Soapstone in Northern Norway: Research Status, Production Evidence and Quarry Survey Results

Soapstone extraction Stephen Wickler Soapstone in Northern Norway: Research status, production evidence and quarry survey results Stephen Wickler Abstract Archaeological research on the production and use soapstone from archaeological contexts in northern of soapstone artifacts in northern Norway remains Norway, including an overview of material in the limited in scope and the region has received marginal Tromsø University Museum collection. Soapstone attention in the Norwegian soapstone literature. production evidence is reviewed and challenges Archaeological documentation of soapstone quarry associated with quarry documentation discussed. locations has been minimal, although the Geological Results from recent collaborative geological and Survey of Norway has systematically surveyed a archaeological quarry surveys are presented and majority of the soapstone exposures in the region some suggestions for future soapstone research and provided information on quarry activity. This provided. paper begins by reviewing the current status of Fig. 1. Map of northern Norway showing the distribution of soapstone sources and quarry sites. Map: E. Høgtun, Tromsø University Museum 117 Soapstone extraction Stephen Wickler Introduction and artifact production during the Iron The role of soapstone in northern Norway Age, although maintaining the traditional has received limited attention in the focus on vessels. Grieg (1933) systematized archaeological literature and the region has the classification of medieval soapstone also played a marginal role in attempts to vessels based on formal attributes. More synthesize existing knowledge of this material recent studies such as those by Lossius at the national and international level. (1977) and Vangstad (2003) have provided Although soapstone artifacts are plentiful an increasingly robust chronology from in northern Norwegian archaeological sites reliable archaeological site contexts for from the Late Iron Age up until the recent this period. Although soapstone research historical period, a regional synthesis is still has led to an increased awareness and lacking. As was the case with Norwegian understanding of this resource since the soapstone research in general (Shetelig, 1912), Stone Age, the geographical focus remains there was an early focus on the typology of on southern and western Norway. Broader soapstone vessels during the Iron Age linked studies that have included northern Norway to trade networks and chiefly control of are characterized by a lack of firsthand circulation (see Risbøl, 1994). knowledge and superficial treatment of what has been considered a peripheral region. Skjølsvold (1961, 1969) was the first to This paper provides a general status report emphasize the importance of quarry sites for soapstone in northern Norway from Saltfjellet in Nordland County and northward with an archaeological overview of Table 1. Distribution of soapstone artifacts by site type and chronological period in northern Norway soapstone resources and their exploitation in the region. Soapstone production evidence Site type Finnmar k Trom sNordlan d is reviewed and challenges associated with Occupation site 14 1 17 21 248 quarry documentation discussed. Results Urban site 13 9 from recent collaborative geological and Farm mound 2 19 85 archaeological quarry surveys are presented and some suggestions are given for future Grave site 2 20 62 soapstone research in the final section. Boathouse 1 1 Soapstone quarry 5 Other / unknown 10 9 32 7 90 9 Archaeological soapstone evidence TOTAL2 58 54 3 2444 from northern Norway Chronological Period Finnmar k Trom s Nordland In order to examine the distribution of Recent 10 0 35 48 soapstone artifacts and their cultural contexts, data from the region of northern Recent / Medieval 8 13 2 34 0 Norway administered by Tromsø University Medieval 21 17 8 93 9 Museum found in the national database for Medieval / Iron Age 33 27 3 archaeological finds (gjenstandsbasen) was Iron Age / Late Iron Age 1 60 59 5 utilized. This database is administered by Early Iron Age 7 18 MUSIT (museum IT), a collaborative initiative Bronze Age / Early Metal Age 2 3 8 aimed at managing and disseminating digitized museum collections in Norway. Stone Age 10 4 13 Although all archaeological finds held in Unknown 11 6 91 23 3 the collection at Tromsø University Museum TOTAL 25 8 54 3 2444 should be registered in the database, the 118 Soapstone extraction Stephen Wickler Table 2. quality and reliability of the information Artifact type Total available varies to a considerable degree and Soapstone Vessel (kar, gryte) 98 0 artifact types cannot be accepted uncritically. However, Oil lamp (kole) 10 3 from northern it does provide coarse-grained information Norway that is considered adequate for the broad Ladle (øse) 57 overview presented here. Spindle whorl (spinnehjul ) 53 5 Loom weight (vevlodd) 17 2 Soapstone chronology and site types Forge-stone (avlstein) 18 The extensive production and distribution Mold (støpeform) 42 of soapstone vessels and other objects in Slab (helle) 30 Norway during the Late Iron Age (Skjølsvold, Fishing sinker (fiskesøkke) 13 5 1961; Resi, 1979) and Medieval Period (Grieg, Oval line sinker (jarstein) 10 1 1933; Lossius, 1977; Risbøl, 1994) is well Sickle-shaped sinker (dorgesøkke) 45 documented. A review of soapstone finds with a known age (N=2805) from Tromsø Net weight (garnsøkke) 17 Museum’s district to the north of Saltfjellet in Anchor stone (senkestein) 16 the national artifact database (Table 1) reveals Minor artifact type / unknown 99 4 a predominance of medieval material (over TOTAL 3245 50%) followed by the Late Iron Age (23%) and Post-Reformation/Recent Period (6.5%). Only the table. Only a small fraction of the finds 2.3% of the finds predate the Late Iron Age. predate the Viking Age and most are from the Medieval Period. A majority of the artifact The distribution of finds by site type as types during this period exhibit only minor shown in Table 1 reveals that occupation changes in form and are therefore treated sites account for nearly all of the soapstone collectively in the following discussion. from known contexts (95%), including farm Soapstone vessels are the dominant artifact mounds (5.6%) and urban sites (7.4%). Farm mounds, more appropriately referred to as category and account for 43% of all finds of “habitation mounds”, are a characteristic site known type. Most of this material consists type in northern Norway where they begin of small sherds with few complete or nearly to appear in significant numbers towards the complete vessels. Specialized vessel types end of the Late Iron Age. The number and size that can be distinguished from the general of these sites increase dramatically during the category of bowls or trough-shaped vessels Medieval Period with occupation continuing used for cooking and as containers include up until the recent historic period, and some vessels with a handle classified as ladles are still occupied. The only site classified (2.5%) and lamps for marine mammal or fish as “urban” is the medieval settlement at oil (4.6%). Storvågan in Lofoten. Site types of minor importance include boathouses and a single Apart from vessels, soapstone artifacts soapstone quarry in Troms (Talgrøtholla) associated with textile production are where unfinished artifacts were collected. the most widespread and numerous. This category includes spindle whorls (23.7%) and Soapstone artifact types loom weights (7.6%), although loom weights The distribution of soapstone artifact types in are often difficult to distinguish from fishing northern Norway from the national database net weights due to similarity in size and is presented in Table 2. All artifact types with appearance. Both artifact types also include more than 10 individual finds are listed in reworked vessel sherds. 119 Soapstone extraction Stephen Wickler Although only 20 have been found in in the database (see Helberg, 1993; Olsen, Tromsø Museum’s district, forge-stones from 2004). A category of heavy sinkers or possible soapstone provide important supplemental anchor stones (senkestein) has also been evidence for the presence of smithies, only identified. Net weights are usually no more three of which from the Late Iron Age and than a piece of soapstone with a perforation Medieval Period have been excavated in and therefore difficult to classify. As such they northern Norway. Jørgensen (2012) provides represent a residual category that can be a comprehensive overview of forge-stone difficult to distinguish from other find types. distribution in relation to blacksmith activity in northern Norway. The two main types of forge-stones, cylindrical and shield-shaped, Soapstone quarry documentation served to increase the distance between The Geological Survey of Norway (NGU) has the bellows and forge. Soapstone, which systematically mapped many of the soapstone is heat-resistant and easily worked, was an exposures in northern Norway and placed excellent material for this purpose. The only them in a national natural stone database exception is a single forge-stone of fired clay. (http://geo.ngu.no/kart/mineralressurser/), Soapstone molds are another limited (1.9%) which includes information on quarry but important artifact category associated activity viewed in relation to the economic with metalworking ranging from Early Metal potential for modern quarrying as well as Period (N=2) and Bronze Age (N=3) bronze evidence of historical use. The distribution casting molds to more plentiful

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