Large scale excavations of Neolithic settlements and cemeteries along the Swedish east coast and ... more Large scale excavations of Neolithic settlements and cemeteries along the Swedish east coast and on the islands of Gotland and Öland in the Baltic Sea during the last 30 years have produced a large amount of new information concerning the Funnel Beaker Culture, the Pitted Ware Culture and the Battle Axe Culture. Excavations of large areas in a number of sites have given us a much deeper understanding of how these societies were organized, how people made their living and how they buried their dead. Large scale studies of palaeoecological remains, lipids in ceramics and isotopes in animal and human bones have given us new information concerning differences in diet and economy, and studies of genetic material have produced new essential knowledge of ethnic and cultural affiliations. The excavation at Tråsättra covered the whole area of a permanent hunter-gatherer settlement that can be related to the late Pitted Ware Culture, ca. 2600-2400 cal BC. This gave us the opportunity to study the organization of the settlement, economy and diet, craftsmanship and ritual activities in detail. Also, finds of a large number of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic clay figu rines, a cult building with ritual deposits and a small cemetery made a unique analysis of religious and ideological aspects of the hunter-gatherers in the archipelago of the eastern middle part of Sweden during the late Middle Neo lithic B possible.
RAÄ 598 in Fullerö, Gamla Uppsala parish in Uppland. The excavation was carried out during the su... more RAÄ 598 in Fullerö, Gamla Uppsala parish in Uppland. The excavation was carried out during the summer of 2002. Just over 17,000 square meters of space located on levels between 19 and 24 meters above sea level. Total was found around 350 features, the majority of which were post holes, hearths, cooking pits, waste pits, a well and at least one oven. The temperature achieved in the kiln, which is reflected in the clay degree of burning, indicating cooking or other activities where temperatures do not need to be high. It is definitely not the question of ironmaking, forging or other activities where more higher temperatures is required.
A survey of all Mesolithic sites in Eastern middle Sweden with a discussion of recent debates and... more A survey of all Mesolithic sites in Eastern middle Sweden with a discussion of recent debates and new publications on c-14 datings, faunal assemblages, social networks, intra site analysis, lithic analysis.
In this article huts and houses found on the Neolithic coastal settlements, in eastern Central Sw... more In this article huts and houses found on the Neolithic coastal settlements, in eastern Central Sweden. The study reveals a pattern of change, which appears to be regionally specific. I interpret these transitions as changes in lifestyle and social organisation, which are mirrored in the housing. The first change is gradual, leading from the Mesolithic on to the Neolithic. I interpret this change as a result of an increasing specialization in hunting strategies and development of storage economy, which leads to an increase in the size of the groups. The second change in the building tradition is a clear break with the older way of life in coastal settlements. This development is also visible as a change in the location of the settlements, as well as the introduction of livestock, crops and new burial practices.
Liljewalchs wreck - A ship and a place for breaking up ships on Djurgården Report 2020:90 Archaeo... more Liljewalchs wreck - A ship and a place for breaking up ships on Djurgården Report 2020:90 Archaeological investigation Stockholm County, Uppland, Stockholm Municipality, Djurgården.
The Liljewalch ship has been shown to have been built in the first decade of the 17th century and then after a long life came to be broken up during the last part of the 18th century at Djurgården. The ship has been relatively flat-bottomed, which suggests that it is a merchant vessel. It is unique to be able to get a picture of a ship's biography from construction to scrapping in this way without knowing the ship's name.
Projektet ”Yngre stenålderns kustboplatser” Inventering av neolitiska kustbosättningar 1995-1998, rapport – Länsmuseet Gävleborg 2000:15., 2000
Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997.... more Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997. Från norra Uppland Upp till Västernorrland. Finns även en rapport över inventeringarna i Gävleborg i Skriftserie från länsmuseet Gävleborg. Resultatet ifrån Västernorrland presenterades i ett PM.
Tråsättra - aspects of the sealhunters everyday life and symbolism
In 2016, the Archaeologists/t... more Tråsättra - aspects of the sealhunters everyday life and symbolism
In 2016, the Archaeologists/the state's historical museum investigated a coastal settlement from the latter part of the Neolithic, about 2700–2400 BC. in Österåker outside Åkersberga. The settlement is unusually rich in objects of various types. Both stone tools, ceramics and more than 300 fragments of figurines. The thought-provoking clay figurines found are both beautiful and tell of life in this distant period. The most important thing about the place is not the hundreds of thousands of finds in themselves but that these can be linked to constructions of various kinds (residences, windbreaks, enclosures and graves). The analysis has shown that the site has been organized with dwellings and also more ritual constructions. The huts are located around a central area where cooking and probably much else taken place. The imagination-provoking objects and mass finds of pottery and bones gives an unique opportunity to better understand these hunters and gatherers. Both how they lived but also aspects such as thoughts and worldview as expressed in the cosmography.
The investigations at Valbo and Knapen have provided interesting insights into how the landscape ... more The investigations at Valbo and Knapen have provided interesting insights into how the landscape was used during different parts of the Stone Age. At Valbo, settlement remains from around 5000 BC and activities at a lake around 3800 BC were investigated. At Knapen, a seasonally used hunting station from around 7000 BC was investigated.
Arkeologiska uppdragsverksamheten Rapport 2015:93, 2015
During the investigation of a bog a wood artifact dated to 3500 BC was found in deep in the clay.... more During the investigation of a bog a wood artifact dated to 3500 BC was found in deep in the clay. The object has probably sunk to the bottom at a time when the bog was a lake, at depth of one to two meters. Thereafter the artifact relatively quickly was covered by sediment. The analysis shows that the wooden object was part of a two-wood bow. In the case of bows, the D-shaped cross-section of the find from Gräsbo has direct parallels with known object types. This indicates that it is a bow or a preparatory work for one.
Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala meddelandeserie 1999_11, 1999
Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997.... more Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997. Från norra Uppland Upp till Västernorrland. Finns även en rapport över inventeringarna i Gävleborg i Skriftserie från länsmuseet Gävleborg. Projektet ”Yngre stenålderns kustboplatser” Inventering av neolitiska kustbosättningar 1995-1998, rapport – Länsmuseet Gävleborg 2000:15. Resultatet ifrån Västernorrland presenterades i ett PM.
Excavation of a Viking Age grave in Åkerby, Ockelbo parish. The person buried was a young man and... more Excavation of a Viking Age grave in Åkerby, Ockelbo parish. The person buried was a young man and the grave contained, among other things, a sword, a spearhead, a battle ax and a ring pin. This makes the grave one of the richer Viking Age weapon graves (10th century) in Gästrikland.
År 2006 undersöktes ett område i centrala Harbo inför planerad bostadsbyggnation. Det visade sig ... more År 2006 undersöktes ett område i centrala Harbo inför planerad bostadsbyggnation. Det visade sig att platsen hade utnyttjats av människor så snart som den steg ur havet cirka 3500 f.Kr. Tyngdpunkten i lämningarna låg dock under järnålder då flera gårdar kunde visas ha funnits inom området. Förutom jordbruk och boskap har människorna ägnat sig åt bland annat järnframställning och smide. Det finns indikationer på en lång kontinuitet i markanvändningen inom området. Hus och t.ex. härdar har orienterats efter utsträckningen som stensträngar och andra hägnader har. Detta visar att dessa hägnader har funnits redan under äldre järnålder. De hägnader och fägator som byggts redan under järnåldern är dock fortfarande synliga i det äldre kartmaterialet och finns således kvar långt fram i historisk tid. Markanvändningen i stort ger intryck av en organiserad bystruktur med åtminstone två samverkande gårdar. Belägg för att konstruktioner av detta slag skulle kunna ha så hög ålder är ovanliga, int...
The Lappdal settlement, Österåker 461:1, has been known for a long time. The site was discovered ... more The Lappdal settlement, Österåker 461:1, has been known for a long time. The site was discovered as early as 1946 and has been relevant in Neolithic research ever since. Lappdal has previously been highlighted because the material found in several respects appeared deviant in relation to other places from this time in the Mälardal region. The fact that the site was one of the first Neolithic premises to be discovered and investigated in Roslagen in southern Uppland has also given it a special position in the history of Neolithic research in eastern Sweden. In 2017, at the initiative of Österåker Municipality and Österåker's Homeland Association, a research survey was carried out at Lappdal. The investigation was carried out under the guidance of staff from the Archaeologists, the State Historical Museums. The survey has confirmed that Lappdal belongs to the older part of the Neolithic and has shown that the place has been inhabited, probably for at least 100 years, sometime during the period 3620 – 3360 BC. The settlement has also been shown to be significantly larger than what was previously known.
Large scale excavations of Neolithic settlements and cemeteries along the Swedish east coast and ... more Large scale excavations of Neolithic settlements and cemeteries along the Swedish east coast and on the islands of Gotland and Öland in the Baltic Sea during the last 30 years have produced a large amount of new information concerning the Funnel Beaker Culture, the Pitted Ware Culture and the Battle Axe Culture. Excavations of large areas in a number of sites have given us a much deeper understanding of how these societies were organized, how people made their living and how they buried their dead. Large scale studies of palaeoecological remains, lipids in ceramics and isotopes in animal and human bones have given us new information concerning differences in diet and economy, and studies of genetic material have produced new essential knowledge of ethnic and cultural affiliations. The excavation at Tråsättra covered the whole area of a permanent hunter-gatherer settlement that can be related to the late Pitted Ware Culture, ca. 2600-2400 cal BC. This gave us the opportunity to study the organization of the settlement, economy and diet, craftsmanship and ritual activities in detail. Also, finds of a large number of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic clay figu rines, a cult building with ritual deposits and a small cemetery made a unique analysis of religious and ideological aspects of the hunter-gatherers in the archipelago of the eastern middle part of Sweden during the late Middle Neo lithic B possible.
RAÄ 598 in Fullerö, Gamla Uppsala parish in Uppland. The excavation was carried out during the su... more RAÄ 598 in Fullerö, Gamla Uppsala parish in Uppland. The excavation was carried out during the summer of 2002. Just over 17,000 square meters of space located on levels between 19 and 24 meters above sea level. Total was found around 350 features, the majority of which were post holes, hearths, cooking pits, waste pits, a well and at least one oven. The temperature achieved in the kiln, which is reflected in the clay degree of burning, indicating cooking or other activities where temperatures do not need to be high. It is definitely not the question of ironmaking, forging or other activities where more higher temperatures is required.
A survey of all Mesolithic sites in Eastern middle Sweden with a discussion of recent debates and... more A survey of all Mesolithic sites in Eastern middle Sweden with a discussion of recent debates and new publications on c-14 datings, faunal assemblages, social networks, intra site analysis, lithic analysis.
In this article huts and houses found on the Neolithic coastal settlements, in eastern Central Sw... more In this article huts and houses found on the Neolithic coastal settlements, in eastern Central Sweden. The study reveals a pattern of change, which appears to be regionally specific. I interpret these transitions as changes in lifestyle and social organisation, which are mirrored in the housing. The first change is gradual, leading from the Mesolithic on to the Neolithic. I interpret this change as a result of an increasing specialization in hunting strategies and development of storage economy, which leads to an increase in the size of the groups. The second change in the building tradition is a clear break with the older way of life in coastal settlements. This development is also visible as a change in the location of the settlements, as well as the introduction of livestock, crops and new burial practices.
Liljewalchs wreck - A ship and a place for breaking up ships on Djurgården Report 2020:90 Archaeo... more Liljewalchs wreck - A ship and a place for breaking up ships on Djurgården Report 2020:90 Archaeological investigation Stockholm County, Uppland, Stockholm Municipality, Djurgården.
The Liljewalch ship has been shown to have been built in the first decade of the 17th century and then after a long life came to be broken up during the last part of the 18th century at Djurgården. The ship has been relatively flat-bottomed, which suggests that it is a merchant vessel. It is unique to be able to get a picture of a ship's biography from construction to scrapping in this way without knowing the ship's name.
Projektet ”Yngre stenålderns kustboplatser” Inventering av neolitiska kustbosättningar 1995-1998, rapport – Länsmuseet Gävleborg 2000:15., 2000
Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997.... more Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997. Från norra Uppland Upp till Västernorrland. Finns även en rapport över inventeringarna i Gävleborg i Skriftserie från länsmuseet Gävleborg. Resultatet ifrån Västernorrland presenterades i ett PM.
Tråsättra - aspects of the sealhunters everyday life and symbolism
In 2016, the Archaeologists/t... more Tråsättra - aspects of the sealhunters everyday life and symbolism
In 2016, the Archaeologists/the state's historical museum investigated a coastal settlement from the latter part of the Neolithic, about 2700–2400 BC. in Österåker outside Åkersberga. The settlement is unusually rich in objects of various types. Both stone tools, ceramics and more than 300 fragments of figurines. The thought-provoking clay figurines found are both beautiful and tell of life in this distant period. The most important thing about the place is not the hundreds of thousands of finds in themselves but that these can be linked to constructions of various kinds (residences, windbreaks, enclosures and graves). The analysis has shown that the site has been organized with dwellings and also more ritual constructions. The huts are located around a central area where cooking and probably much else taken place. The imagination-provoking objects and mass finds of pottery and bones gives an unique opportunity to better understand these hunters and gatherers. Both how they lived but also aspects such as thoughts and worldview as expressed in the cosmography.
The investigations at Valbo and Knapen have provided interesting insights into how the landscape ... more The investigations at Valbo and Knapen have provided interesting insights into how the landscape was used during different parts of the Stone Age. At Valbo, settlement remains from around 5000 BC and activities at a lake around 3800 BC were investigated. At Knapen, a seasonally used hunting station from around 7000 BC was investigated.
Arkeologiska uppdragsverksamheten Rapport 2015:93, 2015
During the investigation of a bog a wood artifact dated to 3500 BC was found in deep in the clay.... more During the investigation of a bog a wood artifact dated to 3500 BC was found in deep in the clay. The object has probably sunk to the bottom at a time when the bog was a lake, at depth of one to two meters. Thereafter the artifact relatively quickly was covered by sediment. The analysis shows that the wooden object was part of a two-wood bow. In the case of bows, the D-shaped cross-section of the find from Gräsbo has direct parallels with known object types. This indicates that it is a bow or a preparatory work for one.
Länsstyrelsen i Uppsala meddelandeserie 1999_11, 1999
Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997.... more Specialinventering neolitiska kustboplatser utförd med varierad intensitet mellan åren 1993-1997. Från norra Uppland Upp till Västernorrland. Finns även en rapport över inventeringarna i Gävleborg i Skriftserie från länsmuseet Gävleborg. Projektet ”Yngre stenålderns kustboplatser” Inventering av neolitiska kustbosättningar 1995-1998, rapport – Länsmuseet Gävleborg 2000:15. Resultatet ifrån Västernorrland presenterades i ett PM.
Excavation of a Viking Age grave in Åkerby, Ockelbo parish. The person buried was a young man and... more Excavation of a Viking Age grave in Åkerby, Ockelbo parish. The person buried was a young man and the grave contained, among other things, a sword, a spearhead, a battle ax and a ring pin. This makes the grave one of the richer Viking Age weapon graves (10th century) in Gästrikland.
År 2006 undersöktes ett område i centrala Harbo inför planerad bostadsbyggnation. Det visade sig ... more År 2006 undersöktes ett område i centrala Harbo inför planerad bostadsbyggnation. Det visade sig att platsen hade utnyttjats av människor så snart som den steg ur havet cirka 3500 f.Kr. Tyngdpunkten i lämningarna låg dock under järnålder då flera gårdar kunde visas ha funnits inom området. Förutom jordbruk och boskap har människorna ägnat sig åt bland annat järnframställning och smide. Det finns indikationer på en lång kontinuitet i markanvändningen inom området. Hus och t.ex. härdar har orienterats efter utsträckningen som stensträngar och andra hägnader har. Detta visar att dessa hägnader har funnits redan under äldre järnålder. De hägnader och fägator som byggts redan under järnåldern är dock fortfarande synliga i det äldre kartmaterialet och finns således kvar långt fram i historisk tid. Markanvändningen i stort ger intryck av en organiserad bystruktur med åtminstone två samverkande gårdar. Belägg för att konstruktioner av detta slag skulle kunna ha så hög ålder är ovanliga, int...
The Lappdal settlement, Österåker 461:1, has been known for a long time. The site was discovered ... more The Lappdal settlement, Österåker 461:1, has been known for a long time. The site was discovered as early as 1946 and has been relevant in Neolithic research ever since. Lappdal has previously been highlighted because the material found in several respects appeared deviant in relation to other places from this time in the Mälardal region. The fact that the site was one of the first Neolithic premises to be discovered and investigated in Roslagen in southern Uppland has also given it a special position in the history of Neolithic research in eastern Sweden. In 2017, at the initiative of Österåker Municipality and Österåker's Homeland Association, a research survey was carried out at Lappdal. The investigation was carried out under the guidance of staff from the Archaeologists, the State Historical Museums. The survey has confirmed that Lappdal belongs to the older part of the Neolithic and has shown that the place has been inhabited, probably for at least 100 years, sometime during the period 3620 – 3360 BC. The settlement has also been shown to be significantly larger than what was previously known.
Uploads
Papers by Niclas Björck
The Liljewalch ship has been shown to have been built in the first decade of the 17th century and then after a long life came to be broken up during the last part of the 18th century at Djurgården. The ship has been relatively flat-bottomed, which suggests that it is a merchant vessel. It is unique to be able to get a picture of a ship's biography from construction to scrapping in this way without knowing the ship's name.
In 2016, the Archaeologists/the state's historical museum investigated a coastal settlement from the latter part of the Neolithic, about 2700–2400 BC. in Österåker outside Åkersberga. The settlement is unusually rich in objects of various types. Both stone tools, ceramics and more than 300 fragments of figurines. The thought-provoking clay figurines found are both beautiful and tell of life in this distant period. The most important thing about the place is not the hundreds of thousands of finds in themselves but that these can be linked to constructions of various kinds (residences, windbreaks, enclosures and graves). The analysis has shown that the site has been organized with dwellings and also more ritual constructions. The huts are located around a central area where cooking and probably much else taken place. The imagination-provoking objects and mass finds of pottery and bones gives an unique opportunity to better understand these hunters and gatherers. Both how they lived but also aspects such as thoughts and worldview as expressed in the cosmography.
The Liljewalch ship has been shown to have been built in the first decade of the 17th century and then after a long life came to be broken up during the last part of the 18th century at Djurgården. The ship has been relatively flat-bottomed, which suggests that it is a merchant vessel. It is unique to be able to get a picture of a ship's biography from construction to scrapping in this way without knowing the ship's name.
In 2016, the Archaeologists/the state's historical museum investigated a coastal settlement from the latter part of the Neolithic, about 2700–2400 BC. in Österåker outside Åkersberga. The settlement is unusually rich in objects of various types. Both stone tools, ceramics and more than 300 fragments of figurines. The thought-provoking clay figurines found are both beautiful and tell of life in this distant period. The most important thing about the place is not the hundreds of thousands of finds in themselves but that these can be linked to constructions of various kinds (residences, windbreaks, enclosures and graves). The analysis has shown that the site has been organized with dwellings and also more ritual constructions. The huts are located around a central area where cooking and probably much else taken place. The imagination-provoking objects and mass finds of pottery and bones gives an unique opportunity to better understand these hunters and gatherers. Both how they lived but also aspects such as thoughts and worldview as expressed in the cosmography.