This paper reviews the osteological material from birds which are found in the boat graves from Valsgärde in Sweden. Based on my own work with boat grave number 13, I have studied the avian bone material to find out what kind of bird species there are in the grave. Birds have a significant meaning in many religions from all around the world and are symbolic for different kinds of beliefs. Although many written sources from the past indicate the cultural importance of birds, there is still little zooarchaeological research done in the subject of bird findings in graves. The boat graves from Valsgärde is from the Vendel period about 550–800 AD. My interest with the species analysis is that it furthermore will lead to discussions about interpretation of the graves. I want to examine questions like what birds of certain species can tell about the individual that the grave belongs to. For example, findings of predatory birds often refer to wealth, due to fact that it’s difficult to raise them in captivity. This is an interesting fact that should be consider when a grave is examined, because it reveals many more questions. Also, I want to examine how birds at that time were used in everyday life, and if there were any other practices concerning birds like for example hunting.

This paper reviews a study of the skulls from the anatomy collection at Gustavianum, Uppsala university museum, historical collections in Uppsala, Sweden. The skulls were found in the central parts of Uppsala, on an area called Östra Ågatan, which is known for being one of the oldest parts in town. The skulls have been dated to medieval period between 11th and 14th centrury and came to be a part of the anatomical collection. Only skulls are available today in the big collection.  Cranial metrics were recorded, probably by the Anatomical department for all skulls in the large anatomical collection. Östra Ågatan is today a road located near Fyrisån, a river that flows through the city. Uppsala is well known for being one of the oldest city in Sweden and Europe. People have lived here for several centuries, and today the area are currently being used the same. The study aims to collect information about the health status on the medieval humans living in Uppsala. Also, to see if the skulls had a connection to the nearby churches that were located near the area under the same period. Questions that the study are examining is, -If the skulls have any connection to a church in the nearby area that they were found in? -Do the skulls have any pathologies, non-metric features or damage?

I denna uppsats diskuteras jakten och nyttjandet av säl på Gotska Sandön, med utgångspunkt i en osteologisk analys av säl- och människoben från en begravningsplats på öns norra kust. Diskussionen inkluderar dessutom jämförelser med arkeologiska lokaler och etnografiska beskrivningar från öar som Gotland, Stora Karlsö, Fårö och Runö. Människobenen kommer från en individ och har daterats till 1400-talet e.Kr. Resultatet av den osteologiska analysen, jämfört med etnografiska källor, indikerar att individen kan ha varit en säljägare. Sälbenen talar om att gråsäl har jagats, och att jakten har inkluderat gamla sälar och sälhanar. Dessa sälar har jagats för sitt skinn och späck snarare än för sitt kött. Sälbenens förekomst på begravningsplatsen kan bero på en förkristen tradition, att de har misstagits för människoben eller att de har varit avfall från den närliggande medeltida boplatsen på Säludden. / This essay discusses the hunting and use of seals on Gotska Sandön, based on an osteological analysis of seal and human bones from a cemetery on the northern coast of the island. The discussion includes comparisons with archaeological sites and ethnographical descriptions from islands such as Gotland, Stora Karlsö, Fårö and Ruhnu. The human bones come from one individual and has been dated to the 15th century AD. The results of the osteological analysis, compared with ethnographical sources, indicate that the individual may have been a seal hunter. The seal bones indicate that grey seal was hunted, and that the hunt included old seals and male seals. These seals were hunted for their skin and blubber rather than their meat. The seal bones may have been buried in the cemetery because of a pre-Christian tradition, them being mistaken for human bones, or them being waste from the nearby medieval settlement on Säludden.

Denna studie behandlar fyra individer som kommer från S:t Hans medeltida kyrka i Visby, Gotland. Samtliga av dessa individer uppvisar tydliga indikationer på att de har fallit offer för våldshandlingar av skarpt slag, varav två av dem avrättade. Syftet med studien är att undersöka skadornas natur och orsak, samt att fastställa tidpunkten för dessa händelser och deras motiv. Vidare ägnas uppmärksamhet åt de begravningspraktiker som dessa individer har undergått, och hur dessa kan bidra till vår förståelse av deras identitet. Slutligen diskuteras de avrättades straff i relation till de rättsliga normer som var rådande under medeltiden i Sverige. / This study examines four individuals originating from St. Hans Medieval Church in Visby, Gotland. All individuals exhibit clear indications of having fallen victim to acts of sharp force trauma, two of whom were executed. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature and cause of these injuries, as well as to determine the timing and motives behind these events. Furthermore, attention is devoted to the burial rituals these individuals have undergone and how they can contribute to our understanding of their identity. Finally, the punishments inflicted upon the executed individuals are discussed in relation to the legal norms during the medieval period in Sweden.

Uppsatsen ämnar belysa kommensala gnagare inom arkeologin och förmedla potentialen för vidare forskning. Den medeltida bebyggelsen i Västergarn, Gotland agerar fallstudie där benen från små gnagare analyserats och diskuterats utifrån mikro- och makroarkeologins teoretiska vinklar. För den osteologiska analysen undersöktes benen med mikroskop för att se till ålder, spår av sjukdom och minsta individantal. I en rumslig analys sattes benen i jämförelse med de husgrunder som påträffats på platsen. Resultatet visade att materialet som fanns tillhandahållet endast innehöll de större benelementen, mest troligt till följd av den alltför stormaskiga sållen som användes vid utgrävningen. Benen som analyserades härrörde från mestadels mycket unga individer som befann sig i eller i anslutning till husgrunderna. Ett ben hade även en sjuklig förändring. Materialet visar på stor potential för framtida tvärvetenskaplig forskning där eventuella handelsrutter, sjukdomsrisker och matkonsumtion kan belysas. / This thesis aims to shed light on commensal rodents in archaeology and convey the potential for future research. The medieval settlement in Västergarn, Gotland was chosen for a case study where the rodent bones were analyzed and discussed based on micro- and macroarchaeological theoretical views. For the osteological analysis the bones were examined through a microscope to determine age, signs of disease and minimum number of individuals. The bones were put into context through a spatial analysis with the building foundations of the archaeological site. The results showed that the material at hand only contained the larger bone elements from the bodies, possibly because of the smaller bones falling through the big mesh sieve. The individuals were mostly very young and encountered near or within the building foundations. One bone had a pathological alteration. The material showed great promises for future interdisciplinary research where potential trading routes, risks of diseases and food consumption can all be made clearer.

Uppsatsen utgår ifrån en analys av 20 kilo animalosteologiskt material från kvarteret Gruvan 3 i Jönköping, vilket har daterats till medel- och stormaktstid (1000–1600 e.Kr.). Syftet har varit att undersöka förändringar i djurhållning och eventuella aktiviteter (kopplade till djurbenshantering), som ägt rum på platsen. Under analysarbetet har art och benelement bedömts. Osteologiska metoder för ålder, kön och mankhöjd har tillämpats i den mån detta varit möjligt på slaktdjuren i materialet, det vill säga nötkreatur (Bos taurus), får/get (Ovis aries/Capra hircus) och svin (Sus domesticus). Studien har visat att det förekommer vissa skillnader i artfördelning mellan slaktdjuren under periodens olika faser. Nöt har dock varit mest frekvent förekommande följt av får/get och gris. Resultatet av den osteologiska analysen har uppvisat stora likheter med andra tidigare undersökta medeltida stadsmaterial, när det gäller ålder, kön och mankhöjd hos djuren. Materialet från senare halvan av den undersökta tidsperioden har innehållit en större mängd bearbetade benfragment, vilka tolkats vara hantverksspill. / This paper is based on a study of 20 kilo animal bones, which were recovered from an excavation in 1994 in the quarter of Gruvan 3, Jönköping. The purpose of this essay was to investigate changes in animal husbandry and activity, related to animal bones, at the site during the period from AD 1000–1600. Osteological methods have been used to determine age, gender and height of the most common domestic animals, which are cattle (Bos taurus), sheep/goat (Ovis aries/Capra hircus) and pig (Sus domesticus). Some differences have been seen in the distribution of the domestic animals in the material from different time periods. Cattle has been the most common animal followed by sheep/goat and pig. The osteological material has also shown similarities with other materials from medieval Swedish towns based on the age, gender and height of cattle, sheep/goat and pig. The material from the later part of the investigated period has contained an increasing amount of bone fragments from crafting.

This thesis compares the health and quality of life between the medieval urban environment of Visby and the rural monastic population of Roma monastery through the examination of osteological remains. For this comparison the bones of two graves of two assumed monks from Roma Monastery have been examined and are compared to previously written osteological reports of material of St. Clemen’s graves. In total five individuals from St. Clemens of two different authors have been used for this thesis. The material from Roma has been examined after sex, age, height, pathological changes, and activity markers. The finds of the study suggests the monks performed heavy manual labour and had worse health than compared to the inhabitants of Visby. / Denna uppsats undersöker och jämför hälsan och livskvalitén hos den medeltida urbana befolkningen i Visby gentemot den rurala klosterbefolkningen från Roma kloster genom skeletala kvarlevor. För jämförelsen har benen från två gravar av två antagna munkar från Roma kloster jämförts med tidigare publicerade osteologiska rapporter av material från S:t Clemens gravar. Totalt fem individer från S:t Clemens av två olika författare har använts för denna uppsats. Materialet från Roma har undersökts efter kön- och åldersbedömning, kroppslängdberäkning, patologiska förändringar och aktivitetsspår. Resultatet av undersökningen visar att munkarna utförde hårt arbete och hade en sämre hälsa än Visbys invånare.

The Gotlandic smith has been depicted on several picture stones and is a subject of fear and respect in the Old Norse sagas. Their technological prowess can be identified through their skilful work and through the stories told about them, but one must delve deeper to identify the smith-craft itself. This thesis seeks to apply the practice of bone-smithing on the osteological material from the Gotlandic site of “Signallottan” located about a kilometre southeast of the Hanseatic walled city of Visby, a site which was excavated in 2018 to get a broader understanding of the site’s previous uses. In addition to this, an osteological and spatial analysis will be carried out to identify the role of the smith and the use of bones in smithing, as well as a literature study of texts depicting or discussing the smith from the perspective of the Icelandic sagas. The thesis will focus on the application of theoretical frameworks with their basis in materiality, agency, and entanglement to interpret what activities can be identified in Signallottan through the current analyses in correlation with the extensive previous identification of osteological material from the site. This thesis will seek to identify the animal species that are present in the osteological material as well as the degree of cremation of the bones, which could imply that bones were used in smithing practice and ritual during the Viking Age. Around 2,5kg of bones were analysed during the thesis, a majority of which were burnt. The spatial analysis of the site, which was carried out through GIS, reveals a connection between finds of iron, slag, and bone together with oxide scale to form the interpretation of the site as having been used for smithing, that may have used bone as fuel during the carbonisation-process. The smithing practices during the Viking Age are deemed to be a supernaturally connected practice with transformative implications of seiðr, old Norse magic, but are also practices that were highly dependent on the craftsman’s skill and a network of trade to receive the materials necessary for larger-scale production in an agricultural society.

The skeletal material used in this thesis consists of 258 individuals, whereas 179 individuals had the requirements entailed for an analysis of health and lifestyles. In other words, their sex and age had been osteologically determined. In addition, they are either young adults, adults, or seniors, as infants and subadults usually die before skeletal changes. Males represent 63 percent (n=112) and females 37 percent (n=67) of the material. The material is collected from a Stone Age dwelling site in Ajvide, Gotland, and six Medieval churches in Visby, Gotland: St Hans, St Per, St Clemens, Ryska Kyrkan, St Gertrud and St Mikael. One of the most noticeable traits caused by a change in subsistence strategies is an increase in enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, degenerative joint diseases, and activity-related pathologies, as well as a decrease in oral health. Therefore, the population of Medieval Visby was exposed to more stressors in the shape of infections and malnutrition. Furthermore, the high amount of degenerative joint diseases also indicates a more physically strenuous life. / Skelettmaterialet som använts i denna uppsats består av 258 individer, varav 179 individer uppfyllde de krav som krävdes för en lyckad analys. Individerna måste alltså ha en känd ålder och kön, dessutom exkluderades spädbarn och juvenila, då de oftast avled innan skeletala förändringar. I materialet representerade männen 63 procent (n=112) och kvinnorna 37 procent (n=67) av den totala mängden skelett. Materialet hade blivit insamlad från stenåldersboplatsen Ajvide på Gotland samt sex medeltida kyrkor från Visby, Gotland: St Hans, St Per, St Clemens, Ryska Kyrkan, St Gertrud och St Mikael. Noterbara förändringar är en ökning i emaljhypoplasi, cribra orbitalia, degenerativa ledsjukdomar, aktivitet-relaterade patologier samt försämrad oral hälsa. Detta tyder på att den medeltida befolkningen utsattes för mer stress i form av infektioner och undernäring. Mängden degenerativa ledsjukdomar indikerar dessutom på ett mer fysiskt ansträngande liv.

Denna uppsats undersöker Storsudret, Gotlands sydligaste udde, i ett övergripande perspektiv av landskapet och dess geografiska egenskaper, samt Sundre socken för en lokal analys av fornlämningar och människorna i området. Sydvästligast ligger Hoburgen, en klint eller klippa som har satt spår i den gotländska kulturen på flera olika sätt. Baserat på studerandet av kartor, analys av ett osteologiskt material samt etymologiska kopplingar till Hoburgen målar detta arbete en nyanserad bild av platsen och människorna däri. Genom att studera dessa aspekter kommer vi närmare att förstå människornas relation till platsen genom tiderna och varför man valt att återkomma och återbruka forna tiders gravplatser. / This thesis examines Storsudret, Gotland’s southernmost peninsula, through an overview perspective of the landscape and its geographical features, as well as Sundre parish for a local analysis of ancient monuments and the people in the area. The south-westernmost point is Hoburgen, a cliff that has left an imprint in the Gotlandic culture in various ways. Through the study of maps, analysis of osteological remains, and etymological connections to Hoburgen, this thesis demonstrates a nuanced picture of the place and the people within. By studying these aspects, we come closer to understand people’s relationship to the landscape throughout the ages and why they chose to return to it and reuse ancient burial sites. / Gotland under det 3:e årtusendet f.Kr.