The metal detector as an archaeological tool: good or bad? Over the past six decades, the metal-detector has taken both the public as the archaeology by storm. The amount of people that has started to use it both as a hobby and in their jobs, is consistently growing, and the finds that it has provided has been of great value to the archaeologists. This paper examines how the metal-detector has been used and what kind of information it has provided for archaeologists. Firstly, there will be a short presentation of the metal-detector as a tool where its history and function get depicted. Thereafter a short summary around the legislation concerning metal-detectors follows of both Sweden and Denmark, which will end with a comparison. Then, the archaeological excavations with metal-detectors that has taken place in Uppåkra and Gudme during the last 40 years gets presented. There will be a short historical comprehension around both places which is followed by the surveys that has been conducted with metal-detectors and some of the finds that has been made. Finally, there will be a short summary around the debate in Sweden whether the legislation concerning metal-detectors should be liberalized or not. The text will end with a discussion where the author talks about his thoughts of metal-detectors in archaeology.

Eriksson, J.E. 2021. Hallar och kulthus i södra Skandinavien under äldre järnålder: När Oden och härskaren blev grannar.Eriksson, J.E. 2021. Halls and cult houses in southern Scandinavia during early iron age: When Odin and the ruler became neighbours. The intention of this paper is to investigate why halls and cult houses were built close together and at the same time in southern Scandinavia during the Roman Iron Age and the Migration Period and how this can be linked to the development of administrative and military power. The thesis has been divided into three parts, namely a review of archaeological and historical research, a description of three archaeological sites and analysis. This means that the theoretical starting point of the thesis is to compare research with recent years reported archaeological results. The paper focuses on the time from the Roman Iron Age to the end of the migration period, from the year 0 to 550 AD and the geographically area being studied to southern Scandinavia. The result of the study shows that leaders inspired by the Roman Empire built and took control over the halls and cult houses around the year 250 AD to legitimize and manifest their power, acquire wealth and loyalty from subjects. Archeological remains show that the Norse god Odin was worshiped in the cult house and the stability of this cult can be traced to the end of the Viking Age.

Uppåkra is a centralplace in Scania, southern Sweden, where religion and cult have been of great importance. The cult has been important in the Iron Age society for rulers but also for blacksmiths and the general population. Just like Borg, Gudme and Järrestad, Uppåkra has probably emerged with the development of agriculture. When agriculture developed trade grew and eventually power. Hence could centralplaces finally form. Centralplaces have probably also affected its hinterland positive, as they could take part of the centralplaces financial position.

The presence of roman coins outside of the Roman Empire during the Iron Age is a curiousthing. One would assume they represent a giant trade confederation of sorts, and one would notbe completely wrong in assuming so. The trade aspect of the Roman Empire to the north is stillsomething unknown. But this essays focus lies instead with how the coins were used in specificplaces in Scandinavia. This essay focuses on two central places, Gudme in Denmark, andUppåkra in Sweden, while also looking at stray coins in the northern part of Sweden todetermine if there is a correlation between a central place and stray finds out in the wilderness. The analysis of this essay showed a similar yet different use of the roman coins at the twocentral places. In Gudme the norm was to use the coins, as they were, in the metal workshops,or use them as clippings for using a smaller amount of metal in the rework of new items. InUppåkra the norm was instead to melt all coins down to metal bars for an easier storage and useof specific wights and metal in making new items. The correlation between the stray coins anda central place is that hunters or tradesmen travelled through the country and dropped coins.The analysis showed that the travellers where hunting and trading fur that were most likely soldin a central place like Uppåkra and then brought back to settlement in the north / Närvaron av romerska mynt utanför romarriket under järnåldern är en underlig sak. Antagandetsom har gjorts är att de representerade ett handels förbund av ett slag, och en har inte helt fel iatt anta så. Handelsaspekten av romarriket i norr är fortfarande okänt. Fokuset för denna uppsatsligger i stället hur de romerska mynten användes vid specifika platser i Skandinavien.Uppsatsen fokuserar på två centralplatser, Gudme i Danmark och Uppåkra i Sverige, detkommer även kolls på ströfynd i norra delen av Sverige för att ta reda på om en korrelationmellan centralplats och ströfynden i utmarken. Analysen av Uppsatsen visade på en liknande användning av mynten men ändå en olikhetvid de två centralplatserna. I Gudme var normen att använda mynten som de var imetallverkstäderna, eller använda dem som klippningar för att använda en mindre mängd metalli tillverkningen av nya föremål. I Uppåkra smältes mynten i stället ner till metalltackor förenklare förvaring samt att kunna använda en specifik metall eller mängd för att tillverka nyaföremål. Korrelationen mellan utmarksfynden och en centralplats var att jägare ellerhandelsmän reste genom landet och tappade mynt. Analysen visade att de jagade efter päls föratt sälja på centralplatser och fick romerska mynt som betalning och tog mynten till derasbosättningar i norra Sverige.