Early medieval burials in ditches surrounding grave mounds from the Vendel Period and Viking Age are analyzed through three case studies from Dalarna in Sweden. The historical context during the late Iron Age and early Medieval Period is discussed to create an understanding of these graves. By making use of the theories constructed by Catherine Bell about ritualization as a strategic mode of practice to produce relationships of power, the early medieval graves are interpreted as an archaistic social strategy to justify the farm as the superior social unit during a time of change in Dalarna.

The purpose of this thesis is to get more knolwledge on a detailed level about places with runestones in close connection with a stone ship in the province of Södermanland. The knowledge touches upon questions how these places were created but also questions about why they were created through the theoretical perspective of cognitive archeology. The thesis starts with dicussing a possibly new discovery of an original stone setting for the runestone from Sannerby, Årdala parish SÖ 319, that was moved from Sannerby in the 18´th century. The thesis will argue that this original stone setting is possibly, by the author, a discovered stone ship. Further twelve places have been investigated in the landscape with or/that have had a runstone in close connection to a stone ship. One main result in the investigation is that almost all these places are in connection with a grave field and two places are also by tradition named as a local ting. These last mentioned two places have also erected flat stones while the other stone ships are built with low rounded stones.  The thesis further shows how and why these places were built, on a cognitive map with symbols in three different themes. The theme of symbols of religion will show that people were much affected by the change of religion from pagan religion to Christianity, and this could express a conflict in the society. The second theme is symbols that express social hierarchy and statements of power, and it expresses high social and economic status with aristocratic farmers who could afford to travel abroad. And the possible importance of language on a high level in the material of the poetic type of runestone texts. The third and final theme is symbols that expresses the marking of a place, one's territory, and the theses suggest that some of these places were created to express the runestones sponsors right to their inheritance, even if the deceased died abroad. But because there was a conflict of religion in the society the close connection to a stone ship could possibly mean that the sponsors of the runestone maybe needed the authority of an older type of monument to prove their right to inheritance. Because not everyone in their local society would accept a Christian runestone as a legal act.

The thesis aim is to discuss the Gotlandic jewelry constellations and the difference in the jewelry assemblies between five Viking Age burial grounds on the island from an intersectional perspective. Differences or alikeness between the burial grounds are meant to highlight or decline a possible group dynamic on the island where different subgroups could be detected in an overall Gotlandic group. The subgroups could be a result of trad or local expression that show up in the jewelry constellations and by that means highlight an expression beyond the Gotlandic grouping. Following questions is discussed in relation to the different jewelry constellations in the graves, is there any differences between the jewelry constellations on the analyzed burial grounds that could indicate more than one group in the Gotlandic population during the Viking Age? How can different genders be visible in the jewelry constellations of feminine and masculine graves on the five burial grounds? If more than one group can be detected, is it possible to interpret a difference in possibility to express gender in the jewelry constellations between the burial grounds? The Gotlandic feminine jewelry has been interpreted as specific for Gotland during the Viking Age and has been discussed to show an overall group on the island. In relation to this, the five analyzed burial grounds show about a third of the graves having no jewelry in the graves and a varying jewelry constellation in the feminine graves. The thesis discussion shows a possible difference even between the jewelry in masculine graves on the burial grounds that has been analyzed which earlier studies have not highlighted. The result shows a variation both between the five burial grounds but also between the individuals. What earlier has been understood as the traditional Gotlandic feminine jewelry constellation has in the analyzes been shown to relate quite little to the actual material. Few feminine individuals have been buried with the traditional jewelry constellation, more often are they buried with a few Gotlandic jewelry items and with varying placements in the graves. In summary, the five burial grounds show a variation in local tradition and manifestations related to the Gotlandic grouping.

Uppsatsen analyserar och diskuterar kattbenen i materialet som grävdes ut i Västergarn, Gotland under våren 2021 och 2022. Analysen och diskussionen fokuserar på katternas roll i lokalsamhället, både fysiskt och i den lokala folktron. Materialet består av sex schakt med två identifierade husgrunder, en misstänkt smedja och en brunn med en datering på vikingatid och tidig medeltid. Materialet består av 151 ben och beräkningen visar på uppskattningsvis fyra individer. Analysen kom fram till att majoriteten av individerna var yngre än ett år gamla, med undantag från en med artros från hög ålder. En underkäke hittades med snittspår vilket i samband med åldern på individerna visar på att katterna har avlivats för pälsens skull, som har dokumenterats tidigare i både historiska och arkeologiska källor. Ett område identifieras där troligen en hel individ deponerats som husoffer för att skydda mot onda krafter. Katterna på platsen har förmodligen i livet använts som skadedjursbekämpning och magiskt skydd. / The essay analyses and discusses the cat bones in the material excavated in Västergarn, Gotland during the spring of 2021 and 2022. The analysis and discussion focus on the role of cats in local society, both physically and in local folklore. The material consists of six shafts with two identified house foundations, a suspected forge and a well with a dating from the Viking Age and the early Middle Ages. The material consists of 151 bones and the calculation shows approximately four individuals. The analysis concluded that most individuals were younger than one year old, with the exception of one with osteoarthritis from old age. A lower jaw was found with butchery marks which, in conjunction with the age of the individuals, shows that the cats have been slaughtered for their fur, which has been documented previously in both historical and archaeological sources. An area is identified where an entire individual was probably deposited as a house offering to protect against evil forces. The cats on the site were probably used in life as pest control and magical protection.

The purpose of this thesis is to study the symbolic role of weapons, specifically axes in Viking age burials. The thesis will also discuss the axe´s role in relaion to the character of the grave and the grave goods. A total 18 graves will be studied and analysed with help from J. Petersen´s typology of Viking age weapons and Holger Arbman`s works on anout Birkas burials and their grave goods. Qualative and quantative research methods will be used used to answer the thesis`questions. First the thesis will discuss what a weapon grave is and explain Petersen`s typology of axes and explain what other types of axes that exist in Birka. It will further analyse weapon and axe symbolism, explain different characteristics and grave goods. Finally, I will discuss different interpretations and patterns surrounding the different practices, grave goods, the types of depsotied axes and the symbolic role of axes in graves. Axes buried with rich grave goods shows that some types of axes have higher status than others. The axes aesthetics do not play a pivotal role in the graves and their placements in the graves do not have a symbolic or deeper meaning.

During the 9th and 10th centuries large amounts of Islamic coins arrived in Scandinavia. Most of them were used as silver in a bullion-economy and were often fragmented because of this. However, their use was not limited to only economic purposes because we see large amounts of pendants made of these coins. By suspending a coin with a loop or only a hole you transform it into something completely different, something that has a new meaning. This new meaning is the focus of this thesis and by analysing graves where Islamic coin pendants were deposited, we can conclude how they were thought of and used. In this thesis I conclude that Islamic coin-pendants were used as status objects during the Viking-age, by both elite and non-elite people in Uppland. The Islamic inscriptions on the coins were most likely not understood and probably only seen as symbols and patterns similarly to other European coin-pendants.

Uppsatsens syfte var att undersöka hur vikingakvinnan framställs i två stora populärkulturella medier. Detta för att närmare förstå vilken bild som förmedlas via film och skönlitteratur, och i förlängningen vad som når den stora publiken. De fyra populärkulturella titlar som undersöktes valdes ut på grund av deras popularitet samt att de ger analysen ett större tidsspann. Dessa fyra titlar var Vikingarna (Fleischer, 1958), Vikingablot (1995), Tusenårsriket (Gulløv, 2019) samt The Northman (Eggers, 2022). Analysmetoden utgjordes av både kvantitativ samt kvalitativ analys för att säkerställa att resultatet blev så empiriskt och uttömmande som möjligt. Den kvalitativa analysen bestod av frågor att besvara medan den kvantitativa utgick från frågor i tabellform. Båda analysmetoderna byggde på könsnormativa nyckelord. Den kvantitativa analysen visade på androcentrism, ett manligt fokus, men även på att kvinnor filmtekniskt inte missgynnas. Den kvalitativa analysen identifierade flertalet stereotypa element, men samtidigt även sådant som inte befäste normativa könskonstruktioner. Fem kvinnoroller identifieras; Trälinnan, Nornan, Sköldmön, Modern och Frillan. Dessa kan kombineras, med undantag Trälinnan. Dessutom identifieras vilka aktiviteter som vikingakvinnor upplevs utföra i de utvalda populärkulturella medierna samt vilken social ställning kvinnor upplevs ha i dessa framställningar av vikingatid. Slutsatsen blir att då kvinnan inte upplevs äga sin egen kropp kommer hennes sociala ställning aldrig att vara annan än låg, oavsett andra statusindikationer. / This paper took a closer look at the gender roles within popular culture that portraits the Scandinavian Viking age. Both a quantitative and a qualitative analysis was used to identify the roles that Viking women play in the chosen novels and movies. The analysis was able to detect five different roles and several activities performed by Viking women in the novels and movies, along with the conclusion that the women’s social status is low since they never are in power of their own bodies.

<p>This paper deals with the late Viking age/early medieval grave field in Björned, Torsåker parish, Ångermanland County in northern Sweden. The grave field in Björned is rare because it has all the signs of being Christianized before the surroundings. This awakes questions such as if the people of Björned came from another place and brought the religion with them or if someone else did that for them. To find these answers I have analysed the stable isotope ratios [delta]13C, [delta]15N and [delta]34S in human bone collagen. Through these stable isotopes we can not only see what the people consumed but also where their food had its origin. It seems like several people from the grave field had a different origin then the rest.</p>

<p>This paper deals with archery in the Viking Age settlement of Birka and in particular the presence of Euro Asiatic, steppe nomadic archery equipment at the Birka Garrison and one Birka grave. The equipment contains for example closed quivers and a bow case. This paper also contains a discussion of archery battle techniques and tactics in Viking Age Birka and the implications of the above mentioned equipment to this discussion. The analysis insinuates the importance and status of archery in 10th century Birka.</p>

<p>The purpose of this paper is to analyse and discuss clinch-nails found at an excavation at terrace II in the Garrison of Birka, on the island of Björkö in Sweden. This type of clinch-nails is common in Viking age Sweden and is usually interpreted as coming from boats. The study will try to show that these types of nails could have been used in several kinds of wooden constructions. It will also show how the nails were made and what kinds of tools were used by the Viking smiths. The study has shown that this type of nails were used in several different types of wooden constructions such as boats, sleds, cart bodies, coffins, Birka's ramparts and buildings. Nothing confirms the use of rivets in Viking age buildings but the material from terrace II probably contains clinch-nails from the other categories. The largest portion of the clinch-nails comes from disused boats and from the ramparts surrounding Birka's hill fort Borg. The tools for making nails have not been found in the Birka Garrison.</p>