Sámi Myths and Medieval Heritage

Sámi landscapes are pluralistic and contain traces of a variety of activities occurring in the past and present. This includes remains of medieval houses and hunting installations that are different from the ones used in later Sámi contexts. The Sámi have created their own interpretations of these enigmatic features in the landscape, relating, for instance, so-called ‘Stállo’ house grounds, reindeer pitfall traps, and ‘circular offering sites’ to widespread and recurring motives in Sámi mythology, like the troll-like Stállo, the belligerent Čud people, and the importance of religious rituals. The three case studies in this article highlight elements of the associated myths that indicate a medieval origin, while questioning to what extent the myths can be employed in interpretations of medieval archaeological remains, and to what extent they reflect later socio-cultural conditions and the Sámi conceptions of themselves and the world. As the chosen narratives potentially reflect internal ‘central myths’ about the Sámi role and identity in the Middle Ages and today rather than historical situations and events, such an exploration may shed new light on both the myths and their medieval and later contexts

Sticky structures and opportunistic builders - The construction and social role of longhouses in northern Norway

The longhouse has been a turning point for research on prehistoric farming societies in Scandinavia for several decades. Yet, no comprehensive study has been made of this house type and its context, variations and social implications in the Far North. In this chapter, we present the currently available longhouse material within the three northernmost counties of Norway. The 50 longhouses that have been excavated within the administrative district of Tromsø University Museum are discussed in more detail. Our survey shows both similarities to and some intriguing variations from the longhouses in other areas of Norway and the rest of Scandinavia, concerning the chronology of various house types, building details and farm layout. All these aspects are obviously related to the particularities of the environmental, cultural and sociopolitical context in the north. However, the results are preliminary, as more thorough studies are needed, as well as more excavations employing current methodologies such as mechanical topsoil stripping, to ensure representative data

Bokmelding. Knut Dørum og Eirin Holberg: Frå høvdingdøme til statsmakt i Noreg ca. 200–1350

Source at https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.1504-2944-2018-04-05

Historisk arkeologi i Norge – en metadebatt

In 1992, the constitution and future of Norwegian medieval and historical archaeology was debated in META. The discussion concerned the definition “historical archaeology” itself, and the potential need for this subfield to be established as a discipline in its own right. The aim was to strengthen a weak academic framework for this branch of archaeology. In the end, such a separate discipline was never established, and unlike in Denmark and Sweden, no university has a particular responsibility for teaching this subject. Together with a fragmented legal framework and cultural heritage administration for medieval and historical archaeology, this has led to a somewhat unclear definition and significance of historical archaeology in Norway today. The topic is taught in archaeology departments all over the country, and a relatively large number of archaeologists focus their research on historical time periods. However, there is great variation in the research methods and topics pursued, and relatively little focus on specialist approaches such as the use of primary historical sources. Increased specialisation of this sort may require improved inter-institutional coordination of university courses, as well as frameworks for continuous multidisciplinary research cooperation. It remains to be seen if imminent changes in the cultural heritage regulations, following a reform of the regional county administrations, will affect the future development of historical archaeology in Norway

Edelmetalldepotene i Nord-Norge. Komplekse identiteter i vikingtid og tidlig middelalder

Edelmetalldepotene i Nord-Norge fra vikingtid og tidlig middelalder (eller sølvskattene, som de ofte kalles) blir her analysert utfra innhold, sammensetning og plassering i landskapet. Det konkluderes med at flere av de 28 nordnorske funnene som er inkludert i undersøkelsen bør dateres til tidlig middelalder fordi de inneholder østlige gjenstander som har fått en slik sen datering gjennom andre funn. Funnstedene vurderes og settes i sammenheng med fysiske og kognitive grenser i landskapet, eventuelt veifar. Nedleggelsene av sølv og gull i vikingtid og middelalder settes i sammenheng med en utbredt depotpraksis som kan være knyttet til en eldre gudinnekult. Variasjonene i depotene ses som uttrykk for en regional og lokal artikulering av denne praksisen i henhold til stedets øvrige kulturelle normer og tradisjoner

Silver hoards in Sámi areas

The Viking and Middle Age silver hoards have often been assumed to be simply hidden economic resources. However, while the silver of the hoards from these periods may previously have circulated in a certain economic sphere, the hoarding practice itself and the content of the hoards show similarities to hoardings of earlier periods that were probably related to an ancient fertility cult. The similarities suggest that the Viking Age and Early Middle Age hoards should be interpreted as ritual deposits too. The late occurrence of silver hoards in northern Fennoscandia may indicate the adoption of a Norse offering tradition in an unsettling time of changes in society and belief systems. The tradition may have been adopted by a previously "hybrid" population living in the interface between Norse and Sámi cultural groups. A hybrid group could have avoided the harsh methods of Christianization by leaning towards Sámi contacts and identity, though at the same time bringing with them certain elements that were characteristic of the old Norse faith

Historical archaeology in Norway – a metadebate

Source at http://www.histark.se/new-journals. In 1992, the constitution and future of Norwegian medieval and historical archaeology was debated in META. The discussion concerned the definition “historical archaeology” itself, and the potential need for this subfield to be established as a discipline in its own right. The aim was to strengthen a weak academic framework for this branch of archaeology. In the end, such a separate discipline was never established, and unlike in Denmark and Sweden, no university has a particular responsibility for teaching this subject. Together with a fragmented legal framework and cultural heritage administration for medieval and historical archaeology, this has led to a somewhat unclear definition and significance of historical archaeology in Norway today. The topic is taught in archaeology departments all over the country, and a relatively large number of archaeologists focus their research on historical time periods. However, there is great variation in the research methods and topics pursued, and relatively little focus on specialist approaches such as the use of primary historical sources. Increased specialisation of this sort may require improved inter-institutional coordination of university courses, as well as frameworks for continuous multidisciplinary research cooperation. It remains to be seen if imminent changes in the cultural heritage regulations, following a reform of the regional county administrations, will affect the future development of historical archaeology in Norway

Circling Concepts : A Critical Archaeological Analysis of the Notion of Stone Circles as Sami Offering Sites

The thesis discusses a category of cultural heritage that has been labelled "Sami circular offering sites", aiming to establish some basic facts about their origin, distribution and use, as well as their cultural and socio-political context and influence. The stone enclosures in question have been interpreted as Sami offering sites since the mid-19th century, but a discourse analysis of the research history indicates that this may have been based on a scholarly hypothesis rather than ethnographic or archaeological evidence. Furthermore it is questioned if all the structures that are currently included in this category are in fact remains of the same cultural practice. This is investigated through surveys of 81 suggested circular offering sites in Norway, two excavations and analyses of the find material. The large stone enclosures in counties Finnmark and Troms that were first categorised in this way prove to have quite consistent builds and measurements and a find material mainly dating between the 13th and 17th centuries. These structures are here labelled type 1. In contrast, constructions that have later been added to the category, particularly in other areas, have other and less consistent characteristics and seem to include remains of a range of different activities. They are here divided into two generic types 2 and 3. The thesis further discusses alternative interpretations for the type 1 structures, concluding that their materiality, construction, location, topography and finds are consistent with archaeological, historical and ethnographic evidence for wolf traps. Their distribution indicates a regional Sami cultural practice related to inland winter habitation and travel routes, while also apparently coinciding with the Russian/Karelian taxation area in northern Norway in the Middle Ages. Thus the builds may have been inspired by the fur trade or other activities of the latter groups. It is uncertain when exactly the installations fell into disuse, as datings are calibrated to AD 1450-1650. The abandonment could be related to the decline of Novgorod as a fur trade centre, Russian loss of taxation rights in northern Norway, increased Swedish impact in the inland areas and Norwegian activity along the coasts, which all led to changes in administration, taxation, trade patterns and demand for furs. The contemporary decimation of the wild reindeer population, increased reindeer herding and introduction of new weapons like crossbows, guns and foothold traps, may all have made permanent trapping installations less useful. The sites may, however, have gone out of use at different times. Certain finds of marrow split bones, very recent coins and other objects suggest a later reconceptualisation of some structures as offering sites, whether as a local explanation or inspired by the later scholarly definition. Throughout the thesis, the construction and distribution of the archaeological category and the preference for the ritual or religious interpretation are discussed as results of specific socio-political contexts, where stereotypical notions about Sami identity and culture have had a strong impact. The thesis explores how academic and other narratives influence each other within certain discourses of power and indigenous "rights and rites", and the continuous mutual impact on individual actions and emotions through networks of people, power and things. The present reinterpretation challenges existing academic and local narratives. It is based on the materiality of the structures, but the offering site explanation is not positively refuted. Yet, as part of an authorised heritage discourse, the present statement is more likely to impact future categorisation and practices than other narratives within other discourses, expressing a persistent and inherent power inequality. This may be ethically problematic in the context of an indigenous minority, but it may also be argued that the role of the archaeologist expert is precisely to expose the insisting materiality of the past and the power/knowledge networks that promote specific narratives about it