The Connecting Point Viking Age activities along the Gotlandic coast

Transcription

1 The Connecting Point Viking Age activities along the Gotlandic coast Project description Gotland Archaeological Field School Arendus Ltd Arendus AB Färjeleden VISBY info@arendus.se Org nr:

2 Arendus AB Färjeleden VISBY info@arendus.se Org nr:

3 Background Gotland Archaeological Field School has, for many years, undergone research into the Viking history of Gotland, mainly focusing on the issue of continuity and change regarding settlement, land use and the issue of harbors and trade. The Connecting Point Two main areas of focus have reflected this research orientation. In one case, it has been about the issue of harbors and trading places on Gotland, where the most extensive investigations to date have taken place within the Viking Age trading site of Fröjel 1. The investigations that took place between and have shown the central significance of the site as one of the largest and most important harbors and trading places in Gotland during the Viking Age. Figure 1. The Viking harbor in Fröjel covers an area of approximately 10 hectares that connects one to two pre- Christian grave fields and a late Viking Age cemetery, located along a sheltered island. Extensive traces of both buildings and graves have highlighted the focus and scope of the activities in this area and the many years of research have provided a significant knowledge base on the issue of contacts, commodity exchanges, communications and networking during the Late Iron Age and Early Middle Ages. In the area of Paviken in Västergarn parish, several years of archaeological studies have shown a complex and extensive history in the area around Paviken, Kronholmen and Västergarn, especially within the town wall 2. In addition to these two more extensive investigations of ports and trading venues, smaller exploration studies have been conducted in other harbor locations, including Figure 2. The archaeological investigations at Paviken have shown remnants in the form of house foundations, graves, boat slipways and workshop areas that reflect extensive activities in the area during the Viking Age. 1 Carlsson, D. 1991, 1998, 1999, 2000, Carlsson, D !3

4 a smaller such facility in Lummelunda parish, Svievik in Rute and within an Early Viking Age harbor at Northern Gnisvärd in Tofta parish. The second important angle of inquiry that has been examined over a period of years is the question of the Viking settlement and its connection to the Early Iron Age farms (known as giant graves ) and forward in time linked to the farms that appear in the oldest map material across Gotland, created during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The central issue has affected both the spatial and temporal link between the structure of these different time horizons and how relocation and change have taken place over time. A central location in this context is the deserted Fjäle farm in Ala parish in southeastern Gotland, which houses the remains of a farm established in the 2 nd century and was in use until the mid-1300s. The farm disappeared in connection with the difficult times that prevailed on Gotland at that time in the form of both the Black Death and the Danish annexation of Gotland in Figure 3. Excavation of the youngest farmhouse at the deserted Fjäle farm, dated to the early Middle Ages. Several other farm locations have been investigated over the years, which provide a significant basis for understanding the long-term and often complicated history of the Gotlandic farm. Places of relevance include Klints farm and Långume farm in Othem parish, Hultungs farm in Bunge parish, Ire farm in Hangvar parish, and most recently the farm of Hägvide in Lärbro parish, surveyed in The overall results of these farm investigations have significantly improved the knowledge base regarding the understanding of the Iron Age, in terms of shape, size, location and connection to both younger and older settlements. The general interpretation of the location of settlement based on the results achieved is that, in principle, a clear and more or less all-encompassing change of the structure on the island takes place in the mid-500 s. From the residential buildings, during the 6th century, a move has been made to the locations the farms occupy when viewed in the oldest maps, established at the farm level on Gotland around The Connecting Point One can say that today we have a fairly decent picture of how the countryside and landscape changed during the period of the Late Iron Age through the 17th century in relation to the Early Iron Age and the question of major harbor and trading sites. An important feature of this rebuilding that occurred during the 6th century and strengthened in the following centuries is that the coast is increasingly being used for different activities and functions. Set in the landscape around 500 A.D., the coast is to a limited extent then utilized for residence. Certainly, there are a number of limited locations of stone walls adjacent to the coast, but almost no coastal settlement at all from the Early Iron Age. However, during the course of the Late Iron Age and continuing into the Early Middle Ages, a significant change occurs, which is reflected in the establishment of farms in coastal areas. For instance, clear examples 3 Carlsson 1979, 1986, Pettersson, A-M., 1992.!4

5 of this can be observed in the situation in Kräklingbo parish, where the Iron Age population is strongly concentrated in the central part of the parish, visible through both houses and stone buildings, and in which the coast houses several farms that, in general, are determined to have risen during the Late Viking Age. In the coastal environment, there are neither house foundations from the Early Iron Age nor graves or grave fields. On the other hand, there are several fishing villages that can be connected to farms on the coast and to farms further inland. Corresponding settlement patterns can also be noted along flat coastlines, especially in the southern part of the island, for example in Sproge, Hablingbo, Näs and Grötlingbo parishes. Another characteristic feature of probable Viking Age foundations are the numerous small farm-related fishing villages along the coast. A characteristic area where this pattern is particularly prominent is along the coastline from Grötlingbo to Burs on southeastern Gotland. There are a large number of small farmrelated fishing villages, with names that connect them directly to specific farms. Of particular interest is that, in connection with these fishing villages, there are in many cases graves from prehistoric times. These graves are found at a level indicating that they should belong to the Late Iron Age. In addition to tombs, adjacent to these fishing villages are several areas with stones having grinding surfaces and grinding troughs. These remains indicate how the beach moved by the end of the Iron Age through the beginning of the Middle Ages. In addition, both Eke parish and Grötlingbo parish show a number of house foundations and a pair of constructions that are designated as hill-forts whose function is very unclear. Project Area Figure 4. The coast of Kräklingbo parish. The area is separated from the center part of Kräklingbo parish by woodland, where most of the farms are located and there are extensive remains from the Iron Age in the form of house foundations, fences and graves, as seen in the continually used landscape. Along the coast there are no grave fields, no house foundations or fences that can be attached to the Iron Age. Here one finds 4 farms (red circles) from the 1600 s. The pattern suggests that there have probably been two more farms that disappeared (marked with blue circles). The farms along the coast are all small and likely occur during the transition period between the Viking Age and Middle Ages and are attached to the coastal activities. Along the coast outside the farms are many fishing hamlets, including boat houses, which are today further inland. In order to illuminate the coastal activity during the Viking Age on Gotland, in early summer 2018, archaeological investigations will be initiated; the aim of which will be to create a better knowledge of the Viking Age activities along the Gotlandic coast. Initially, an area in Eke parish will form the starting point of the project. The area is adjacent to the coast and about 3 km from the center of Eke parish. Two fishing villages, which from older maps can be traced back to the 17th century, form the starting point for the analysis. These are the fishing villages of Bybod in!5

6 Figure 5. Along the coast between Grötlingbo in the south and Rone in the northeast are found a number of, evenly dispersed, fishing villages with remains that point to a prehistoric origin through the occurrence of graves, house foundations, fences and a pair of so called hill-forts (the areas marked with purple). The coastal environment is wholly different from the farmhouses both from prehistoric and later times, which are found in the yellow area on the map. the west coast of the area and Djupkrok in the east. Between these two fishing villages there is a bay which existed further inland in the past, and adjacent to this bay or just a bit away, there are a number of ancient monuments registered in the form of graves. At the edge of the former bay there are a number of ancient monuments that reflect prehistoric activity in the area (for a detailed description of existing ancient monuments, see Appendix 1). In connection with the fishing village of Bybod, there are both boat slips with extensive remains of marked stone, as well as a small burial ground. A little further north Figure 6. The coastal area of Bybod and Djupvik. The blue lines mark elevation over the bay with one meter equidistance. The red areas are registered ancient remains. In the west is an extensive area with stones containing troughs. Within this area is a small grave field also. Further to the north lies the hill-fort Gudings Castle, which also contains graves inside and along its border. The green areas mark old fish traps (nets).!6

7 Figure 7. A compilation of the Laga Skifte map from the end of the 19 th century with existing ancient remains and elevation curves. Two levels are specially marked, i.e. 2 m and 3 m respectively, across the bay. Ancient remain 98:1 consists of a large area of stones with grinding troughs and surfaces. In the western part of this extensive area, there exists a small grave field composed of 6 graves (95:1). Just north of that are 4 registered graves (99:1-4) and east thereof is a noticeable stone wall and adjacent to that a grave. In the east lies the hill-fort with the two groups of graves that are recorded in the ancient monuments registry. Further to the north are more graves. Note that the hillfort is plotted on the Laga Skifte map (see also figure 8). there is a very strange stone wall and, next to this, a feature interpreted as graves. Upon closer examination, the feature seems more akin to house foundations than to graves. Continuing eastward there is a so-called ancient castle or hill-fort, which also houses a number of graves. Along the way down to Djupkrok fishing village there is also information about a grave. These ancient remains are found in an area between 2-4 meters above sea level, with the hill-fort being slightly higher, indicating a date at the earliest during the Late Iron Age (possibly with the exception of the hill-fort which lies somewhat higher). All in all, these ancient remains form an interesting environment that reflects long-term use of the coastal zone.!7

8 From information about known ancient monuments on the Laga Skifte (the Law Shift documents from the 1800 s), one gets an interesting picture for the archaeological investigations to come (see Figures 7 and 8). It is apparent from the map that the Gudings hill-fort was well known and appears splendidly on the map. It should also be noted that the surveyor has drawn a long and prominent stonewall running from the hill-fort to the south. Today, this area is heavily overgrown with young forest, which means that the wall cannot be easily observed and it should also be noted that the wall is not recorded in the ancient monument register today. However, the southernmost part of the wall is still visible today, as it is not as much overgrown. What function the hill-fort or wall has had is currently unclear. The land surveyor has also noted a number of stone cairns within the hill-fort and, as described on the map, he notes 9 stone mounds, which are obviously graves. Previous Investigations Figure 8. The surveyor has plotted the hill-fort (called the Castle) on the map and also a number of stone cairns inside the fort. In addition, he has noted a significant stone wall that runs south. This is not recorded with the ancient monuments registry. Generally, very few archaeological investigations have been undertaken on these coastal ancient monuments around the island and we know very little about them, both in terms of function and dating. Figure 9 and 10. The above illustrates the items that were encountered in the graves. The jewelry is typical female jewelry from the Viking Age and the large item is what one calls a box brooch (Hegardt 1989). To the right is the plan of the three graves found in the stone cairn. The primary grave was heavily damaged and more or less gone. Letter G marks a hearth and H illustrates an adjacent grave.!8

9 However, within the current area, a minor investigation has been carried out on the hill-fort which sheds some light on the construction. In , Uppsala University conducted a minor excavation through Johan Hegardt, with the primary purpose of dating the hill-fort itself 4. The investigation, however, also concerned one of the cairns existing within the hill-fort and, in part, possibly surpasses the collapse. The archaeological excavation came to cover an area of about 10 x 6 meters and affected both the wall of the hill-fort and three graves adjacent to the western side of the wall. The graves consisted of inhumation burials, and through the grave goods discovered, they were dated to Viking times. Thus, the investigation clearly reveals that in the hill-fort there are Viking Age graves. No date of the hill-fort itself was obtained. Scheduled Investigations All in all, the current coastal environment has a number of ancient remains of different character and scope and, at the present time, does not provide a clear indication of how the coastal zone has Figure 11. The hill-fort s inner area, as seen from the south. One can been used during the Late Iron Age and note the almost stone-free surface. The area inside the fort s central Early Middle Ages. The investigations part contains remains of buildings. conducted of the graves in the hill-fort prove that there are Viking Age burials. The remains that exist further to the west of Gudings Castle (the hill-fort) consist of separate constructions that we can neither clarify for function or timeliness without further archaeological investigations. During the first year of the project, it is important to establish a base for the subsequent years surveys and to obtain an overview of the existence of ancient monuments as well as their relationship and dating. One of the areas that requires further investigation is Gudings hill-fort (49: 1), since the knowledge of the construction is still very Figure 12. The other area contains a stone wall and a grave. An overview field survey of the area points out furthermore that here lies a low wall/ ledge with stone along the southwest (red line). 4Hegardt, J Gudings slott, en märklig gotländsk fornborg.!9

10 rudimentary. It is noteworthy, for example, that the graves in the hill-fort are mainly located on the edge of the fortification, both inside and outside, whereas the central and highest part of the hill-fort has no visible graves. The central area is quite flat, with single upright stones. It is possible that the central part of the hill-fort houses some form of settlement remains that may be contemporary with the graves, i.e. the Viking Age. When visiting the site, the presence of rock lined postholes in the center are possibly present. In order to continue onto the question of the function of the site, it is essential to renew investigations of the hill-fort and, in particular, its central part. The second area, about 400 meters southwest of the hill-fort, consists of a stone wall that exists within a location Figure 13. Area 3 contains four stone mounds according to the ancient monument registry. The features are very unclear in form and function and they can possibly be house remains. that, at the time of the Laga Skifte, was marked as a commonplace. Why this area is marked as a commonplace is unclear, but an in-depth analysis of the texts of the Laga Skifte may possibly answer the question. The stone wall that runs in a weak arc in an east-west orientation is quite noticeable, being several meters wide and up to one meter high. On the south side of the wall there are some stone collections of unknown function. Just to the southwest of the wall is a grave, or stone setting, noted in the archaeological register. However, the construction is quite diffuse and it is highly uncertain if it is a grave; it is also slightly low situated in the landscape. It can also be noted that from this construction to the southwest, there is a stony ledge that may be linked to the registered stone wall. This wall contains some rock visible on the ground; however, it is not registered in the inventory of ancient monuments. The third area that is important to understand, is the site of the four stone settings (99: 1-4) registered in the archaeological record, located about 80 meters west of area 2 (see figure 13 above). They are recorded in the archaeological register as graves, but there is reason to question this interpretation. One of the features, the furthest to the north, gives more of an impression of a house foundation with distinctive stone walls than a grave. However, the inner surface is also covered with stone, which makes this interpretation uncertain. The easternmost feature of the four (99: 2) is notable. Centrally located in the feature are four distinct probable postholes, forming a small square some 2 x 2 meters in size. The erected stone mentioned in the archaeological register at the edge of the construction is relatively far from the possible grave. The remains here are generally very unclear in terms of function and form. They are situated at a low elevation, where the surrounding landscape is between 2 and 3 meters above sea level. This area is also part of the project. Just south of the above mentioned ancient remains, the northern edge of the fourth area is also part of the coastal environment and part of the project. This is an area with a large number of stones comprising both grinding troughs and grinding surfaces. On the western edge of the area with grindstones, there is a small!10

11 burial field. This is very low, between 2 and 3 meters above sea level. Bearing in mind that the area has stones with both grinding troughs and grinding surfaces, and that they relate spatially to other environments, it would be of great scientific value to investigate parts of this area. It also applies to the small grave field located on the western edge of the area of grinding stones. The question of how these stones with grinding surfaces and grinding troughs have been used is an unanswered question, although many more or less likely interpretations have been made. Unfortunately, it is possible to note that, in principle, this whole environment today consists of a very dense young forest, which currently inhibits further studies. However, as mentioned, it is essential to also include this area in a final analysis of the environment. Implementation The project is planned for a period of a number of years, where the upcoming summer involves a pilot study to clarify for the following year more precisely how the project will be implemented. The dispersion of ancient remains over the area Figure 14. Along the southwest, not so far from the fishing village Bybod, there is an extensive area of numerous stones with troughs and grinding surfaces. In the western edge of the area, according to the ancient monument registry is a grave field with 6 graves. Unfortunately today, the area is planted and harbors a young forest which makes it difficult to see the features, let alone interpret their function within the area. Nevertheless, it is essential to include these in the project. makes it important to, during the first years of the project, create a basis for further management, not least by grasping the types of constructions, dating, etc. An initial step to be taken in the spring, well in advance of field work, involves detailed mapping of the area's cultural-historical remains. During the short visits we have carried out this fall, several previously unregistered remains have been identified and for the definite excavations this summer, it is essential to have as complete a picture of the area's ancient remains as possible. This may also mean that phosphate mapping in certain areas as well as metal detecting are needed. Based on the survey, detailed questions will lay the groundwork for where more precisely the archaeological investigations will be conducted with the aim of improving the knowledge of the use of the beach area during the course of the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages. The project is led by Arendus through project manager, Dan Carlsson, together with Lauren Bokor and Christian Hoffman as leaders. The studies will take place as an archaeological course via Gotland Folk High School, where two courses will be conducted. Initially, starting 25 June, a four week long digging period for the Swedish course begins. The course is limited to 20 participants. The excavations take place in courses of 2 to 4 weeks, and there is also an opportunity for four days of a trial course. On July 16th, the following course will start, which is mainly aimed at international students and for which the working language is English. This course also lasts four weeks and overlaps the first week with the Swedish course. Even in this course, the number of participants is limited to 20 participants.!11

12 Collaboration is also planned with Uppsala University, Campus Gotland, regarding osteological papers relating to animal bones as well as human material. The more general results will form part of a master's degree in archeology by a student at Campus Gotland. A basic report of the results of the excavations will be completed during the autumn and form the basis for the continued planning of the project, with the aim of detailing planned projects in field and project scope in time. Associate Professor Dan Carlsson Project Director Arendus Literature Carlsson, D Kulturlandskapets utveckling på Gotland. En studie av jordbruks- och bebyggelseförändringar under järnåldern. Nyköping Carlsson, D Kontinuitet och förändring. Gotlandsgården under förhistorisk tid och medeltid. Ymer. Carlsson, D Harbours and trading places on Gotland AD In, Aspects og Maritime Scandinavia AD Proceedings of the Nordic Seminar on Maritime Aspects of Archaeology, Roskilde, 3th-5th March, Editor Ole Crumlin-Pedersen. Roskilde Carlsson, D Fröjel Discovery Programme - arkeologisk forskning och historieförmedling i förening. Gotländskt Arkiv Carlsson, D Ridanäs - Vikingahamnen i Fröjel. ArkeoDok. Visby. Carlsson, D Gård, hamn och kyrka. En vikingatida kyrkogård i Fröjel. CCC papers 4. Gotland University. Carlsson, D Vikingahamnar på Gotland. Gotländskt Arkiv Carlsson D Vikingatidens Västergarn - en komplicerad historia. ArkeoDok. Hegardt, J Gudings slott, en märklig gotländsk fornborg. Tor Pettersson, A.-M Ett gotländskt gårdsgravfält från vendeltiden. En studie av gravar vid ödegården Fjäle i Ala socken. Uppsats för påbyggnadskurs C i arkeologi vid Stockholms universitet HT 1992.!12

13 Bilaga 1. Description of registered ancient monuments Numbers according to the map 39:1. Grave field with an area of 60x40 meters (east-west) containing of 12 graves. The graves include 1 cairn and 11 round or almost round stone settings. 41:1. Grave, Stone setting, round, 12 meters in diameter and 0,4 meters high. 49:1-3. 1) Hill fort, 160x110 meters in size (east-west) consisting of a stone wall. The wall is 120 meters long, 3-7 meters wide and 0,3-0,7 meters high. The stones are granite boulders 0,1-0,8 meters big, most commonly 0,2-0,4 meters big. The wall is most clearly visible in the northwest, west and southwest. The entrance is in the north-northwest part, 2 meters broad. Inside and close to the southern part of the wall is: 2) Grave field, with an extension of 60x20 meters (northeast-southwest) containing 10 graves. These are 3-6 meters in diameter and 0,2-0,4 meters high. Inside and close to the northern part of the hill fort is: 3) Grave field, with an extension of 50x10 meters, consisting of 5 graves. These are rounded stone settings, 3-5 meters in diameter and 0,1-0,6 meters high!13

14 95:1. Grave field, with an area of 40x20 meters, consisting of 6 graves, some 3-8 meters in diameter. 98:1. Area with Stones with troughs and stones with grinding surface: In total there are 61 stones in the area 99:1-4. 1) Grave, stone setting, round, 5 meters in diameter and 0,25 meters high. 36 meters northwest of nr 1 is 2) Grave, stone setting, round, 7 meters in diameter and 0,2 meters high. 7 meters west-northwest of nr 2 is 3) Grave, stone setting. 16 meters southwest of nr 3 and 4 meter northeast of the property line is 4) Grave (?), stone setting, round, 7 meters in diameter and 0, 3 meters high. 100:1-3. 1) Grave, stone setting, round, 4 meters in diameter and 0,2 meters high. 9 meters northeast of nr 1 is nr 2), Grave, stone setting, round, 5 meters in diameter and 0,25 meters high. 5 meters northeast of nr 2 is 3) Grave, stone setting, round 5 meters in diameter and 0,25 meters high. 101:1-2. 1) Grave, stone setting, round, 4 meters in diameter and 0,2 meters high. 23 meters northeast of nr 1 is: 2) Stonewall, 45 meters long, consisting of 0,2-1,2 meters big granit boulders. The biggest stones (numbered to 12), situated in the southwest part of the wall, are 0,8-1,2 meters long and have obviously been raised from the beginning.!14

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