Activity Report 2004 ± 2006

$FWLYLW\5HSRUW± *(2$5&+$(2/2*,&$/ /$%25$725< '(3$570(17 2) $5&+$(2/2*,&$/ (;&$9$7,216 89 *$/ 1$7,21$/ +(5,7$*( %2$5' Activity Report 2004–2006 1 Riksantikvarieämbetet Avdelningen för arkeologiska undersökningar, UV GAL Portalgatan 2A 754 23 Uppsala Telefon: 010-480 80 30 National Heritage Board Department of archaeological excavations, UV GAL Portalgatan 2A SE-754 23 Uppsala Telephone: +4610-480 80 30 On the Cover: Snake-eyebuckle in bronze with a decoration of bronze with a high content of tin. Lunda, Strängnäs parish, Södermanland. Editors: Daniel Andersson, Svante Forenius, Lena Grandin and Annika Willim Layout: Svante Forenius Printing: Wikströms Tryckeri AB, Uppsala, Sweden, 2007 ISSN 1402-7372 ISBN 978-91-7209-493-2 2 CONTENTS 5 ...................................... Annual Report 2004 8 ...................................... Analytical reports 20 ...................................... Publications and accepted manuscripts 21 ...................................... Annual Report 2005 24 ...................................... Analytical reports 44 ...................................... Publications and accepted manuscripts 45 ...................................... Annual Report 2006 47 ...................................... Analytical reports 67 ...................................... Research reports 70 ...................................... Publications and accepted manuscripts 73 ...................................... Analytical Activities 74 ...................................... Data bases and computer programs 75 ...................................... Archaeological Periods according to the Swedish chronology 3 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2004 The work performed by the Geoarchaeological Laboratory (GAL) during 2004 covered a variety of themes from stone age finds to Medieval casting of copper alloys. However, bloomery iron production in Early Iron Age or from the Medieval Period was the most distinct issue in our archaeometallurgic analyses. In addition to our common slag and metal analyses, also various ceramic studies were included in several of the projects. The staff members at GAL that were active during 2004 were Eva Hjärthner-Holdar (archaeology/archaeometallurgy, also head of the laboratory), Karin Wik (administration/economy), Arnold Olofsson (palynology), Lena Grandin (geology/mineral chemistry/archaeometallurgy), Annika Willim (archaeology) and Svante Forenius (archaeology). Thomas Eriksson (archaeology) wrote two reports on ceramic material, including vessels as well as crucibles and moulds. We also co-operated with Johan Kjellman (geology) in one project, our former colleague Peter Kresten (geology) in another project, Ulf Strucke (UV Mitt) made wood species analysis in one, and Ole Stilborg (Ceramics Research Laboratory in Lund) made the ceramic analyses in some of the commissions. This year it was also decided that GAL should be incorporated in the newly started archaeological excavations department named UV GAL. During the year we also supported our new archaeology colleagues at UV GAL which mainly work with the excavations for a new road E4 north of Uppsala, with various problems regarding metal production and stone finds. Also this year the work with the large iron production sites in southern Sweden continued (see 2003). Commissions The commissions that were reported during 2004 came from several county museums in Sweden, UV’s regional offices and Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis. We also completed a commission from the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo in Norway. Last year we studied flakes from a Stone Age settlement in Värmland and this year a complementary investigation was made from the same settlement (report (0401). The results support those of the previous study of a local meta-volcanic rock origin for many of the flakes. Pottery, mainly fragmented vessels from an excavation in Uppland (Sommaränge), could be dated to several periods. The majority is from late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, but a few fragments from Roman Iron Age and the Migration Period could also be distinguished (report 0405). At another site in Uppland (Bredåker), there were mainly vessels from distinctly separate groups from Bronze Age and Early Iron Age respectively, but also a few finds from Pre-Roman and Roman Iron Age. In addition, there were also crucibles and moulds from a Bronze Age foundry (report 0403). A knife, previously dated to Early Iron Age (see 0318 and 0410) was analysed more thoroughly with respect to content of minor or trace element, especially in a welding seam. At the same site in Öster- götland, also remains from contemporaneous bloomery iron production were excavated (report 0310). Analyses of slag and furnace wall material demonstrate that the furnaces were the type of a shaft furnace with slag collection in its lower part. Slags from a nearby burial were of the same kind and chemical analyses indicate a relation with the knife from a burial. Bloomery iron production was also indicated from stray finds from Early Iron Age in Värmland (0412) and more pronounced in Scania (0408). The latter site presented a bloomery furnace remain within a varied workshop area in the vicinity to a Roman Iron Age settlement (report 0408). Further north, in Dalecarlia, a bloomery site from Late Iron Age was excavated. Slags from production in a shaft furnace with slag collection in an underlying pit were recoverd (report 0404). Even later iron production was found in Hedmark, Norway. The furnaces are of a different type, shaft 5 furnaces constructed for tapping of slag that is collected in large accumulations of ropey structured slag (report 0402). In the area a large number of iron productions sites have been found together with large slag heaps, ore formation and ore roasting sites. Iron smithing was studied from a forge in Västergötland where the main task was to find charcoal within the slag for radiocarbon dating (see 0411). Smithing at a Medieval farm (Sommaränge) in Uppland was one of the crafts undertaken, together with working with a variety of copper alloys, also in combi- nation with iron artefacts (report 0407). Casting was also one of the activities at a Late Medieval farm in Dalecarlia. Crucibles, moulds, metal waste, clippings and artefacts were found as a part of a foundry. Copper, brass and gun metal constituted most of the material (see 0409). Field work Svante Forenius and Annika Willim participated by commission of The Museum of Dalarna during the 11–12 of May in the excavation of an iron production site in Moraparken, Mora in Dalarna. In July Eva Hjärthner-Holdar, Annika Willim and Svante Forenius visited the excavation area in Gråfjell. Discussions concerning the different sites, sampling and methods were held. The visit also included the excavation of a bloomery furnace at one of the sites in the area. In the beginning of July, Eva Hjärthner-Holdar visited the excavation at the Apeln block, Smedjegatan (the Forge street) in Jönköping where the Jönköping County Museum excavated remains of forges. In September GAL started the archaeological excavation at Gruvrondellen, Falun, Dalarna. The excavation took place 040906-041105 with the main purpose to investigate remains from the copper production in Falun. Eva Hjärtner-Holdar, Annika Willim, Svante Forenius participated during the whole excavation with contributions of Anders Biwall, Lena Grandin, Kajsa Häringe-Frisberg and Håkan Ranheden. During the excavation in Falun, on 21th of September, Svante Forenius visited the preliminary archaeological excavation of an iron production site in Valbo parish, Gästrikland. Discussions concerning the site, sampling and methods were held. Other activities On March 12th to 13th, GAL, represented by Eva Hjärthner-Holdar, Annika Willim, Lena Grandin and Svante Forenius, took part in a seminar Från Järnförsök till järnframställning (From experiment to iron production) in Norberg. The seminar was opened at the experimental blast furnace site at Nya Lapphyt- tan and continued indoors with presentations of previous years experimental smelting and discussion of how to develop the future experiments. Before the seminar, GAL also discussed possibilities of creating a site for bloomery furnace reconstruction and experimental smelting. On the 19th of March Lena Grandin and Svante Forenius were invited to the Museum of Cultural His- tory, University of Oslo, to present the results of the analyses of archaeometallurgic material from the bloomery site in Gråfjell, Hedmark, Norway (see report 0402). Discussions were also held on how to specify the following excavation season and what type of analytical work that should be of priority for the bloomery furnaces and slag heaps. Later in March, on the 24th, we were invited to SSAB Oxelösund and Merox AB in Södermanland. We were guided in the modern steel industry, and visited their laboratories. We were also invited speakers at the meeting in the local heritage society Bergshistoriska, föreningen för historisk bergshantering. At the meeting we gave a presentation of our work at the laboratory, covering most of our fields related to iron production and smithing. On the 1st of April there was a seminar at Jernkontoret in Stockholm. Svante Forenius and Annika Willim participated. The subject for the seminar was how we communicate knowledge about the cultural heritage of the historical metallurgy. Several lectures were presented by people working with these questions. 6 Lena Grandin was invited to the Swedish Geological Survey office in Uppsala on 21st of April to present

Load more