Ship and Society: Maritime Ideology in Late Iron Age Sweden

428 Pages·2007·15.143 MB·English

by  Gunilla Larsson

Aun 37
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Uppsala 2007

Aun 37

Ship and Society

Maritime Ideology in Late Iron Age Sweden

Gunilla Larsson

Department of Archaeology and Ancient History
Uppsala 2007
Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in sal X, Universitetshuset, Uppsala, Saturday,
March 3, 2007 at 13:00 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English.
Abstract
Larsson, G. 2007. Ship and Society. Maritime Ideology in Late Iron Age Sweden. Aun 67. 424 pp. Uppsala.
ISBN 978-91-506-1915-7.
This thesis analyses the relation between ship and society against a background of ideological and technological
changes in Late Iron Age Sweden. It discusses the factors behind the development of ‘a maritime society’, why ships
and seafaring came to play an important role that was also reflected in the use of the ship as a symbol and a metaphor
in a military context, as well as in religion, administration, jurisdiction and social life. The author argues that this
society is disappearing when it is first encountered in the Early Middle Ages, because of a fundamental ideological
change.
There is a myth about the appearance of the ‘Viking ship’ and the Iron Age seafarer. The ships are supposed to be
big and wide. An analysis of the archaeological material presented here shows that this picture is not correct. Instead
the ships of the Svear were quite small and built in a way that made them very light. This was a result of shipbuilding
methods introduced in the Late Iron Age, and it had consequences for the trade communication network as well as
for naval operations. Because of the light ships, it was possible to land on any shallow shore and navigate the shallow
rivers in the East.
The ship became a key symbol used by the authorities to structure the society for administrative and military pur-
poses, using a terminology based on the Late Iron Age warship.
In the Middle Ages, ideology, shipbuilding and seafaring changed. New key symbols were introduced, and they
were used by an increasing royal power to consolidate what would become a united Sweden, inspired by feudal
Europe.
Keywords: Ships, Seafaring, Society, Late Iron Age, shipbuilding methods, symbols, sacrifices, boat burials,
ideology, leiðangr, long distance journeys, river routes.
Gunilla Larsson, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Archaeology, Box 626, Uppsala University,
SE-75126 Uppsala, Sweden
© Gunilla Larsson 2007
ISSN 0284-1347
ISBN 978-91-506-1915-7
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-7469 (http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-7469)
Cover design: Alicja Grenberger och Martin Herschend
Printed through grants from Berit Vallenbergs stiftelse
Printed in Sweden by Elanders Gotab, Stockholm 2007
To my sons
Johan, Jonathan and Jim,
to my mother Ulla Norberg,
and to the memory of my father Ivar Norberg

Contents
2.2.5. Size and shape..............................39
Contents..............................................................1
2.2.6. The Viks boat and the principles for
interpreting the shape and size of the burial
Preface and acknowledgements........................13
boats.......................................................39
Introduction......................................................15 2.2.7. Reinterpretation of the boat in the
1.1. The maritime aspects of Late Iron Age burial Valsgärde 7, based on an analogy
society..........................................................15 with the Viks boat...................................41
1.2. Purpose and questions...........................15 2.2.8. Reinterpreting the boat in the burial
1.2.1. The ship and the society................15 Gamla Uppsala 3 on the basis of an
1.2.2. Finding the people in the boat.......15 analogy with the Viks boat.....................43
1.2.3. Tracing contacts and cultural 2.3. The boats in the burials of central
connections..............................................16 Sweden in the Late Iron Age.......................44
1.2.4. Technology and society.................16 2.3.1. The problem with recognising the
1.2.5. Ships and seafaring........................16 boats in burials........................................44
1.3. Material.................................................17 2.3.2. Valsgärde......................................45
1.4. The theoretical journey from the past to 2.3.3. Vendel, Uppland...........................46
the present and back again...........................18 2.3.4. Tuna in Alsike Parish, Uppland....47
1.4.1. From the soil to the researcher: 2.3.5. Ensta, Uppland.............................48
obstacles and possibilities.......................18 2.3.6. Ultuna, Bondkyrka Parish, Uppland
1.4.2. Interpreting the past by analogy....19 ................................................................48
1.4.3. A historical ethnoarchaeology.......19 2.3.7. Prästgården, Gamla Uppsala Parish,
1.4.4. Reading the material......................19 Uppland..................................................49
1.4.5. Knowledge by experience and 2.3.8. Birka, Uppland.............................50
practice....................................................20 2.3.9. Flosta, Altuna Parish, Uppland.....50
1.4.6. The archaeologist and the past......20 2.3.10. Smedby, Hammarby Parish,
1.5. Earlier research.....................................21 Uppland..................................................50
1.6. The ships, from a contemporary myth to a 2.3.10. Fittja, Botkyrka Parish,
past reality....................................................24 Södermanland.........................................51
1.6.1. The myth of the large ship.............24 2.3.11. Turinge, Södermanland..............51
1.6.2. The myth of the seafarers..............26 2.3.12. Norsa, Västmanland...................51
1.7. From the ships to the society................26 2.3.13. Tuna, Badelunda Parish in
Västmanland...........................................51
2. THE SHIP-ARCHAEOLOGICAL
2.3.14. Sagån, Sala Parish, Västmanland52
MATERIAL OF CENTRAL SWEDEN FROM
2. 4. Reused boat parts................................52
THE LATE IRON AGE...................................30
2.5. Boat rivets and other rivets..................53
2.1. Remains of boats and ships in the
archaeological material................................30 3. BOAT TYPES AND FUNCTION..............57
2.1.1. The find-spots................................30 3.1. An interpretation of the function and use
2.1.2. The sizes and types of boats..........30 of Late Iron Age boats and ships.................57
2.1.3. The social context of the boat finds 3.2. Fishing and fishing boats.....................57
.................................................................33 3.2.1. Fish species and fishing boats......57
2.2. The Viks boat........................................34 3.2.2. Fishing as a structuring principle for
2.2.1. Find conditions..............................34 settlements in society..............................58
2.2.2. Dating............................................34 3.2.3. Boats for fishing from a comparative
2.2.3. Reconstruction...............................35 ethnoarchaeological perspective.............59
2.2.4. Ship-technological analysis of the 3.3. Boats for seal hunting..........................60
construction.............................................37 3.4. Boats for bird hunting..........................60
4.3.7. The introduction of the sail and
sailing.....................................................92
3.5. Aristocratic boats for personal transports 4.4. Shipbuilding in the Late Iron Age........99
.....................................................................60 4.4.1. Material supply.............................99
3.6. Trade and the merchant ships...............61 4.4.2. The boat-building site.................100
3.6.1. Trade and trade routes...................61 4.4.3. Tools and implements connected
3.6.2. How to identify the remains of ships with shipbuilding..................................101
for transports and trading voyages..........61 4.4.4. Traces of tools and implements used
3.6.3. Finds of cargo ships.......................63 in the shipbuilding process...................102
3.6.4. Traditional boats for local transport 4.4.5. The Mästermyr find: a boat builder’s
along the Uppland coast..........................65 complete tool chest?.............................108
3.6.5. Transport boats for the eastern 4.4.6. Social aspects of boat building and
journeys?.................................................65 handicrafts in the Late Iron Age...........110
3.6.6. Boat finds related to the transport of 4.4.7. The tools and methods of a maritime
ore............................................................66 society...................................................110
3.6.7. The names of cargo ships..............66 4.5. The medieval changes in technology and
3.7. Maritime warfare and ships for war......70 society.......................................................110
3.7.1. Written sources for warships.........71 4.5.1. From radial splitting to sawing...111
3.7.2. The warship in archaeological 4.5.2. From shell building to skeleton
material....................................................71 building.................................................111
3.7.4. The names of warships..................75 4.5.3. From clinker to carvel................111
3.7.5. The warship from the 13th century77 4.5.4. Reflections of the ideological change
3.8. The main constructional differences in shipbuilding......................................112
between warships and cargo ships ca AD 800-
5. ETHNICITY AND SHIPS........................113
1200.............................................................78
5.1. The main ship types in NW Europe AD
4. SHIPBUILDING IN A LONG-TERM 800–1200...................................................114
PERSPECTIVE................................................80 5.1.1. The Nordic/Baltic Sea tradition..114
4.1. The connection between Iron Age 5.1.2. The cog tradition........................114
shipbuilding technology and the success of 5.1.3.The hulc tradition........................115
Viking expeditions.......................................80 5.1.4. The pram tradition......................116
4.2. The roots of the Scandinavian ship-type 5.1.5. The Celtic tradition.....................116
.....................................................................80 5.1.6 English/Anglo-Saxon tradition....117
4.2.1. Clinker-built boats.........................80 5.2. Shipbuilding traditions in the Baltic Sea
4.2.2. Logboat building technology........81 region........................................................117
4.2.3. Shell building................................82 5.3. Boats built with rivets and nails.........117
4.2.4. The first riveted ships....................83 5.3.1. The ‘Baltic Sea boat type’..........118
4.2.5. The emergence of the Scandinavian 5.3.2. The south Scandinavian boat type
Iron Age type of logboat.........................84 ..............................................................119
4.2.6. The emergence of rowed ships......85 5.4. Boats built with the sewing technique120
4.3. Late Iron Age: The revolution in boat- 5.4.1. History........................................120
building technology.....................................85 5.4.2. The sewn boats of the Sámi........121
4.3.1. The introduction of radial splitting 5.4.3. The sewn boats of central Finland
technology...............................................85 ..............................................................125
4.3.2. From tied to nailed ribs.................87 5.4.4. Sewn boats of Karelia.................125
4.3.3. Economic boat building................87 5.4.5. Russian-Estonian tradition..........126
4.3.4. The results of a boat-building 5.5. Boats with treenails............................126
method and relation to societal change...88 5.6. Iron cramps in the east and west........130
4.3.5. Shipbuilding methods and the use of 5.7. Political history and boat-building
naust........................................................91 traditions...................................................132
4.3.6. A modern-day boat builder’s 5.7.1. Eastern influences in the north...133
reflection on prehistoric and medieval 5.7.2. Boats and Baltic contacts............135
shipbuilding, as it is visible in the Viks

boat find..................................................91