Preserving Rural Settlement Sites in Norway
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Vibeke Vandrup Martens Vandrup Vibeke Preserving Rural Settlement Sites in Norway? Preserving Rural Settlement Sites in Norway? Investigations of Archaeological Deposits in a Changing Climate Preserving Rural Settlement Sites in Norway? Investigations of Investigations of Archaeological Deposits in a Changing Climate Vibeke Vandrup Martens Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological Studies 16 GBS 16 Preserving Rural Settlement Sites in Norway? Investigations of Archaeological Deposits in a Changing Climate Vibeke Vandrup Martens Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological Studies Volume 16, 2016 Geoarchaeological and Bioarchaeological Studies is published by the Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit at Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The series presents Ph.D. studies, scientific reports of contract research, conference proceedings, etc., in the field of archaeological science. Contributions should be written in English. Manuscripts in Dutch will be accepted only as an exception. Editorial Board H. Kars and S.J. Kluiving Pre-press Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Coverdesign Bert Brouwenstijn, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam Printed by Ipskamp Drukkers B.V., Amsterdam Distribution You may order volumes of the series by sending an e-mail message to [email protected]. The present volume can also be ordered by sending a message to [email protected]. This volume presents the Ph.D. thesis of Vibeke Vandrup Martens and has been reviewed by the Thesis Committee composed of Prof.dr. R. Bertelsen (Tromsø), Prof.dr. J.C.A. Kolen (Leiden), Prof.dr. E.E. Peacock (Göteborg), Prof.dr. H.Renssen (Amsterdam/Oslo), Dr. J. Sidell (London). The Research Council of Norway (RCN) and the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) are thanked for financially supporting the printing of this volume. All rights reserved © Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam ISSN 1571-0750 On the cover: Opening the trench at Voldstad farm mound, August 2013. Photo Vibeke Vandrup Martens (NIKU). ii VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT Preserving Rural Settlement Sites in Norway? Investigations of Archaeological Deposits in a Changing Climate ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT ter verkrijging van de graad Doctor aan de Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, op gezag van de rector magnificus prof.dr. V. Subramaniam, in het openbaar te verdedigen ten overstaan van de promotiecommissie van de Faculteit der Aard- en Levenswetenschappen op woensdag 26 oktober 2016 om 13.45 uur in het auditorium van de universiteit, De Boelelaan 1105 door Vibeke Vandrup Martens geboren te Fredericia, Denemarken iii promotor: prof.dr. H. Kars copromotoren: dr. I. Fløisand dr. K. Paasche iv Contents 1 Outline and scope of this thesis ............................................................................................. 1 1.1 Aims and scopes of the study ................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Legal frameworks and conventions .......................................................................................... 2 1.3 Factors affecting preservation and study methods .................................................................... 3 1.4 Project framework and case studies .......................................................................................... 4 1.5 Project partners and disciplines involved ................................................................................. 6 1.6 Outline of the thesis .................................................................................................................. 7 1.7 Dissemination of results ........................................................................................................... 8 1.8 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 8 2 General introduction ............................................................................................................ 11 2.1 Cultural heritage and in situ preservation ............................................................................... 11 2.2 Cultural heritage and climate change ..................................................................................... 14 2.3 Rural medieval archaeology in Norway. Farm mounds as archaeological monuments ......... 15 2.4 Threshold levels ...................................................................................................................... 24 2.5 Mitigating actions ................................................................................................................... 25 2.6 Hertitage value theory – when do archaeological remains lose their value ............................ 28 3 North Norwegian farm mounds - landscape conditions and assumed agrarian technologies required for their existence. ........................................................................... 31 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 31 3.2 State of research ..................................................................................................................... 31 3.3 Voldstad and Saurbekken, farm mounds in Harstad municipality, Troms County ................ 35 3.3.1 Voldstad .................................................................................................................................. 35 3.3.2 Sauerbekken ........................................................................................................................... 37 3.4 Economic background for rural settlements ........................................................................... 40 3.5 Organisation of rural settlements ............................................................................................ 41 3.5.1 Farm mounds versus flat settlements ...................................................................................... 41 3.5.2 Single farms versus villages ................................................................................................... 42 3.6 Economy and land use ............................................................................................................ 42 3.7 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 43 4 The Magnate Farm of Åker. Past, present and future of a farm with central .................... functions ................................................................................................................................ 45 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 45 4.2 Historical background ............................................................................................................ 46 4.3 Earlier archaeological investigations ...................................................................................... 47 4.4 Geoarchaeological investigations ........................................................................................... 52 4.5 Geophysical surveys ............................................................................................................... 55 4.6 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................. 55 5 In situ site preservation in the unsaturated zone: case Avaldsnes. .................................. 57 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 57 5.2 Aims and goals of the main research project .......................................................................... 58 5.3 Material and methods ............................................................................................................. 59 v 5.3.1 Archaeological evaluation of state of preservation; geoarchaeological field work ................ 60 5.3.2 Chemical analyses of samples ................................................................................................ 61 5.3.3 Equipment used for monitoring the unsaturated deposits ....................................................... 64 5.4 Results and discussion ............................................................................................................ 66 5.4.1 Geoarchaeological results and observed state of preservation ............................................... 66 5.4.2 Geochemical results and measured preservation conditions .................................................. 69 5.4.3 Monitoring the archaeological deposits in the grave cairn and at the parking lot .................. 73 5.5 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 74 6 Research and monitoring on conservation state and preservation conditions in unsaturated archaeological deposits of a medieval farm mound in Troms and a late Stone Age midden in Finnmark, Northern Norway. ......................................................... 77 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 77 6.2 Study sites ............................................................................................................................... 78