Arkeologiske undersøkelser av «Storhaug skipsgrav» (ID 23742-1). Gnr. 143. Bnr. 65. Storasundvegen, Karmøy kommune. Rogaland

Oppdragsgiver: Arkeologisk Museum, UiS (Maktens havn)I juni 2022 foretok Arkeologisk Museum, UiS, en forundersøkelse på gravminnet «Storhaug skipsgrav» på gården Gunnarshaug, langs Storasundveien, gnr. 143. bnr. 65, Torvastad, Karmøy kommune. Museet undersøkte et avgrenset område tilknyttet en kjent skipsgrav fra merovingertid (ID 23742-1 (Storhaug skipsgrav)). Undersøkelsen er tilknyttet forskningsprosjektet Maktens havn, et samarbeid mellom Arkeologisk museum, UiS og Stavanger maritime museum m.fl. Gravhaugen ligger plassert på en liten høyde i landskapet med utsyn mot Karmsundet mot øst. Det er generelt sett stor tetthet av arkeologiske lokaliteter fra bronsealder og jernalder langs denne delen av sundet. Det aktuelle gravminnet har tidligere vært utgravd og utsatt for en rekke moderne inngrep, og er derfor å anse som forstyrret. Målet med undersøkelsen var derfor å kartlegge tilstandsgraden til lokaliteten, for å se om det fortsatt fantes bevarte arkeologiske kontekster her og vurdere behovet for ytterligere og mer omfattende inngrep i kulturminnet. Undersøkelsen ble utført med en kombinasjon av GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) og strategisk anlagte søkesjakter som ble gravd for hånd. Undersøkelsen ble utført i løpet av 10 dager, med to arkeologer. Etter endt arbeid ble all data prosessert og etterarbeidet, og deretter tolket. Det ble konkludert med gravminnet er kraftig forstyrret av nyere tids aktivitet, men at det fortsatt finnes bevart stratigrafi inne i gravminnet. I GPR-undersøkelsen ble det også observert anomalier tolket som mulige rester fra skipet tilhørende graven og en båt. Med bakgrunn i disse resultatene anses det å være stor sannsynlighet for at det fortsatt er bevarte arkeologiske kontekster på lokaliteten

The Agrarian Life of the North 2000 BC AD 1000

The 14 articles presented in this publication represent some of the latest and most relevant research on rural settlement and farming from the Late Neolithic through the Early Medieval Period in Norway. It deals with the impact of climate change, plague and the AD 536â 7 volcanic event and some of the earliest farms north of the Arctic Circle. It provides new perspectives and archaeological evidence for the Viking age farm of Norway, differences in regional settlement structures of agrarian societies, the relation between houses and graves in the Iron Age, and varying food practices as indicators of societal change

The Agrarian Life of the North 2000 BC AD 1000

The 14 articles presented in this publication represent some of the latest and most relevant research on rural settlement and farming from the Late Neolithic through the Early Medieval Period in Norway. It deals with the impact of climate change, plague and the AD 536â 7 volcanic event and some of the earliest farms north of the Arctic Circle. It provides new perspectives and archaeological evidence for the Viking age farm of Norway, differences in regional settlement structures of agrarian societies, the relation between houses and graves in the Iron Age, and varying food practices as indicators of societal change

Sea level studies along the coast of of southwestern Norway. With emphasise on three short-lived Holocene marine events

A detailed study of field-reports, published and unpublished data from archaeological and natural science investigations close to the sea shore in the period from the 1930s to 2005, have been compiled and partly reinterpreted in order to present shore displacement curves. These curves can be used as a tool in location of prehistoric sites in the coastal region of the southwestern part of Norway. This region has experienced a complex shoreline displacement due to pronounced land-sea alteration caused by the interaction of eustacy and isostacy after the deglaciation. The general pattern reveals two distinct transgressions along the coast; one Late Weichselian (Younger Dryas age) and one Holocene transgression (the Tapes transgression, around 6500 yr BP) that intersect close to Reve in Central Jæren. The Tapes level forms the marine limit (ML) southwards in this area. In the northern Boknafjord area an earlier transgression of Bølling age has also been recorded. The shore displacement curves reveal a rapid regression from the Younger Dryas throughout the Preboreal chronozones, putting the brakes on southwards. The regression minimum in the Preboreal chronozone is below the present sea-level south of the Hafrsfjord area. Special attention has been paid to two, possibly three, shortlived marine events. The oldest marine event, dated to ca 9800-9700 yr BP, is only recorded in the Boknafjord area. Sediment studies at the localities Storavatn in Tysvær and the flooded Ahrensburgian site Galta 3 at Rennesøy, point in favour of a local tsunami. Three sites, Hålandsvannet, the Sola airport site and Braastadvann at Lista, show possible indications of the Storegga tsunami dated to 7350-7250 yr BP, but none of these sites record the typical tsunami facies that has been described for the Storegga tsunami layers elsewhere in Norway. The Storegga tsunami in this area is probably lower than the Tapes maximum level giving a possible run-up of 2-3 m. The youngest marine event, dated to ca 4800 yr BP, is recorded from the Karmøy sound and further southwards along the coast to Eigerøy. It levels out eastwards in the Boknafjord area. This event is the result of a small sea-level rise – a transgression – and verifies that the Tapes transgression was double-peaked along this coastal area. The two peaks intersect in the coastal zone at the Randaberg peninsula, the 4800 yr BP event being the highest one southwards

Aeolian activity during the last 9200 calendar years BP along the southwestern coastal rim of Norway

Aeolian sand deposits intercalated with organic layers have been reported from Holocene sediment sequences below the marine limit (ML) at twelve sites along the coastal rim of southwestern Norway for over a century. This study, based on field investigations, stratigraphical analysis, radiocarbon dates and archaeological information, has revealed several phases of aeolian activity. The premises and factors permitting sand drift, as well as the timing of this activity, have been compiled and synthesised. The premises for aeolian activity are the presence and supply of unconsolidated sandy sediments, wind strong enough to transport sand particles and a sparse or absent vegetation cover. Sand drift is not recorded along stretches of coast with numerous boulders. Aeolian activity is triggered by natural factors, human impact or a combination of these. The oldest aeolian activities started about 8100 yrs BP (9200 cal yrs BP) and were closely related to the Holocene sea-level displacement, while the youngest activity is more tied to various kinds of human land use. Sand drift in Late Weichselian and Preboreal times has not been recorded, perhaps partly because present-day sandy shores were submerged at that time. The 7400 yrs BP (8200 cal yrs BP) cooling event corresponding to a period of Northern Atlantic cooling is recorded by aeolian sand at only one site in this study. Sand drift is primarily located in areas that were submerged during the Tapes transgression when the shoreline was located more than one kilometre inland from the present coastline in parts of the area. Shallow fjords and estuaries were then filled by sandy sediments transported by rivers, onshore waves and longshore drift. The Holocene Tapes transgression was double-peaked which implies that the maximum high lasted for about 2000 calendar years (6800-4800 yrs BP, 7640-5540 cal yrs BP). During the subsequent regression, the sandy sediments were prone to erosion and sand drift. Aeolian activity is recorded continuously from about 6500 yrs BP (7430 cal yrs BP) (the onset of the first Tapes regression), but obviously intensified during the second, slow Tapes regression that started about 4800 yrs BP (5540 cal yrs BP). The way people have used the land, at least since the Neolitisation of the area which started about 5200-4800 yrs BP (5950-5550 cal yrs BP), first by forest clearance and pasturing, and later escalating through cultivation and heathland management, has also increased sand drift. Sand drift correlates well with the metachronous forest clearance steps 1-3 that started with the Neolitisation, and also with the two steps in the establishment of Norwegian coastal heaths, both of which are recorded in the area investigated. Thus people were important for altering climate, i.e. lower temperatures and stronger wind because of the deforestation. Aeolian sand drift has also been tied to activity of Mesolithic people from about 6470 yrs BP (7380 cal yrs BP), before agriculture was introduced. People probably influenced nature by burning and otherwise managing vegetation. Medieval aeolian activity is documented from the “Little Ice Age” (AD 1350- 1850) and the Maunder Minimum (AD 1645-1715), the coldest phase of the “Little Ice Age”

Historisk riss av utvikling og integrering av arkeologiske og naturvitenskapelige metoder. Eksempler fra Forsand og Rogaland forøvrig

This manuscript is a shortened version of an oral lecture held at the symposium «Structures and building tradition. Mechanical topsoil stripping – methods, interpretations and management». The lecture was meant to be an eyeopener directed towards the archaeological subjects by presenting a historical review concerning the development and integration of natural sciences in the framework of archaeological approaches. A developement involving the subject of botany (palynology and archaeobotany) is shown with some examples; at first appearing as a separate specialised area of a subject, next as a tool for the archaeologist and finally through periods of multi- and interdisciplinary approaches involving both archaeology and botany. The importance of interdisciplinary approaches was emphasized by presenting the Forsandmoen project and by visiting this «former» excavations during the fieldtrip at the end of the symposium

Haymaking as the driving force for shieling use from the Viking Age/early Medieval Period: a comparative study of two outfield areas in southwestern Norway

This paper focuses on the southernmost group of shielings in Norway where haymaking was the driving force for the shieling practice. Two shieling zones in the county of Rogaland that differ in respect to relief and proximity to their ‘home’ farms are compared: one from the inner fjord, subalpine birch zone and one from the outer coastal heathland plateau. Land-use practice is discussed using archaeological, ethnological and historical data supplemented by pollen analysis. The activities in these two shieling zones vary over time, as did the way in which they stored hay. On the coastal plateau the use of shielings has been practiced since the Pre-Roman Iron Age/Roman Iron Age transition, while in the inner fjord area it is recorded from the Migration Period. The use of shielings for haymaking can be traced back to the Viking Age/Early Medieval Period in both areas; however, the Post-Medieval Period seems to be the major period for the stacking of hay. On the coastal heathland plateau, hay was stored using single poles and four-post buildings, while single poles and enclosures were used in the fjord district. Mowing was practiced in both areas up to AD 1950.publishedVersio

Impulses of agro-pastoralism in the 4th and 3rd millennia BC on the south-western coastal rim of Norway

Made available with permission from Maney Publishing / Environmental Archaeology. www.maneypublishing.com/journals/env and www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maney/env.A review of the available archaeological and palaeoecological evidence from the coastal heathlands of south-western Norway was compiled to reveal the processes of neolithisation proceeding from the Early Neolithic towards the generally accepted breakthrough in the Late Neolithic, 2500/2350 cal. BC. South-western Norway then became part of the Scandinavian, and thus the European, agricultural complex. Three phases of forest clearance are recorded — from 4000–3600 cal. BC, 2500–2200 cal. BC and 1900–1400 cal. BC. Deforestation was intentional and followed a regional pattern linked to the geology and topography of the land. In the first period (4000–2500 cal. BC), forage from broad-leaved trees was important, while cereal cultivation was scarcely recorded. Agro-Neolithic (here referring to agriculturally-related Neolithic) artefacts and eco-facts belonging to the Funnel Beaker and Battle Axe culture are rare, but pervasive. They must primarily be considered to be status indicators with a ritual function; the hunter-gatherer economy still dominated. The breakthrough in agro-pastoral production in the Late Neolithic was complex and the result of interactions between several variables, i.e. a) deforestation resulting from agriculture being practised for nearly 1500 years b) experience with small-scale agriculture through generations and c) intensified exchange systems with other South Scandinavian regions. From 2500/2350 cal. BC onwards, two distinct environmental courses are noticeable in all pollen diagrams from the study area, indicating expansion in pastoralism, either towards heath or towards grassland and permanent fields

The deforestation patterns and the establishment of the coastal heathland of southwestern Norway

Palynological data collected over a period of 60 years have been compiled and re-interpreted in order to reveal the deforestation patterns and heath establishment in the southwestern Norwegian coastal heathland. This heathland area has been divided into four sub-regions based on topography, bedrock and coverage of Quaternary deposits. The palynological sites represent different sizes of catchments reflecting both local, extra-local and regional pollen source areas. They are represented by ancient monuments, soil profiles, bogs and lakes. The palynological signals of deforestation and heathland establishment can be described by different models indicating an abrupt, gradual or stepwise deforestation. The differences between these models can be explained by the size of the catchments. The deforestation seems to have been metachronous, leading to a regional mosaic pattern of different vegetation types. The process spanned more than 3600 years, from 4000 cal BC to 400 cal BC, with three pronounced clearance periods: 4000–3600 cal BC (Mesolithic/ Early Neolithic transition), 2500–2200 cal BC (Middle Neolithic II/ Early Late Neolithic transition), and 1900–1400 cal BC (Late Neolithic to Bronze Age period II). The development of heathland in the outer coastal area that followed deforestation has also been metachronous and took place over a period of approximately 4000 years from 4000 cal BC to 200 cal BC, but was mainly completed during the Bronze Age. Regional differences in the deforestation pattern and heathland establishment are discussed with respect to chronology. The progression of the deforestation can best be explained by the interaction of human manipulation, topography and edaphic conditions. Climatic variations seem to be of less importance

The environmental aspects and palynological signals of the “fairy circles” : ancient networks linked to coastal heathland in south-western Norway

Reproduced with permission. Copyright belongs to Maney Publishing: www.maneypublishing.com/journals/env, www.ingentaconnect.com/content/maney/envThe fairy-circles, a group of mysterious earthworks, are restricted to the coastal heathland of Jæren, south-western Norway. They are the result of a specialised farming practice adapted to local environmental conditions and are often situated on convex landforms of Quaternary deposits. These earthworks comprise an enclosure defined by a bank and an oval or a rectangular ditch in loose deposits. They have been recorded, archaeologically investigated and debated since the 1820s. Problems concerning their form, function, and period of use have until now been unsolved. Factors such as climate, Quaternary deposits, vegetation cover and land-use were recorded to put the fairy-circles into an enviromental context. Principal components analysis (PCA) was performed on fossil pollen data from structures within 16 of these man-made constructions and compared to modern and fossil analogues. This study reveals a change in the pollen taxa throughout the period of use of these historic relics suggesting that the wet heaths and mires found on the slopes and concave landforms were used for haymaking, and that the fairy-circles served as bases for haystacks. The onset of this activity may be dated back to the Late Iron Age while the upper age limit is tentatively put at AD 1835