, fornfynd och platsnamn lokaliserar uppsatsen centralplatser på Öland under folkvandringstid. Kategorierna som har studerats närmre är fynd av guld, glas, bronsstatyetter, svärd och svärdsdetaljer, fornborgar, storgårdar samt platsnamn indikerande gudanamn och kultplatser. Centralplatsindikatorer från romersk järnålder har också gåtts igenom i syftet att få en bild av även denna periods centralområden på Öland. Resultaten har sedan jämförts och kontinuitet respektive diskontinuitet diskuterats. Resultaten har även jämförts med tidigare studier av centralområden och sett om dessa har gått att vidimera eller falsifiera. / This study has located central places from the Migration Period on Öland by studying chosen categories of ancient monuments, archaeological finds and place names. The chosen categories are gold, glass, bronze statuettes, swords and sword details, hillforts, large farms and place names indicating names from the gods and places of worship. I have also studied indications of central places from the Roman Iron Age, to get a picture of the central areas from this period too. The results from the two periods have then been compared and continuity and discontinuity is discussed. The results has also been compared with earlier research and watched if their theories have been possible to certify or falsify.

This paper examined whether Sandby borg has had a domestic manufacture of pearls. Other locations in Sweden with early signs of glass production are presented to investigate possible similarities with Sandby borg. Ocular and chemical analysis of beads and raw glass material from Sandby borg has been made to obtain more information before interpretation. XRF is used in the chemical analysis of the glass material to obtain the composition in the glass. One of the objectives of this paper is to try to identify which sites are considered a central location. To investigate the selected locations and if they can be referred to as central places. I use two different models to ease the interpretations. The first is Charlotte Fabech and Jytte Ringtveds pyramid of the arkeological material in central places and the other Bertil Helgesson's concept phenomenon, function, location and person. To investigate the different places as a glass production site, different criteria are used to make it easier to interpret a domestic glassware making. / I denna uppsats undersöktes det om Sandby borg har haft en inhemsk tillverkning av pärlor. Andra platser med tidiga tecken på glashantverk i Sverige presenteras för att undersöka eventuella likheter med Sandby borg. Det har gjorts okulär och kemisk analys av pärlor och smältor från Sandby borg för att få fram mer information innan tolkning. XRF metoden används i den kemiska analysen av glasmaterialet för att få fram sammansättningen i glaset. Ett av målen med denna uppsats är att försöka identifiera vilka platser som betraktas som en centralplats. För att undersöka de utvalda platserna och ifall de kan benämnas som centralplatser använder jag två olika modeller för att underlätta tolkningarna. Den första är Charlotte Fabech och Jytte Ringtveds pyramid om centralplatser och den andra Bertil Helgessons begrepp fenomen, funktion, lokalisering och person. För att identifiera utvalda platser som glashantverksplats användes olika kriterierna som karakteriserar en glashantverksplats. Sedan presenteras resultat av den XRF undersökning som gjordes på materialet från Sandby borg. Därefter diskuterades frågan om det förekommit en inhemsk tillverkning av pärlor i Sandby borg och resultaten jämfördes med de andra utvalda platserna i Sverige.

Northern Sweden’s petty kingdoms have been described in historical documents dating as far back as the Roman iron age, as more-or-less independent and self-governing smaller principalities. Previous examination of them has determined at least thirteen probable independent petty kingdoms during the Swedish iron age and migration period, which could be an interpretation influenced by the historical accounts of Prokopios. This paper aims to re-examine their makeup and function from historical sources, geographical and archaeologically contextual factors and whether the term “petty kingdom” is the descriptor most apt for them or not. There are possible origins from and connections to middle Sweden, to Finland, Estland and Russia which puts the independence of these pettykingdoms in question, as well as archaeological analysis of the identified kingdom sites from a perspective other than as an administrative and/or political center, which could lead to an understanding of their purpose and use.

<p>The aim of this work is to take the first step into a development process, with the intention to find a way of making prehistoric soil fertility a variable in archaeological landscape analysis. A pilot study is performed on the Mälar basin area, where four topographical and geological factors are reclassified and then combined, resulting in a map which expresses a relative indication of agriculture potential. The map is then compared to the distribution of Migration Period graves and gold finds. This, however, does not mean that the technique is tied to a certain prehistoric period. Because the work is intrinsically experimental, the technique as a whole is finally discussed and evaluated, and suggestions of improvements and further studies are made.</p>

The aim of this work is to take the first step into a development process, with the intention to find a way of making prehistoric soil fertility a variable in archaeological landscape analysis. A pilot study is performed on the Mälar basin area, where four topographical and geological factors are reclassified and then combined, resulting in a map which expresses a relative indication of agriculture potential. The map is then compared to the distribution of Migration Period graves and gold finds. This, however, does not mean that the technique is tied to a certain prehistoric period. Because the work is intrinsically experimental, the technique as a whole is finally discussed and evaluated, and suggestions of improvements and further studies are made.

Archaeologists have long noted the striking monumentality and large-scale efforts behind the Iron Age hilltop settlements. Yet, because of limited excavations, they represent a controversial part of the Migration Period society and much of their function remains hidden. This paper deals with questions concerning the inner organization and activities that took place within the Iron Age hilltop settlement at Runsa. The study is linked to the ongoing project ”Runsa fornborg –En befast centralplats i ostra Malardalen under folkvandringstid” which aims to investigate the socio-political functions of Runsa. In an attempt to establish a nuanced picture and distinguish space use within the hilltop settlement, a multi-variable approach is used. Alongside more traditional methods, element analysis by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) and lipid analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is emphasized.

This essay is about two areas called Hackås and Myrviken, situated in the middle of Sweden around the lake Storsjön. In Hackås we can see traces after an early agrarian settlement, and in Myrviken we find Jämtlands largest concentration of ironmaking sites from around 400 AD. There are no clear evidence of the agrarian settlement in Myrviken, and only two ironmaking sites in Hackås. These two economies functioned at the same time, but were clearly separated. My purpose is to discuss if it was the farmers of Hackås who made iron in Myrviken, or if it was somebody else.