Re-Imagining Periphery: Archaeology and Text in Northern Europe from Iron Age to Viking and Early Medieval Period

201 Pages·2020·29.41 MB·English

by  Charlotta Hillerdal (editor), Kristin Ilves (editor)

RE-IMAGINING PERIPHERY
ARCHAEOLOGY AND TEXT IN NORTHERN EUROPE FROM IRON AGE TO
VIKING AND EARLY MEDIEVAL PERIODS
edited by
CHARLOTTA HILLERDAL AND KRISTIN ILVES
Oxford & Philadelphia
Published in the United Kingdom in 2020 by
OXBOW BOOKS
The Old Music Hall, 106–108 Cowley Road, Oxford, OX4 1JE
and in the United States by
OXBOW BOOKS
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© Oxbow Books and the individual authors 2020
Hardback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-450-1
Digital Edition: ISBN 978-1-78925-451-8 (epub)
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020937143
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The cover art was created by artist Christina Hillerdal, inspired by the vision of the book, artistic interpretation of which we
are more than grateful for. We also would like to extend our thanks to Bridget Martin, for her work with language editing
and proof-reading. The book could not have been completed without much appreciated financial support from Gunvor och
Josef Anérs stiftelse.
To Frands

Contents
Re-imagining periphery – Sketching out new fairways for researching the Iron Age North vii
Charlotta Hillerdal and Kristin Ilves
Settlement and Spatiality
1. Dream-houses of the Late Iron and Viking Ages – The house and the self 1
Marianne Hem-Eriksen
2. Sticky structures and opportunistic builders – The construction and social role of longhouses in
northern Norway 11
Marte Spangen and Johan Arntzen
3. A tale of three Tuna-sites – A classic scholarly problem enlightened by new archaeological material 33
Susanna Eklund and Anneli Sundkvist
4. Ultuna – A Late Iron Age gateway to Uppsala 49
Helena Hulth
Field and Methodology
5. The digital future of the past – Research potential with increasingly FAIR archaeological data 61
Åsa M. Larsson and Daniel Löwenborg
6. Searching for new central places – An experiment 71
Anders Andrén
7. Striking a blow for the plough layer – Exploring the importance of plough-zone finds for the
interpretation of a Late Iron Age site 79
Kristin Ilves and Kim Darmark
8. The dating of Ottarshögen and the emergence of monumental burial mounds in Middle Sweden 91
John Ljungkvist and Andreas Hennius
9. What was a cooking-pit called in the Iron Age? 103
Stefan Brink
Text and Translation
10. Poetry and picturing in deep historical time 107
Lotte Hedeager
11. Kumbl and stafR in runic texts 117
Anne-Sofie Gräslund
12. Beowulf – The Scandinavian background. A summary 125
Bo Gräslund
vi Contents
13. Rebooting the Gospel for a Germanic audience – The case of Heliand 135
Jhonny Therus
Interaction and Impact
14. Female cultic leaders and religious (ritual) specialists in Germanic and ancient Scandinavian sources 145
Olof Sundqvist
15. Negotiating narrative – An emic perspective on Norse reuse of ancient monuments on the
Northern Isles of Scotland 157
Charlotta Hillerdal
16. Some thoughts about the early medieval settlement on Åland, from a western European perspective 169
Jan-Henrik Fallgren
17. The solidus from Slättäng 179
Svante Fischer
Re-imagining periphery – Sketching out new fairways for
researching the Iron Age North
Charlotta Hillerdal and Kristin Ilves
Periphery is an evasive concept. For those dwelling in the Frands without being affected by the meeting in one way or
commonly perceived periphery, the periphery is always another. More often than not, he is a source of inspiration,
the centre of the world. This book has a strong focus on the helping you to progress with your research in line with
northern edges of Europe – as far away as a 9th-century your vision, or even opening up new avenues. There is no
missionary could imagine. However, northern research and problem too difficult for him to find a solution. As is pointed
scholars, some of whom are represented in this book, are out by Svante Fischer in his inspired chapter, Frands is an
challenging this conception over and over again. Maybe it ‘extraordinary scholar worthy of emulation and remem-
is time to reimagine periphery? brance’ (Fischer, this volume). We have all met him – as a
This edited volume delves into the current state of Iron teacher, mentor, a source of inspiration, discussion partner,
Age and early medieval research in the North. Over the antagonist and friend. From the editors’ perspective, Frands
past two decades of archaeological explorations, theoreti- is an especially cherished person. Without his intervention
cal vanguards and the introduction of new methodological in seemingly desperate situations, our respective lives
strategies, together with a growing amount of critical studies would have taken very different turns. For this, and for his
in archaeology from a multidisciplinary perspective, have continuous support, we are deeply grateful.
dramatically changed our understanding of northern Iron In the spirit of Frands Herschend’s research, we invited
Age societies. Awareness of the profound effects of 6th- authors to contribute with a conventional research paper or
century climatic disturbances on social structures in northern a daring innovative essay, pushing the boundaries towards
Europe, research demolishing the perception of ideological new fields. The purpose of knowledge production is never
and symbolic uniformity in the Viking Age, ever-increasing just more knowledge, but rendering new knowledge, which
possibilities for larger-scale,‘big-data’ approaches as well in turn involves taking risks and being creative. However,
as fine-scale methodological analyses in fieldwork going this in itself is not enough when current publishing ideals,
hand-in-hand with a re-integration of written sources and accustomed systems and platforms can discourage risk-
archaeological material are but a few examples of such taking. In a time when archaeology more and more is driven
land-winnings. by current trends to focus on topics with short research
This book is inspired by the life work of Professor cycles, given the need for quick gains and research impacts
Emeritus Frands Herschend, Uppsala University. Professor (cf. Frith 2020), rather than innovative thinking, it is dif-
Herschend has been a leading figure in the field of ficult to go against the flow. With this book, we aimed to
Scandinavian Iron Age and early medieval studies since the diverge from the beaten track by offering a platform for
1970s, and his research has contributed greatly to advanc- thought-experiments and more speculative scenarios to enter
ing the discipline in terms of methodological aspects and into ‘mainstream’ archaeology – something so characteristic
experimental archaeology, as well as in textual studies and of Frands’ research. Frands is a scholar driven by curiosity
theoretical discourse. Frands’ research has always been inno- and not constrained by, or falling for, the ‘trend’. In his
vative, creative and facilitative, but also thought- provoking research, but also as a teacher, Frands promotes intellectual
and discussion-generating. It is difficult to imagine meeting courage. He is known to be a pioneer of new methods and
viii Charlotta Hillerdal and Kristin Ilves
strategies, but his expertise spans many fields as he has comprehensive data sets in order to ask new questions and
always been driven by an inquisitive mind and a quest for pose new hypotheses. Digital technology has made, and
new knowledge. will continue to make, the large amount of data produced
by development-led projects available for research. As
demonstrated by the Settlement and Spatiality section, this
From dreams to solidus
has already proven invaluable for rebuilding the premises
The aim of this book is to provide an intense and cohesive of archaeological research and outlining a democratic
focus on the characteristics of contemporary Iron Age ambition to make data available to all. However, well-
research, explored under the subheadings of Settlement and founded hypotheses built from decades of accumulated
Spatiality, Field and Methodology, Text and Translation, knowledge provide an equally strong foundation for nuanc-
and Interaction and Impact, compiling the work of lead- ing our research questions, as well as how we tackle the
ing established researchers and field archaeologists based landscape and its monuments, as shown by Anders Andrén
throughout northern Europe and on the frontline of altering in his thought-experiment for defining central places. The
the conception of the northern periphery during the period need for such an experiment is born out of the growing
in question. impact of agriculturally exploited land. This problem is
Settlement and Spatiality gathers studies from six tackled in the chapter by Kristin Ilves and Kim Darmark,
researchers and professional archaeologists who, in four where the conditions forced them to approach the plough
chapters, provide new daring insights into and ways of inter- layer as an archaeologically valuable context. By paying
preting settlement dynamics by introducing new material, meticulous attention to investigating the plough layer,
but also by exploring and re-evaluating already existing which is usually considered of low archaeological signif-
material. Marianne Hem Eriksen delves into narrative spati- icance, both the particular site and the whole region were
ality through the dreamed Iron Age longhouse, so intimately revealed to be of paramount importance within the Late
linking house and human, and representing one way of con- Iron Age network of central places in the North. By ques-
veying lifeworlds. The longhouse is also the focus of Marte tioning established chronology, reinterpreting typology
Spangen and Johan Arntzen’s chapter, which analyses this and resampling old material, John Ljungqvist and Andreas
building tradition in the very north of Europe, for the first Hennius also force us to reposition ourselves in our under-
time making this material available on a large scale to an standing of the landscape and to question the direction of
international audience. They argue for continuity in relation influences between periphery and a perceived centre. The
to a northern Norse identity, emphasizing the complexity of reader might be surprised to find linguist Stefan Brink’s
social and political relations in the more dispersed north- contribution under the heading of Field and Methodology,
ern geography. This contribution reminds us of the sheer but this reflects the interconnected nature of archaeology
geographical extent of the northern edges of Europe. The as a discipline. By following the Old Norse word arinn,
spatial complexity of northern Iron Age societies is equally Brink discusses sites with concentrations of cooking-pits,
emphasized in the study by Susanna Eklund and Anneli an often-overlooked archaeological feature encountered in
Sundkvist on the meaning and social role of the enigmatic most settlement sites of the period. Instead of dismissing
Tuna-places in Sweden. Defined and contextualized, the them as mundane and of low informational value, he argues
concept of Tuna-places ties these sites to the broader land- for social, and possibly ritual, significance, which in turn
scape and their place in society throughout the 6th-century leads to a reconceptualizing of the site itself.
environmental crisis. This study and the study by Helena Text and Translation, the section with chapters from
Hulth are made possible by recent excavations driven by four scholars, explores the significance of the written word
development-led, contract archaeology. In Hulth’s chapter, existing in the intermedium between the oral culture of the
investigation of the small pockets of information preserved Iron Age and a text-based medieval society. Lotte Hedeager
in one of the most significant Tuna-places – Ultuna – is places Iron Age mentality in a deep historical perspective,
shown to be vital in building a more holistic understanding especially focusing on the dual relationship between human
of a site and its landscape. But more so, it reminds us of the and animal, thereby also illustrating the internalized transfor-
value of investigating and contextualizing even in heavily mation of one belief system to another. Such transformation,
disturbed conditions. expressed in physical form, is evidenced in rune inscriptions,
This theme is further developed in the next section discussed in the chapter by Anne-Sofie Gräslund. The ways
of the book: Field and Methodology. In five chapters of both monumentalizing and memorializing the landscape
by eight scholars and professional archaeologists, this materialize the social aspects of Iron Age societies and their
section unites the work of academic and development-led formulaic means of communication. Long-term memory
archaeology, recognizing interlinked ties of creation of linked to place is also central in the following chapter.
research topics and method development. Åsa Larsson By boldly relocating the stage for the epic poem Beowulf,
and Daniel Löwenborg acknowledge the potential of Bo Gräslund challenges knowledge so rooted that it has
Re-imagining periphery – Sketching out new fairways for researching the Iron Age North ix
become the truth; the previously established understanding this book, we hope to encourage imaginative approaches
of the Old English authorship is scrutinized and proven to to preconceived categories.
be invalid. In this contribution, the interplay between text By re-imagining the house as a conceptual space or
and archaeology reaches beyond mere understanding. In the art as poetry (see Chapters 1 and 10), the old material is
discussion of another epic poem, Heliand, Jhonny Therus reinvigorated through new hypotheses, opening up new
illustrates the process of merging pre-Christian and Christian avenues of understanding as well as research. Even the
mentalities when something as central to Christian society tiniest object, when approached with this kind of mindset,
as the Gospel is reimagined for a Germanic setting. inspires our ability to ask what are almost unexpected
Interaction and Impact deals with different levels of questions that expand the narrative and add nuances to the
interaction – between cultures and over time – and also story (see Chapter 17). Sometimes, the story is changed
challenges some widely preconceived ideas of landscape, altogether. When the authority of knowledge is challenged,
texts and settlement dynamics. This section of the book, whole geographies can be reimagined, thereby reviving a
with chapters by four scholars, is opened by Olof Sundqvist, research arena where ancient textual sources prove not to
who dismantles the accepted dichotomy between female be exhausted (see Chapter 12).
and male, convincingly demonstrating how women played Similarly, excavated antiquarian material continues to
various leading roles in ritual and religious practices of prove its relevance when returned to the archaeological
pre-Christian beliefs. Charlotta Hillerdal questions the posi- discourse (see Chapter 8). Once again, we see the validity of
tion of the first Norse settlers on the far-away Scottish Isles, established narratives swaying. Archaeology as a discipline
and forces us to rethink how we use the concept of Viking. is in a state of perpetual renewal. Currently, the discipline
Through his comprehensive landscape study, Jan-Henrik is ever expanding through the inclusion of one scientific
Fallgren demonstrates that preconceived ideas, especially method after another; archaeology is now down to the
affecting the understanding of more peripheral regions, molecular level, marking a ‘development in which it has
need to be scrutinized. He points to alternative pathways, been possible to fit smaller and smaller bits of evidence onto
thereby offering a solution to a long-standing controversy the timeline’ (Marila 2019, 95). The amount of data is ever
and breaking loose from the monotonous repetition of earlier growing, which is an unquestionable asset to archaeology.
research on the settlement dynamics of the Åland Islands However, this also leads to increasing specialization, and
– an archipelago between Finland and Sweden. The book blackboxing, which can discourage creativity and, thus,
ends with a chapter by Svante Fischer, honouring one of the more visionary hypotheses (cf. Gero 2007; Leighton 2015).
many facets of Frands Herschend’s research. Venturing from Alongside, we have forgotten the disciplinary progress that
the find of a single gold hoard, Fischer weaves together an is driven by advances in field strategies. The way you exca-
intriguing story spanning several centuries, crossing geo- vate impacts the way you think, and vice versa. By daring
graphical and social borders, and revealing how a seemingly to take the risk of diverging from conventional excavation
singular archaeological artefact carries all the elements of methods and introducing new ways to reach the material
a captivating story. past, the rewards are not only the production of new data
affecting how we understand the past but also awareness of
the role and importance of field excavation in advancing the
Transcending tradition
discourse as a whole (see Chapter 7). In this respect, devel-
Archaeologists like borders. Classifications, typologies, opment-led or contract or commercial archaeology is the
chronologies and defining criteria are central analytical premier contributor to archaeological data and knowledge.
tools for working with the distant past. We all acknowl- However, this is rarely reflected in academic research. In
edge that these are just approximations and scientific practice, the discipline has not been entirely successful in
constructions; nevertheless, they affect both the way we bridging these two spheres of archaeology. The main reason
do archaeology and how the discipline is perceived (cf. for this is lack of platforms for communication. Much of
Latour 1999; see also Herschend 2015 and Witmore 2015). what is produced by development-led archaeology does not
Arbitrary borders can become definite and in some cases reach further than the so-called ‘grey literature’ of excava-
very difficult to cross, to say nothing of mastering the tion reports, often accessible only through the responsible
courage to break them down. companies and institutions (see Farace and Schöpfel 2009).
Although this book is clearly divided into discrete sec- Breaching contract archaeology and research has been
tions, the way we have chosen to organize them is but one almost a mission for Frands Herschend for decades (cf. also
of many – every chapter can with ease be interweaved in Herschend 2018); furthermore, he has actively, especially
many different fashions depending on focus. Humans are on his blog On the Reading Rest (active during 2011–2015),
not only settlement or text, but infinitely complex beings. integrated the results from development-led archaeology
Instead of playing on dichotomies, one would wish for the into academic arguments (cf. Herschend 2011–2015). This
courage to freely move between analytical borders. With is also an explicit aim of this book (see Chapters 3 and 4).