Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2009.

Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2005. / CD-ROM i ficka. Titel på CD-ROM: En enkel till Himlingøje : catalogue with references 2.

The Christianisation of Sweden is not much about religion. Instead, there is much to be gained by looking at it as a colonial situation with changing social identities and power structures. This is evident by the prevalence of hybridisations in the archaeological material. Some of the material categories that show the clearest example of changes are the burials from the 9th century up until about AD 1200. This is exemplified by two different Iron Age burial sites in Stockholm county, Uppland, Sweden: RAÄ 59, Valsta, in Norrsunda parish and RAÄ 40, Lilla Ullevi, in Bro parish; They both show hybridisation by involving older elements with newer ones during a time period when the church was not quite established in the region yet. The Christianisation of Sweden is a colonial situation, but the research tradition has often also used a colonial lens from the 19th and early 20th century in its approach to the period. This means that the same questions, interpretations and conclusions, often based on written sources, have been continuously reused for a long time, which has had consequences for the archaeology in Sweden.

Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2004.

This thesis is about Bronze age graves in Kronobergs län. My purpose is to examine fourteen confirmed graves from this period. The three question I ask is 1. What action can you attribute from a ritul therory to the buildings of the graves 2. What action can you attribute from a ritual theory to the deposit of osteological material. 3. What actions can you attribute from a ritual theory to the deposit of other material objects. The theory I use in this case is Catherine Bells theory on ritual which states that we should concentrate on different actions and whats these may mean instead by assume that what we observe when it comes to bronze age graves has always something to do with ritual by default. The methodical approach used was to read archeologiacl reports which had examined  bronze age graves in Kronoberg, and collect the data from these regarding construction and deposits. Then in my analyse bring the data from this reports and then apply Bells ritual theory on these findings. The conclusion reached is that the construction of the graves did follow certation norms and rules when it come to the location of the graves, what stones were used and a relations between the different construction part of the graves had a connection. Also that the cremation of the osteological material happened in the vicinity and not in the graves themselves and the bones was scatted around or in a specific place in the graves and in some cases may have had the function as an altar. The deposit of other material objects shows that this might have been personal belongings to individual that was buried and showed there status in life, but also that some of the material that was deposit was actions that belonged to funeral itself.

No description available.

This study concerns three necklaces, found in three women’s graves in the Viking age city Birka, placed on the island Björkö in the lake Mälaren. The necklaces are well ornate with pearls of carnelian, rock crystal, glass and amber, as well as silver pendants in the shape of for example animals, chairs and crosses.                                                                                    The aim is to examine what purpose the necklaces and their pendants had in its contemporary time, as well as to examine the purpose and possible religious role of the women who owned the necklaces. In order to examine this the graves with the necklaces will also be compared with so called “völvegraves”, which are graves meant for völvor, vǫlur, women who were fortune-tellers. The graves are compared since a hypothesis have been formed, and through a hypothethico-deduction method I hope to see if the aim of this study can be answered. Delimitations are that not all pendants from the necklaces will be used, only categories that will bring forth an analysis as well a discussion. Only two of three völvegraves will take part in the study, since one of them needs more interpretation and analysis.                The study showed similarities between the graves with the necklaces and the völvegraves, which supports a positive outcome of the method. The major differences between the graves were the objects interpreted as ritual, the staff and the necklaces. However, since a hypothethico-deduction theory can be limited, the discussion also focused on the pendants of the necklaces, and what they can say about function and worth. Since the pendants show a connection to the god Oden, I concluded that the necklaces were used as religious objects, and that the women possibly could have had the role of a gydja, but that they had Oden as their main God. I also concluded that the women were connected to vǫlur through the connection to Oden as well as chair pendants, but that the women with the necklaces probably were not vǫlur.

The purpose of this essay, is to investigate a grave phenomenon with earthen graves, located at the graveyard north of the preindustrial mining village in Sala, Sweden. It was during an excavation by Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis of the graveyard, which has been dated to been in use during the 16th and beginning of the 17th century, that the earthen graves were discovered. The earthen graves stood out in the report since most of the graves excavated turned out to be coffin graves. Coffin graves is also seen to be the norm during this period of time. I have delimited my research to analyse the four theories that are mentioned in the excavation report from SAU, regarding the earthen graves. I will also present a theory of my own. The main source material of this essay will be the earthen graves, and I will work on the basis that a grave can reflect the individual's position in society. As a result, I found that the“prisoner of war” theory gives the best answers to the questions that arise with the earthengraves.

No description available.

The aim of this bachelor essay is to study the relation between stone ship settings in Sweden and the symbols occurring on rock carvings, picture stones and metalworks. Are the stone ship settings meant to make the final journey for the dead over to the other side? And serve as a link between our world and the land of the dead? By comparing the theories and interpretations of different scientists and archaeologists I will analyze the different findings and forms of the stone ship settings. The mythology tells tales of the importance of the ship, that it drags the sun from left to right during the day and during the night it goes down under water at the horizon, usually accompanied by animals like horses, fish and snakes. This could be why the direction of the stone ship settings are generally southwest towards northeast, because the sun seems to be at its highest point towards south. A general discussion will be performed during this essay, and to view other archaeologist’s interpretations and research to find answers to what stone-ship settings stands for.