Decline or social change? Changes in material culture from the Early to the Late Iron Age in Rogaland

Abstract

Overgangen fra folkevandringstid til merovingertid er preget av en rekke endringer i det arkeologiske materialet. Blant annet er det langt færre funn og funnlokaliteter fra merovingertid enn i folkevandringstid. Flere arkeologer har sett de arkeologiske endringene i sammenheng med klimaendringer på 500- og 600-tallet, mens andre har hevdet at endringer i samfunnet med blant annet maktkonsentrasjon, endrede arverettigheter og eiendomsforhold. Denne oppgaven tar for seg å diskutere endringene i det arkeologiske materialet fra folkevandringstid til merovingertid i Rogaland i henhold til teorier om krisetid og samfunnsendringer.The transition between the Migration period and the Merovingian period in Scandinavia has been a topic of great discussion among archaeologists. In the period surrounding the 6th century, changes in the material culture appear to occur and fewer find, graves and settlements are apparent in the apparent in the archaeological record from the Merovingian period compared to the Migration period. Many have proposed a link may exist between the period of colder climate from 536 to 660 AD and the reduced appearance of evidence in the archaeological record. Others have proposed that the change in material culture correlates closer to societal changes stemming from consolidation of power and wealth, changes in hereditary customs and additional societal factors. In this thesis, I have studied the changes in the distribution of archaeological finds from the Migration period and the Merovingian period in the County of Rogaland in South-Western Norway. The aim of the thesis is to discuss changes in material culture in relation to theories of decline or social change.Arkeologi mastergradsoppgaveMAHF-ARKARK35