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Arriving in Antiquity

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Arriving in Antiquity Arriving in Antiquity The Living Past in Scania BY BODIL PETERSSON Petersson, Bodil. 1 998. Aniuing in Antiquity: The Liuing Past in Scania, Lund Archaeological Reuieu Absuact 4 (1998), pp. 101-116. \When visiting Scania one will find many archaeological and historical reconsrructions spread all over the province. These reconstructions constitute an attractive form ofmediation. They have in fact in recent times become important competitors to the museum exhibitions in presenting the -W{hat Past to the Public at large. But how is the past presented? knowledge and experience does one achieve by visiting these places? The Scanian reconstructions are presenred as the author makes a journey back in time, from the MiddleAges to the StoneAge. Expectations and realicy are confronted during this voyage in the world of reconstructions. The examination reveals some typical traits in the mediation of each period. These traits are then related ro evolutionist thought and research traditions in archaeology. The article also discusses whether there is a characteristic regional way of reconstruction in Scania. Bzdil Petersson, Instirute ofArchaeolog, Uniuersity of Lund, SE-223 50 Lund, Sweden. E-mail: Bodil.Petersson@arh. lu.se. Reconstruction in Scania Experiencing histoqy in the form of full-scale Ages (Fig. 1), I will give an example of how feconstfuctions has becom e a great attraction in different periods are reconsrructed. Recon- recent years. Nowadays it is possible to experi- structions are then related to research traditions ence all periods of the past as real, four-dimen- within archaeology supposed to affect the medi- sional happenings. Museum exhibitions have ated picture of the pasr. Anorher discussion encountered a strong competitor in visually concerns the question whether there are regional presenting the past to the public. It seems obvi- characteristics in Scanian reconstructions. To ous that as we live in a multimedia world relying begin with, I would like to introduce three more and more on immediate visual impres- themes of discussion: sions, the demands on experience and media- tion ofknowledge are changing. Reconsrrucion . The evolutionary way of presenring recon- is a live, four-dimensional experience which at strUctions. its best is unsurpassed as visual mediator of . The relationship between the mediated picture knowledge. of each epoch in the form of reconstruction \X/ith the starting-point in Scanian recon- and the spheres ofinterest and research tradi- structions from the Stone Age to the Middle tions ofthe researchers within archaeology. ARRr\,irNG rN eurrqurrv 101 Glimmingehus casde is a late medieval build- $ ing, suitable as a backdrop in a medieval context. Bodp Once a year since 1991 there are arrangements with tournaments, a market, theatrical per- formances, music, crafts, and food. In 1995 a a Ekestad group of people from the Medieval Centre for Historical Technology in Sundby, Denmark, a Skanes Djurpark s visited Glimmingehus. They brought a catapult to show an example of medieval war equipment. o Hi;g Medieval buildings in the immediate viciniry Kivik provide the typical medieval setting. The medie- val market at Glimmingehus is a clear-cut exam- Ot-indholmen GlirnmingehusO ple of this strategy. In medieval reconstructions newly-built "infrastructure" is seldom needed, KNl it is borrowed from existing settings. This gives Fig. 1. The Scanian reconstructions from the Stone Age the event an authentic atmosphere. Often, as is to the Middle Ages treated in this article. the case at Glimmingehus, the reconstructed event alludes to history, in some cases to families . Possible regional political arguments presented known to have lived in the place during the through reconstructing activities, in this case Middle Ages (cfi Odman 1997 , pp.7 ff.). So the in Scania. tournament at Glimmingehus is held by the Dane Ulfstand. In leaflets Glimmingehus is In this article I will present reconstructing ac- referred to as "the symbol of Danish history in tivities in Scania so that they can be discussed in Scania'(Alebo 1996). relation to these themes. A family who were at the market, baking and selling bread during the arrangements in 1995, The Middle Ages told a journalist why they were involved in the market: they were inspired by J. R. R. Tolkient Glimmingehus castle is standing proudly in the medieval-infl uenced novel Th e Lo rd of t h e Rings, slightly undulating landscape ofsouth-east Scania and their participation was also away of life and the day I arrive. Red and yellow streamers are had for their paft led to increased environmental hanging from the apertures ofthe building, high awareness (Roijer 1995). up on the thick walls. Glimmingehus was built Now, let us leave the eastern part ofScania to by the Danish councillor of the realm, Jens go to Lindholmen castle and an event that took Holgersen Ulfstand. This late summer day he is place there about a hundred years before Glim- arranging tournaments with colourfully dressed mingehus was built, i.e. in 1395. Lindholmen knights and horses. The yard surrounding the was the site of the so-called Lindholmen agree- castle is filled with market stalls and craftsmen ments, which pointed forward to the establish- demonstrating their skills to the public. Behind ment of the Kalmar Union in 1397.This union the castle is a small garden with plants rypical of meant that the three Scandinavian countries the late Middle Ages. Two women dressed in Sweden, Denmark and Norway were politically medieval clothing are strolling around, talking federated. animatedly. Inside the castle some Englishmen In 1995 the 600th anniversary of the Lind- are residing. They have furnished the interior of holmen agreements were celebrated in the vicin- Glimmingehus to look as it might have done in ity of the ruins of Lindholmen castle. Like the late Middle Ages. Glimmingehus, it is situated in the middle of I 02 soorr PETERSSoN Fig. 2. Knights taking part in the tournaments held in summer 1997 next to the Landskrona citadel. Photo Bodil Petersson. ARRIVING IN ANTIQUITY 103 wetland and surrounded by a moat. It is early the citadel is an example of an intentional exten- summer and thousands ofpeople have gathered. sion of the Middle Ages. Probably the ambition A medieval market is in progress, with tourna- is to make annual arrangements out ofthe event. ments, crossbow shooting, music, dancing, and A medieval market was held with almost the food served in a tent. A play is performed with same ingredients as at Glimmingehus and the political theme of the prelude to the Kalmar Lindholmen, e.g. with tournaments (Fig. 2), Union. Musicfrom theMiddleAges is played. A crossbow shooting, a siege ofthe casde, theatre, festivity is held for specially invited guests in a music, crafts, dress parade, and food. In the large tent within the area on the opening day. Landskrona case there were almost no archae- During the days of the festiviry archaeologists ologists or historians involved. Instead it was the have opened a shaft in the green grassy hill that tourist agency and the parry organizers con- covers the ruins today, so that parts ofthe castle nected to the castle restaurant that arranged the walls are visible to the public. The whole event event. is arranged by the municipality of Svedala. Rep- resentatives of the town of Kalmar have been The Viking Age invited to the event, and three years later, in 1997, the town of Kalmar also arranges a jubilee Just as the medieval period tends to be extended on medieval theme related to the date of agree- beyond its traditionally defined boundaries, so ment concerning the Kalmar Union. does the Viking Age within the world of recon- The Lindholmen jubilee is inspired by the structions. Let us now turn from the tourna- annual arrangement at Glimmingehus, and by ments and market places of the Middle Ages to Medieval'Week in Visby (cf. Jonsson 1990). theVikingAge in Scania. How is this period re- Inspiration also comes directlyfrom the scene of created? the ruins, where archaeological excavations have In the south Scanian town of Tielleborg an been conducted both in the 1930s and since archaeological excavation of great interest was 1994. The latest excavations have been per- made in the years 1988-9 1 . It was an excavation formed by the Institute ofArchaeology at Lund of a "trelle fortress" (Swedish nellebor), a ring Universiry. One result of these excavations is a fortress from the Viking Age. This kind of publication with articles on the subject, written fortress is connected with the gradual establish- by archaeologists and historians. The book, func- ment of the Danish kingdom ruled by Harald tioning as a commemorative publication, is fi- Bluetooth in the latter part ofthe 10th century. nanced by the local authorities in Svedala He is said to have erected ring fortresses all over (Mogren 6c \Tienberg 1995). The event was the Danish territory, perhaps in his endeavour performed only once, but as an effect of the to unite the kingdom (Jacobsson et aL.1995, pp. knowledge acquired, a medieval guild was con- 5 5 ff.). In present-day Denmark there are known stituted in Svedala. The purpose was to take remnants of four fortresses named after the first advantage of the newly obtained knowledge of excavated one called Tielleborg.The traces ofthe the MiddleAges and to spread itlocallyandwith trelle fortress in Scania was found in the central special focus on medieval Svedala Qakstrand parts of Thelleborg. fuchaeologists and profes- 1995). sional reconstructors were engaged in recon- The keen medieval interest sometimes seems structing one fourth of the trelle forvess in situ almost like a fever. In late summer 1997 the still (Jacobsson et al. 1995).This was accomplished, standing Scanian citadel in Landskronawas used and the opening ceremony was held in 1995.
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