Small Things Wide Horizons Studies in Honour of Birgitta Hårdh

Small Things Wide Horizons Studies in honour of Birgitta Hårdh

Edited by

Lars Larsson, Fredrik Ekengren, Bertil Helgesson and Bengt Söderberg

Archaeopress Archaeology Archaeopress Publishing Ltd Gordon House 276 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED www.archaeopress.com

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Printed in England by Oxuniprint Ltd, Oxford This book is available direct from Archaeopress or from our website www.archaeopress.com Contents

Tabula 7 trinkets Buttons as brooches 77 Preface 9 Morten Axboe

silver Hand rings 82 The background and the early history of the neck rings Torsten Capelle † of the Glazov type (also called Permian) and the be- ginning of East-West connections in Early Medieval Gold in Guleboda 86 Northern Europe in the 8th and 9th centuries 13 A Byzantine gold coin from southern Småland Johan Callmer Martin Hansson The social weight of silver in the Íslendingasögur and the Viking Age hoards 20 A little piece of silver from the Romele ridge area 91 Fredrik Ekengren & Maria Domeij Lundborg Bertil Helgesson

100 Viking Age hoards of Bornholm 27 Two brooch-knobs and a handful of thoughts 97 Status, challenges and perspectives Karen Høilund Nielsen Gitte Tarnow Ingvardson & Finn Ole Sonne Nielsen Notices on the Notitia 104 Hoards and sinuous snakes 35 A comparison between heraldic insignia of late Roman military units as depicted in Notitia Dignitatum and certain patterns Significance and meaning of ring ornaments in Early Viking Age on Scandinavian Migration Period jewellery like wrist clasps hoards from Gotland and relief brooches Christoph Kilger Jan Peder Lamm

At the end of the silver flow 43 Close to Asgard – between West and South 110 Islamic dirhams in Sigtuna and the shrinking Viking network Lars Larsson Mats Roslund Shield-formed pendants and solar symbols of the Migration period 115 coins Bente Magnus Viking-Age coins found in Sweden 51 Kenneth Jonsson “Vikings in Bavaria” 121 An unpublished spännbuckla from Munich and its history The earliest coin hoard of Lund 58 Sonja Marzinzik & Michaela Helmbrecht Jens Christian Moesgaard A female statement of power? 126 Nicholas of St. Albans, Anketil and Alfvini—three Dan- Some reflections on the Viking Age Yelets-brooch th th ish moneyers of English origin from the 12 and 13 Michael Neiß centuries 64 Jørgen Steen Jensen A Hind to your Health! 132 Alexandra Pesch Three Crowns—Coin motive and (trans-)national symbol 69 Cecilia von Heijne burials centrality Small items and major conclusions 141 Small things and wide horizons from a Birka perspec- A discussion of the findings from Gullhögen, Old Uppsala tive 229 Birgit Arrhenius with contributions by Ingmar Jansson Björn Ambrosiani & Ingrid Gustin

Uncovering more Death 150 Detecting Vester Kærby 237 Some recent excavations of graves from the Early Iron Age in Problems associated with the interpretation of metal-detector Scania finds from the plough soil Tony Björk Mogens Bo Henriksen & Helle W. Horsnæs

Vester Galsted – an inhumation grave at P. Frey’s Early medieval trading centres and transport systems field 160 between Dorestad, Ribe and Wolin 245 Per Ethelberg The latest results of the Priority Research Programme “Harbours from the Roman Iron Age to the Middle Ages” Rune-stones and the localisation of graves 169 Hauke Jöns Burial customs in the Conversion period Quedlinburg before the Ottonian kings 253 Anne-Sofie Gräslund Approaches towards an early topography of power Pidgirci (Western Ukraine) and Havor (Gotland, Swe- Babette Ludowici den)—two grave finds connected with Byzantine Christianity 175 The relationship between Uppåkra and Lund—a status Michael Müller-Wille update 261 Ing-Marie Nilsson Pot and amulet pendants in the early mediaeval grave 130 of Frankfurt-Harheim 182 The Trelleborg constructors 267 Uta von Freeden Anders Ödman

crafts transformations Production of Scandinavian-style sword hilts on the From replica to relic—Gokstad goes abroad 275 southern Baltic coast? 191 Bodil Petersson A stray find, presumably dating to the Late Roman Iron Age, from Lübsow / Lubieszewo in Poland Monumental make over? 281 Andreas Rau, Ruth Blankenfeldt & Jan Schuster Remains of a long dolmen close to the ship-setting Ale’s stones. Bengt Söderberg & Björn Wallebom Joining threads – a discussion of the archaeology of the tacit 199 Vikings and the Western Frontier 289 Ulla Isabel Zagal-Mach Wolfe Jes Wienberg

farms and fields dust What did the Wells conceal? 211 Dust to dust 297 Hvissinge Vest – a Village from the Germanic Iron Age A short story of no-thing and every-thing Linda Boye Jarl Nordbladh

Medicinal herbs—useful and fatal 218 List of contributors 301 Early traces of medicinal plants in Europe Ulla Lund Hansen Birgitta Hårdh—a Bibliography 303 Tabula Gratulatoria

Torbjörn Ahlström & Caroline Arcini, Lund Lars & Anne N. Jørgensen, Bronshøj Björn Ambrosiani, Stockholm Christoph Kilger, Visby Eva Andersson Strand, København Annika Knarrström, Annelöv Gunnar Andersson, Kista Egge Knol, Groningen Kent Andersson, Uppsala Kristina & Jan Peder Lamm, Lidingö Anders Andrén, Stockholm Lars & Ulla-Karin Larsson, V. Nöbbelöv Jan Apel, Lund Kerstin Lidén, Lidingö Birgit Arrhenius, Stockholm Babette Ludowici, Hanover Else Asmussen, København Ulla Lund Hansen, København Morten Axboe, København Karin Lundqvist, Eslöv Charlotte Behr, London Bente Magnus, Lidingö Tony Björk, Färlöv Ulla Mannering, København Ruth Blankenfeldt, Schleswig Sonja Marzinzik, München Linda Boje, Taastrup Jens Christian Moesgaard, København Mats & Nanouschka M. Burström, Stockholm Michael Müller-Wille, Kiel Johan Callmer, Lund Michael Neiß, Uppsala Maria Domeij Lundborg, Östersund Finn Ole Nielsen, Rønne Johannes, Helena, Edwine &Wilhelmina Edvardsson, Ing-Marie Nilsson, Kristianstad Lund Jarl & Elisabeth Nordbladh, Göteborg Kjell Edvardsson, Lund Deborah Olausson, Lund Anna-Stina Ekedahl, Helsingborg Alexandra Pesch, Schleswig Fredrik Ekengren, Lund Bodil Petersson, Kalmar Frédéric Elfver & Elisabet Regner, Enskede Neil Price & Linda Qviström, Uppsala Lars Ersgård, Lund Per H. Ramqvist, Umeå Per Ethelberg, Haderslev Klavs Randsborg, København Charlotte Fabech & Ulf Näsman, Svalöv Andreas Rau, Schleswig Jan-Henrik Fallgren, Aberdeen Mads Ravn, Vejle Claus Feveile, Kerteminde Christoph & Elke Reichmann, Krefeld Josefine Franck Bican, Lyngby Erika & Jerry Rosengren, Lund James Graham-Campbell, London Mats Roslund, Lund Anne-Sofie Gräslund, Uppsala Elisabeth Rudebeck, Malmö Ingrid Gustin, Lund Eva Rystedt, Stockholm Martin Hansson, Lund Katalin Schmidt Sabo, Lund Rikard Hedvall & Karin Lindeblad, Linköping Jan Schuster, Łódź Bertil Helgesson, Kristianstad Iben Skibsted Klesø, Kokkedal Michaela Helmbrecht, München Peter Skoglund, Göteborg Mogens Bo Henriksen, Odense Dagfinn Skre, Oslo Helle W. Horsnæs, København Bergljot M. Solberg, Fana Susan Hydén, Höör Jørgen Steen Jensen, København Karen Høilund Nielsen, Beder Bengt Söderberg, Lund Henrik Janson, Göteborg Gitte Tarnow Ingvardson, Lund Ingemar Jansson, Stockholm Raimond Thörn & Tove Hjørungdal, Göteborg Kristina Jennbert, Lund Luc Van Impe, Leuven Kenneth Jonsson, Stockholm Claus von Carnap-Bornheim, Schleswig Hauke Jöns, Wilhelmshafen Uta von Freeden, Frankfurt am Main

7 Small Things – Wide Horizons

Cecilia von Heijne, Stockholm Björn Wallebom, Lund Avdelningen för Arkeologi vid Linnéuniversitetet, Egon Wamers, Frankfurt Kalmar Margrethe Watt, Dyssegård Den kgl. Mønt- og Medaillesamling, København Nancy L. Wicker, Oxford, USA Nationalmuseet, København Jens Wienberg, Lund Statens Historiska Museer, Geoarkeologiska Laboratoriet, Torun Zacrisson, Stockholm Uppsala Ulla Isabel Zagal-Mach Wolfe, Lund Wolf Haio & Gunthild Zimmermann, Wilhelshaven Anders Ödman, Lund

8 Preface

The 16th of August 2015 is Professor Birgitta Hårdh’s 70th Besides doing research, Birgitta Hårdh has for several birthday. At the Department of Archaeology and Ancient decades been a lecturer and professor, with long experience History in Lund, an editorial group was set up for the of teaching students and supervising doctoral candidates publication of a Festschrift in her honour. in the subject. She has also been director of studies and served on a number of committees in the Faculty of Arts For several decades Birgitta has been an important and Theology. staff member and researcher at the Department. Her doctoral dissertation was based on Viking Age silver A feature common to all Birgitta Hårdh’s research is that deposits in southernmost Sweden. This is a field that she has been able, through analysis of a body of finds, to she later developed in several national and international broaden the perspective, not least geographically through publications. As a result she is regarded as one of the her profound knowledge of phenomena in Northern leading experts on the Northern European Viking Age, Europe and indeed all of Europe. This book has been given engaged in diverse research projects both in Sweden and the title Small Things – Wide Horizons, which is a good internationally, and she is a vital collaborator in various summary of Birgitta’s research hitherto. networks specializing in the Viking Age. Thanks to the large network of contacts to which Birgitta Through time, Birgitta has extended her research to Hårdh belongs, the call for papers for this Festschrift met comprise other periods in the Iron Age. This is particularly a great response. A total of fourty titles were submitted to clear in her research on the major site of Uppåkra outside the proposed volume. Lund. Here she has devoted articles to a detailed treatment of the finds from the Late Iron Age. She has also edited Through this Festschrift we wish to thank and honour Pro several of the volumes in the series Uppåkrastudier, with fessor Birgitta Hårdh as a fine colleague and an excellent both national and international contributions. scholar. We all look forward to coming years and many more important contributions to archaeological research. Another special field examined by Birgitta Hårdh is the megalithic graves in south-west Scania. Both find material from individual sites and broader perspectives on the Middle Neolithic have been covered in these studies. Lars Larsson, Fredrik Ekengren, Bertil Helgesson, Bengt Söderberg

9 Birgitta Hårdh Copyright material: no unauthorized reproduction in any medium

A female statement of power?

Some reflections on the Viking Age Yelets-brooch

Michael Neiß

Abstract: 3). One may, therefore, ask whether they were produced primarily to serve practical or other purposes. Prehistoric pictures are a special sort of source material. Pic- tures are not random products—they were created to convey mes- The following discussion is about a famous equal armed sages. This statement applies especially to the oral culture of the brooch that was found in Yelets (Fig. 1–3). In ancient Viking Age. However, Viking Age pictures rarely occur as inde- times this was deep within Pecheneg territory. The pendent monuments. More often, they appear as animal art on Pechenegs were a Turkish speaking people and in constant metal artefacts. The starting point for my reflections is the gran- diose brooch from Yelets, Russia. Here, we find an anthropomor- struggle with the Kiev-Rus. Mårten Stenberger (1959, 95) phic figure with a bird-like body, possibly linking the object to considered the brooch to be a product of Central Sweden, the princely House of Rurik. Being a female dress adornment, we while Holger Arbman declared it to be one of Ancient Rus might ask whether it represents the might of the dynasty or the (1960, 120; supported by Duczko 2004, 185 f.). By this, power of an individual female known from written sources. both happened to overlook the niello pattern on the reverse side of the brooch (Fig. 2). On Gotland, the same pattern occurs both on more (Cat 6, 10 & 2) and on less famous jewellery (e.g. Thunmark-Nylén 1998, Tafel 8.2, 168.1, When discussing the dress code of the Viking Age 163.6), suggesting a common workshop tradition. Niello lady, archaeologists usually differentiate between dress blackening requires much practice. Therefore, the gradual adornments with different functions. Most essential were advancement of niello in Gotlandic products might mirror two oval brooches, which held the inner garment together. the advancing skills of a single workshop—if not of a In addition, we sometimes find a third brooch that might single individual. If this was the case, the Yelets brooch be either circular, three foiled or equal armed. Due to should be counted amongst the latter workshop products their three-dimensional character, these brooches are best as vast areas of the relief décor have been replaced with likened to interactive sculptures that change shape as the niello (cf. Thunmark-Nylén 2006, 393, 419). As to the viewer changes perspective. In reference to their dramatic dating, the Klinta brooch seems to be a reasonably good shape, archaeologists sometimes referred to them— parallel (Cat. 6). Here, Lena Thunmark-Nylén identified rather anachronistically—as baroque shaped brooches clues that point to the late 900s. After that, the brooch had (Capelle 1962). To judge from grave finds, this third been in use during the 1000s (i.e. Period VIII:3; 2006, 62 brooch served to pin the woman’s outer garment together f., 86 f., 683, 692). At Yelets, we also find a combination (perhaps in the form of a shawl or a cloak; cf. Jansson of wear and repair that suggests extended use. 1984, 75). Therefore, it should have been relatively easy for the bearer to take off her third brooch and to pass it It would take volumes to describe all motifs in the Yelets- around for closer inspection. Interestingly, it is mainly the brooch. Instead, I will restrict myself to one design (Fig. third brooches that tend to develop ambiguous pictures, 3) that has been strangely overlooked by the scientific while oval brooches do not seem to undergo the same community (cf. Neiß 2005, Neiß et al. 2012). It will type of baroquisation (except of some subtypes of type be referred to as the chimera, as it combines a trident, P 51; cf. Jansson 1985, 70 f., Fig. 54, 55). Furthermore, resembling a bird, with an anthropomorphic head crowned specimens of silver remain an absolute exception (eg. by a Napoleon-like headgear. To proceed from the general Eilbracht 1999, Katalog 313–14, Tafel 18). The reason to the specific, interspecies crossovers constitute a generic might be that oval brooches were essential for pinning phenomenon within Viking Age art, whereas chimeras together the inner garment. As a result, they were less with Napoleon-like headgear are especially frequent on suited as a pawn in the social game. This phenomenon has Gotland (e.g. Thunmark-Nylén 1998, Tafel 2, 8 a–e). The an interesting forerunner in the increasing dimensions of closest parallels to the Yelets tridents however, originate Vendel Age disc-on-bow brooches, resulting in completely from Russia. Many occurred in contexts that suggest a unmanageable sizes. Baroquisation can, thus, be taken as function as princely emblems (Edberg 2001, 6; Duczko an indicator of a shift from the mundane into the cultic 2004, 228 ff.; Beleckij 2011, 44). Yet, our oldest example of sphere (cf. Arrhenius 1962, 93, 96 f.). The transboundary a Rurikid emblem comes from Gotland, more specifically nature of baroque shaped brooches also manifests itself in the shape of a bident that had been carved into an Arabic in the fact that round brooches, on occasion, integrate coin from 878/879 (Cat. 3; Melnikova 1996, 73; Duczko features from other brooch types (e.g. Neiß 2012, Fig. 2004, 230 f., 233 f.). The Gotlandic bident associates to

126 Copyright material: no unauthorized reproduction in any medium A female statement of power?

Fig. 1. Equal armed brooch from Yelets (Catalogue no 7). Fig. 2. Reverse of the Yelets-brooch (Catalogue no 7), After Neiss et al. 2012. featuring a Gotlandic rope-cord pattern conjoined in a knot. After Neiss et al. 2012.

Fig. 3. Brooch detail revealing a chimera with a bird-shaped body Fig. 4. Pendant from Chilovo (Catalogue no 8), featuring resembling a trident, combined to an anthropomorphic head under a Rurikid trident and a motif that resembles a key. After a Napoleon-like headgear (Catalogue no 7). Paulsen 1953. a seal from Kiev that bears the inscription ‘sviatoslav’. he pointed to a pendant from Chilovo (Fig. 4; Paulsen Svyatoslav was born in 942 and became grand prince of 1953, 173; cf. Balodis 1948, 360). This is quite remarkable, Kiev in 944, even though his mother Olga (890?–969) as Chilovo features the Yelets design—at least by half. reigned for him until 963. As an adult, he appointed three The main difference would be the anthropomorphic head, of his sons, all them half-brothers, to rule over different crowned with a Napoleon-like headgear that seems to dominions within his vast empire: Thus, he made Oleg associate to the Gotlandic gripping beast. It may be more (958?–980) prince of the Drevlian people, Yaropolk than mere coincidence that Gotland also holds a strong (before 957–977) Grand prince of Kiev and Vladimir tradition of chimeras! Meanwhile, the meaning behind (958?–1015) prince of Novgorod. Nonetheless, family this blend of motifs remains obscure (cf. Thunmark- harmony did not survive Svyatoslav’s death in 972. The Nylén 2006, 400). In Viking Age art, it was not entirely fraternal conflict culminated in 977, when Oleg was slain unusual to mix the volucrine with the anthropomorphic. by Yaropolk and Vladimir went into exile. After his return Our most famous examples occur on a Gotlandic picture from Scandinavia in 980, Vladimir overthrew Yaropolk stone (Cat. 1) and the Birka sword scabbard (Cat. 11). and reigned as Grand prince until his own death in 1015. Some researchers associated these with themes from Norse mythology, such as Oðinn’s transformations (Ambrosiani As mentioned before, the Yelets-brooch belongs to the 2001b, 12, 21; Nylén & Lamm 1978, 49–52) and Wayland’s female sphere. Therefore, one might ask whether women flying machine (Lindqvist et al. 1941, 95; Oehrl 2009, 553). in Ancient Rus used personal emblems, and under what Meanwhile, folklore motifs from other nearby parts of conditions. Peter Paulsen made mention of tales, according Europe, like the prince who turned into a falcon, have been to which princess Olga made use of emblems. As a parallel, widely overlooked (cf. Aleksandr Nikolaevič Afanás’ev’s

127 Copyright material: no unauthorized reproduction in any medium Small Things – Wide Horizons

Fig. 5. Pendant from Pskov (Catalogue no 9), featuring two Fig. 6. Sable chape from the wooden motif combinations; a. A bident and a potential sarcophagus inside the Church of key; b. A falcon hood and a potential Greek cross. the Tithes (Catalogue no 12). After After Beleckij 2011. Paulsen 1953.

Russian Folklore Archive). Others have been inclined in the cult of Freya. Thus, Olga could have been serving as to regard the Napoleon-like headgear of the chimera as a a religious leader even before her conversion, i.e. within a gender label (two braids = female, Helmbrecht 2011, 211; state cult that revolved around Freya’s Slavonic counterpart cf. Cat. 5). If that had been true, the Yelets-figure would (2012, 491, 495, 497, 508, 510 f., 515 f.). In 2008, a silver corroborate Björn Ambrosiani’s theory that the Rurikid pendant featuring an identical hood (Fig. 5) was found in a emblem alluded to Frigg and Freya and their ability to turn chamber grave at Pskov. It also contained a coin pendant into falcons (2001, 21). In fact, it does not require much (953/954), dating the burial between 960 and the early imagination to see why these goddesses would have been 970s. Was the deceased, hence, a local representative of ideal role models for a leading female like Olga of Kiev the Grand prince—i.e. Svyatoslav or Yaropolk (cf. Beleckij (cf. the following: Simek 1993, 90 f., 93 f.; Kristoffersen 2011, 47, with the following: Rispling 1987; Lindberger & Lindstrøm 1997, 198 f. with references; Arrhenius 2001; Kovalev 2012, 482 f.)? In my view, the use of a 2009 on Freya’s jewels). But before getting carried away Greek cross should contradict this idea insofar as it seems by lofty hypotheses, we have to overcome some problems incompatible with the traditional view of the Grand prince in regard to source criticism: First, gender determinations as a stubborn heathen (cf. Nestor et al., Primary Chronicle, from animal art are notoriously precarious. There are no 6456–6463). The reverse side of the Pskov pendant binds guarantees that prehistoric gender categories would match a bident to a key-like motif. Sergej Vasil’evič Beleckij our modern notions (Back Danielsson 2007). Second, we suggested it to be a forerunner to the Vladimir trident, do not know whether the hair style was intended to indicate as his mother Malusha served as a householder to Olga gender. Alternatively, one might speculate that the human (kliuchnitsa¸ literally ‘key bearer’). That seems compatible hairstyle was meant to accentuate the chimera’s human with the old idea that Vladimir needed to add an extra tag to qualities. Third, motif identifications based on reconstructed his bident, in reference to his low birth (Edberg 2001, 7, cf. life-world phenomena (such as the Viking period dress) the following: Duczko 2004, 232, Beleckij 2011, 44 ff., cf. have little validity compared to parallels that stand on firm Nestor et al., Primary Chronicle, 6486–6488). According to archaeological ground (cf. about methodology: Neiß 2011; Kovalev, the trident should have emerged after 970, when Neiß 2012). Therefore, some caution seems advisable when Svyatoslav created his sons princes (2012, 471 f.). After it comes to mythological interpretations that are founded on Vladimir’s rise to power, the trident was handed down to a reconstructed female hair style which happens to be more his descendants, who created new versions of their own or less hypothetical in the first place. (Edberg 2001, 6 ff.; cf. Bjeletskij 1998, 200 ff.). Here, one might ask why Vladimir would have been eager to advertise Another potential Olga-attribution referred to coins that his maternal pedigree. According to Kovalev, it would make render what seems to be a hooded falcon. This association more sense if the Pskov bident symbolised the title held by was based partly on her alleged delight in falconry and Svyatoslav, while the key—being an established symbol of partly on what seems to be a Greek cross on top of the female authority—referred to Olga’s regency. As a possible hood—which could allude to Olga’s conversion in late life parallel to the motif combination at Pskov, he referred to the (Lindberger 2001, 62, 70; Cat. 4). Roman Kovalev offered a Kiev seal (see above), which combines Svyatoslav’s bident somewhat different explanation: In our written sources Olga to a Greek cross, presumably representing the converted associates herself remarkably often with different birds, Olga. He also put the Pskov pendant in connection to including the falcon. This might reflect her deep involvement some administrative reforms which Olga implemented

128 Copyright material: no unauthorized reproduction in any medium A female statement of power? in 947 within her personal realm, turning the man in the a recent post-survey of the Tithes materials, i.e. as two Pskov grave into a tax collector. As a consequence, the two brick tiles, one featuring a trident, the other a triquetra sides of the pendant would mirror Olga’s two roles, i.e. as (Jolshin 2012). This finding points towards the possibility regent of Kiev and as a regional princess. However, some that the Rurikid trident and the triquetra motif, as seen on question marks remain before Kovalev’s theory can even the Yelets brooch (Fig. 1), could be connected in a higher be regarded as the definitive one: To begin with, there is sense as well. Finally, we should mention that elements of his claim that the key-symbol was unique to Pskov (2012, the Yelets-design also appear in courtly fabrics of Sasanian 465). This might be challenged by the potential key on the style. Interestingly, woven silk fragments of the same type Chilovo pendant (Fig. 4). Assuming my reading is correct were also sewn into the famous Scandinavian dress that (cf. Arbman 1940, Tafel 275 f.), one might also ask why was recently found in a chamber grave at Pskov (Cat. 15) – the Chilovo key—presuming it to be a symbol of female i.e. yet another aristocratic milieu from Viking Age Russia! guardianship—occurs without direct attachment to a male emblem. Second, Kovalev tried to exclude Olga from the The above discussion produced plenty of circumstantial use of tridents on the grounds that we do not know of any evidence to conclude that the Yelets brooch was made for other princesses that used them. This might not hold for a woman with close ties to the Rurikids, possibly during source critical reasons, as most personal attributions only the second half of the 900s or the early 1000s. As Nancy happen to be qualified guesses. In fact, there seem to be Wicker stressed, ancient concepts of personhood were plenty of unattributed emblems left for all the princesses in such that the actions of an upper class female fell back Rus! And finally, why should Olga have found it necessary on her entire clan. Thus, we should perceive the mere act at all to restrict herself to the use of exactly three emblems? of commissioning that sumptuous brooch as a statement According to Nestor’s Primary Chronicle (6476), Svjatoslav of might and power. Special consideration should also be went on campaign in 968, leaving Vladimir in the care of his given to the role of women in the building of alliances, as mother. Thus, it seems advisable to keep all options open well as the function of female heirlooms within the social and to allow for the possibility that Vladimir’s emblem was interplay (cf. 2012, 899 f.). In fact, Yelets displays signs of somehow inspired by Olga (cf. Beleckij 2011, 47). wear and repair that might indicate that it had been passed down to later generations. As Viking Age craftspeople A second parallel to the Yelets-brooch trident comes were able to travel considerable distances (Callmer 2002), from Kiev. During the demolition of the Church of the there would have been no need for our female patron Tithes, archaeologists rescued the remains of a wooden to seek out the gold smith. Having said that, we should sarcophagus in the western part of the nave, containing a neither exclude the possibility of a precious gift bestowed saber-like weapon. Alongside with a crowning bird head, upon her, either by one individual or by several people. the scabbard had a silver chape with niello, featuring a To mention an interesting parallel from Iceland, where the trident identical to Yelets (Fig. 6; Cat. 12; Paulsen 1953, national assembly commissioned a valuable silver brooch 82 f.). Mikhail Konstantinovic Karger (1940) attributed in honor of their greatest skald (Snorre Sturlason, Sagan af the grave to Rostislav I (1110–1167). This theory is Haraldi konungi gráfeld, chap. 16, see Finnur Jónsson 1911, still relevant insofar, as the church served for princely 104). Recalling the Gotlandic details of the Yelets brooch, burials at least until the end of the 1000s. As to the rest, it would be tempting to speculate on a diplomatic gift. And Karger’s attribution founds on much involved substantial yet, I do not claim that the Rurikid emblem derived from guesswork, as he tried to correlate the number of existing Gotland. Neither do I assert that our brooch was made on sarcophagi with written information about church burials behalf of Olga, by the Gotlandic althing or, for that matter, (1940, 17 f.; cf. Korzuhina 1950, 69 f.). Compared to during Vladimir’s exile. Nonetheless, it seems to me that that, Gali Fedorovna Korzuhina’s analysis of grave goods all clues combined—i.e. material value, craftsmanship and seems more reliable, dating the weapon to first half of the décor—point towards a princely item. Provided, the time 1000s—more specifically, to the reign of Yaroslav (c. 978– had become ripe to use animal art as personal or proto- 1054) which began in 1019. Korzuhina sought to support heraldic emblems (cf. Kleingärtner 2007, 214 about the her interpretation by parallels from Vienna (i.e. a sable Hiddesee-style in Denmark), it seems a fair assumption that with different variations of the same trident, Cat.14) and the Yelets-brooch was designed with reference to the same Turaida (i.e. a chape with a similar production technique, person as the Chilovo pendant and the Kiev chape. We will but a differing middle tag on the trident, Cat.13; 1950, 84). probably never know how this princely item ended up on More recently, Fedir Androshchuk et al. (1996) suggested Pecheneg territory. Those who wish to speculate further on that the wooden sarcophagus had been erected outside the the subject may turn to Nestor’s Primary Chronicle, as it western church wall during the early 1000s. Even though contains plenty of skirmishes, wars and alliances between their C14 dates might be questioned, recent excavations Kievans and Pechenegs that might illustrate a change of delivered alternative proof in favor of their dating: First, ownership. the ambulatory had already been completed during the late 900s. Second, the bottom level of the wooden sarcophagus Acknowledgements corresponds with the inside stone sarcophagi, whereas the ‘pre-Christian’ tombs outside the building sub-pass the Generous access to the original brooch was provided by church foundations (kind information by Denis Jolshin Rafael Minasyan and Ekatatrina A. Shablavina. I also thank 2014). Our final piece of the Yelets puzzle emerged during Denis D. Jolshin (The State Hermitage Museum in St.

129 Copyright material: no unauthorized reproduction in any medium Small Things – Wide Horizons

Petersburg) for information about his research on the Church 14. Sable scabbard. Copper alloy with gilding(?). Austria, of the Tithes and Michail Vasilev (The Archaeological Vienna, “Säbel Karls des Großen” (KhMW SK-WSXIII- Center of the Pskov Region) for information on the Pskov- 5; Korzuhina 1950, рис 7; Paulsen 1953, Abb. 96). pendant. The project was financially supported by The Helge 15. Textiles (from a female dress of Scandinavian type?). Ax:on Johnson Foundation, The Swedish Institute, Svenska Woven silk. Russia, Pskov Region(Пско́вская о́бласть), Fornminnesföreningen and The Royal Swedish Academy of Pskov (Псков),Chamber grave 3 (Larsson manuscript; Letters, History and Antiquities (Montelius travel grant). including a reconstruction of the pattern).

Abbrevations References

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130 Copyright material: no unauthorized reproduction in any medium A female statement of power?

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