Runestones are stones with rune carvings on them and were in Uppland mainly raised during the eleventh and early twelfth century. Much of the earlier research done on runestones has focused on their inscriptions and not as much on their placement in the landscape. The placement of runestones has of course also been studied, but not very thoroughly using modern methods, such as GIS. We know that runestones were in many cases multifunctional and could serve as grave stones, memorial monuments or boundary markers etc., and quite a few were raised by burial grounds, roads and other places where they would be seen by many. This essay aims to further explore the placement of runestones by doing a large-scale analysis of Uppland’s runestones’ relation to burial grounds, water and the adjacent lands growing conditions. The stones are in the study categorized after their ornamental style groups, which form a relative chronology, and those that have inscriptions mentioning bridges. The runestones are then compared to one another, based on the three variables earlier mentioned, to see if there are any patterns or differences between them.

<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.