Recent Norwegian archaeological publications

The part of the Helg?y Project presented here deals with the Norwegian and Sami populations in Helg?y from their supposed immigration to the Region about 13/1400 AD to approximately 1700. Some findings and the methods developed by the project to establish them will be presented, the question of how to distinguish Sami from Norwegian settlements in historical and pre‐historical times being central in the study of North Norway.     

'Barbarians' of the North: Reflections on the Establishment of Courtyard Sites in North Norway

'Courtyard sites' consist of house grounds which are normally situated around an oval, semicircular or horseshoe-shaped yard. A total of 22 courtyard sites are known in Norway, 11 of which are located in North Norway. Radiocarbon analyses from several of these sites point to the 3rd century as the 'establishment period'. According to the author, the establishment of the sites was related to the emergence of a new social élite based on land ownership, and to the integration of this élite into the Nordic-Germanic world.     

Settlement studies and the archaeological survey of North Norway — A discussion based on the survey of North Troms

By the end of the 1984 field season a systematic archaeological survey of the county of Troms was completed. At the same time a revision of the survey was started. The survey of Troms is part of a nation‐wide archaeological survey, connected with the production of an Economic Map of Norway. Though the validity of the methods and the results of this survey have been questioned, few attempts have been made at evaluating the archaeological data base produced by the survey. The current total revision of the survey makes this task even more urgent. The aim of this paper is to contribute towards such an evaluation, by utilizing the survey data from six North Troms municipalities in an attempt at constructing a history of settlement for this area.     

The role of charity in public relief, 1708–1871: Copenhagen as case

This article explores when and why charity vanished from public relief in Copenhagen and thereby differentiates itself from the traditional research field on welfare that focuses on studying the growth of taxation and social spending in the 19th century. This article reveals that charity was not solely a transfer of financial resources, but that charitable donations also entailed a cultural symbolism, which implied that charity was meant to support the local worthy poor. When the function of public relief underwent a transformation, especially at the beginning of the 19th century, the cultural symbolism of charity became incompatible with public relief. After the 1830s, the inhabitants of Copenhagen ceased to donate to public relief and instead donated charity to private philanthropy, which usually targeted the worthy poor for its help.     

The so‐called scandinavian cultural boundary in northern Sweden in viking times ‐ Ethnic or Socio‐Economic?

Sammanfattning

Den s k skandinaviska kulturgränsen i norra Sverige under vikingatid ‐ var den en etnisk eller socio‐ekonomisk gräns? En studie utifrån det arkeologiska materialet.

Till Ångermanlands kustland och Storsjöbygden i Jämtland i norr finns nordiska ortnamn som går tilbaka till järnåldern. Man talar här om “den skandinaviska kulturgränsen”. Men den har också av vissa forskare uppfattats som en statisk, etnisk sydgräns för den samiska kulturen.

Forskningen har länge dominerats av den norske etnografen Yngvar Nielsens “immigrationsteori” av år 1889, att samema först under nyare tid skulle ha vandrat söder ut från Nordtrøndelag i Norge och Lappland i Sverige. Den då gängse uppfattningen bland såväl norska som svenska arkeologer var istället den att samema var urbefolkningen i norra och mellersta Skandinavien.

Nya undersökningar stödjer detta. Forntida samiska gravar (och boplatser) finns i inlandet betydligt längre söderut, tydligast på Vivallen i nordvästra Härjedalen med hittils 21 skelettgravar under flat mark, från åtminstone 1000‐ og 1100‐talen. Andra gravar söder om kulturgränsen tolkade som samiska eller tillhöriga fångstkulturen är de s k insjögravarna, brandgravar från första årtusendet e Kr.

Vad innebar då den s k kulturgränsen under vikingatid? För att söka underlag för en hypotes härom har jag gått igenom tydligt skandinaviska eller östliga brons‐och silverföremål från 8‐, 9‐ och 1000‐(1100‐) talen, och deras fyndomständigheter, allt från Sverige norr om den tänkta gränsen.

Många av de aktuella föremålen härrör från gravar, som genomgående tycks vara samiska. Nära kontakter med såväl öst‐ som västskandinavisk kultur liksom finsk kan förklara att ett område utmärks av brandgravar under rosen, ett annat av brandgravar under hög, övergående till skelettgravar, medan ett tredje har givit skelettgravar under flat mark. Att större delen av området saknar kända gravar kan bero på inhemska, ej närmare kända gravseder.

De aktuella gravgåvorna är dräktprydnader. Sådana tycks i sig inte vara etniskt betingade. En annorlunda användning av utifrån införda ting, jämfört med bruket i deras tillverkningsländer, förefaller däremot att kunna nyttjas som en indikation på samisk etnisk tillhörighet. Inte heller gravformer och gravskick visar sig bundna till en etnisk grupp. Ett undantag tycks vara (sydda) näversvepningar som utmärkt samiska gravar. Gravlägena förefaller däremot att vara indikator på samisk tillhörighet; de antagna samiska gravarna ligger i regel på näs, öar och holmar.

Den s k skandinaviska kulturgränsen i norra Sverige tycks därmed under vikingatid vara en gräns åt norr för dels nordisk bygd, dels ett mera påtagligt inflytande från östra Skandinavien (Sverige) på den samiska befolkningen i fångstmarken. Den var alltså delvis en socio‐ekonomisk gräns och en gräns inom samisk område, inte en sydgräns för den samiska kulturen.     

A technological crossroads: Exploring diversity in the pressure blade technology of Mesolithic Latvia

A long‐standing debate in archaeology concerns the sources of technological diversification among prehistoric hunter‐gatherers. This includes the study of the emergence and spread of pressure blade technology in Northern Europe during the Early Holocene. Until now, there has been little technological study of lithic collections from the East Baltic region, and our knowledge of the development and spread of this technology in the area is inadequate. This article presents for the first time a technological analysis of lithic assemblages from seven Early and Middle Mesolithic sites in the territory of present‐day Latvia, offering new possibilities for discussing pressure blade technology and research objectives connected with it. Furthermore, variation in elements of this technology is explored in relation to raw‐material characteristics through experimental flint knapping. Finally, the factors influencing diversity in craft traditions, as well as large‐scale communication and shifting spheres of interaction within Northern Europe during the Mesolithic, are discussed.     

Who supports secession? The determinants of secessionist attitudes among Turkey's Kurds

Who supports secession in a multiethnic country? What factors lead to secessionist or separatist attitudes? Despite the substantial interest in secessionist movements, the micro‐level factors and dynamics behind mass support for secession have been understudied. Using original and comprehensive data derived from two public opinion surveys, conducted in 2011 and 2013 with nationwide, representative samples, this study investigates the determinants of separatist attitudes among Turkey's Kurds. The empirical results show that perceptions of discrimination, ideological factors (i.e. a left‐right division and partisanship), region and religious sect do affect support for secession. Our findings provide strong support for the grievance theory and, further, show that ideology is an important factor. However, the results call into question arguments drawing attention to the role of modernisation (i.e. socio‐economic status) and of religiosity. The study also discusses some practical implications of the empirical findings.