Mead-Halls of the Eastern Geats, Handlingar, Antikvariska Serien 49
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The Swedish province of Östergötland is one of Scandinavia’s breadbas- MEAD - kets, with an archaeological and historical record that speaks of great wealth HALLS through the ages. The province has long been recognised as one of the 1st OF THE millennium’s political hot spots. Splendid single finds, though never before EASTERN surveyed comprehensively, offer a rough idea of where elite settlements GEATS might be sought. But little has been known about individual elite settle- Mead-halls ments in 1st millennium Östergötland. Not one of the Beowulfian mead-halls of this book’s title, the ostentatious Martin manorial buildings where the Late Iron Age elite lived their lives and played Rundkvist of the Eastern Geats their roles, has been identified in the field. Yet they are easily recognised elsewhere through their architecture and associated find categories. This book aims at beginning to remedy Östergötland’s regional absence Elite Settlements and Political Geography of mead-halls, being an investigation of the province’s internal political geo- AD 375–1000 in Östergötland, Sweden graphy during the period ad 375–1000. Where were the elite settlements? martin rundkvist is an archaeologist who received his doctorate from the University of Stockholm in 2003. He is mainly active in research into the Bronze and Iron Ages in Scandinavia. Furthermore he edits the journal Fornvännen and keeps the internationally popular Aardvarchaeology blog. KUNGL . VITTERHETSAKADEMIEN Box 5622, se-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden www.vitterhetsakad.se ORDERS AND DISTRIBUTION eddy.se ab, Box 1310, se-621 24 Visby, Sweden +46 498 25 39 00 http://vitterhetsakad.bokorder.se isbn 978-91-7402-405-0 issn 0083-6761 Martin Rundkvist KUNGL . VITTERHETS HISTORIE OCH ANTIKVITETS AKADEMIEN Regna Skedevi Hällestad Kvillinge Krokek Kvarsebo Östra Eneby Vånga Östra Husby Motala Ljung Kullerstad Borg Styrstad Konungsund Häradshammar Ekebyborna Kimstad Tingstad Kuddby Ask Klockrike Tåby Västra Stenby Flistad Fornåsa Skärkind Västra Husby Östra Ny Hagebyhöga Varv Vreta kloster Björkeberg Rystad Älvestad Rönö Sankt Per Törnevalla Drothem Nässja Kaga Fivelstad Vallerstad Ledberg Örberga Vårdsberg Mogata Strå Orlunda Allhelgona Västerlösa Kärna Askeby Herrestad Sankt Lars Rogslösa Hov Bjälbo Herrberga Viby Sjögestad Slaka Landeryd Väversunda Högby Veta Bankekind Kumla Appuna Vikingstad Västra Tollstad Hogstad Sya Svanshals Mjölby Gammalkil Väderstad Vist Ringarum Heda Grebo Rök Rinna Nykil Västra Harg Vårdnäs Ödeshög Ekeby Åsbo Stora Åby Gärdserum © L&K kartor Tjärstad Oppeby Västra Eneby Horn Hycklinge Sund kungl. vitterhets historie och antikvitets akademien handlingar Antikvariska serien 49 Mead-halls of the Eastern Geats Mead-halls of the Eastern Geats Elite Settlements and Political Geography AD 375–1000 in Östergötland, Sweden Martin Rundkvist kungl. vitterhets historie och antikvitets akademien handlingar Antikvariska serien 49 Rundkvist, Martin. 2011. Mead-halls of the Eastern Geats. Elite Settlements and Political Geo graphy AD 375–1000 in Östergötland, Sweden. Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien (kvhaa), Handlingar, Antikvariska serien 49. Stockholm 2011. 165 pp. Abstract The Swedish province of Östergötland has long been recognised as one of the 1st mil- lennium’s political hot spots. Splendid single finds, though never before surveyed com- prehensively, offer a rough idea of where elite settlements might be sought. But not one of the ostentatious manorial buildings where the era’s elite lived has been identified in the field. This book aims at beginning to remedy this regional absence of mead-halls, be- ing an investigation of the internal political geography of Östergötland during the period ad 375–1000. Good candidate sites are identified in nine out of c.155 parishes. Apparent- ly they were occupied only rather briefly by magnates, and there is little sign of continuity anywhere. Key words Archaeology, Early Medieval, Sweden, Östergötland, Viking, elite, political geography Publisher Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien (kvhaa, The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities), Box 5622, se-114 86 Stockholm, Sweden, www.vitterhetsakad.se Distribution and ordering eddy.se ab, Box 1310, se-621 24 Visby, Sweden, +46 498 25 39 00, http://vitterhetsakad.bokorder.se Cover: Photograph by James P. Wilby (www.flickr.com/photos/jpwilby), used with his kind permission. The building is a reconstruction of one of King Harald Bluetooth’s 10th century military barracks at the Viking Fortress Trelleborg museum park in Zealand, Denmark (www.aabne-samlinger.dk/svm/trelleborg). Inside covers: Map by Lars Östlin Graphic design: Tina Hedh-Gallant Photos and illustrations: See captions Printed in Sweden by Elanders Fälth & Hässler, Mölnlycke, 2011 © 2011 The author and kvhaa, Stockholm isbn 978-91-7402-405-0/pdf issn 0083-6761 Contents Preface 7 chapter 4. The Migration Period (375–540) 28 Gold and Silver 28 chapter 1. Introduction 9 Imports: Glass and Amber 29 Chronological Terminology 10 Weaponry 30 Chronological Delimitation and Fine Metalworking 30 Contemporaneity of Evidence 11 Animal Art 31 Previous Work in Other Regions 13 Runic Inscriptions 32 Recognising the Presence of Power 14 Hillforts 32 A Note on Find Provenances 16 Signalling Fire Lines 33 Fieldwork 2003–2008 16 Elite Site Distribution 33 36 chapter 2. Setting 19 Where Were the Mead-halls? -tuna Place Names 37 1st Millennium Settlement Patterns 20 Conclusion 38 Territorial Units 21 chapter 5. The Vendel Period (540–790) 39 chapter 3. Prelude: the Late Roman Period 40 (150–400) 23 Gold and Silver Imports: Glass and Garnets 40 General Settlement Pattern 23 Weaponry and Horse Gear 41 Gold and Silver 24 Fine Metalworking 41 Imports: Glass and Bronze Vessels 24 Animal Art 41 Weapons 24 Disc-On-Bow Brooches 44 Conclusions 26 Monumental Structures 45 Elite Site Distribution 46 Where Were the Mead-halls? 47 Place Names and the Distributed Central Place 48 Conclusion 49 chapter 6. The Early and Middle Viking Period chapter 9. Gazetteer of Elite Settlement (790–1000) 51 Candidates 375–1000 89 Silver and Gold 51 Askeby Parish: Asktorpet/Solberga 89 Imported Luxury Goods 55 Borg Parish: Borg Manor 90 Weaponry and Horse Gear 55 Borg Parish: Herrebro 90 Fine Crafts 56 Hagebyhöga Parish: Aska 91 Weights 56 Heda and Rök Parishes 93 Short-Twig Runic Inscriptions 57 Hov Church 94 Great Barrows 57 Kaga Parish: Sättuna and Alguvi 96 Stone Ships and Boat Burials 59 Kimstad Parish: Ullevi 112 Elite Site Distribution 60 Kuddby Parish: Skamby and Örminge 113 Sacrifices in Water and Wetland Along Ledberg church and Odensfors in Vreta kloster 118 Traffic Routes 61 Motala 119 Borg Manor in Borg 62 Regna and Skedevi parishes 119 Where Were the Mead-halls? 63 St. Lars Parish 120 Place Names 65 St. Per Parish 122 M.G. Larsson on Svear Infiltration 67 Sjögestad Parish: Stora Tollstad 123 Härad 68 Tingstad Parish: Gullborg 124 The Götavirke and the Stegeborg Barrage 72 Varv Parish: Östervarv 125 Jarl Haakon’s Attack on Götaland 74 Vreta kloster Parish 125 Prehistoric Land Estates 75 Väderstad Parish: Abbetorp 126 Vikbolandet: Accessibility and Vulnerability 76 Västra Tollstad Parish: Conclusion 78 Sverkersgården at Alvastra 127 Östra Eneby Parish 129 chapter 7. Conclusions: Power Patterns Östra Husby Parish 130 Over Time 79 Regional Rulership 80 Bibliography 133 Future Work 81 Appendicies. Elite Indicators 151 chapter 8. Coda: Later Developments 1. Late Roman Period 151 (1000–1400) 82 2. Migration Period 153 Christianisation and Early Churches 82 3. Vendel Period 155 The Stenkil, Sverker and Bjälbo Royal Dynasties 83 4. Early and Middle Viking Period 158 11th/12th Century Land Estates 84 12th Century Monasteries 84 About the Author 165 Husby and the Kings of Sweden 85 Bosgård 85 Market Sites and Medieval Towns 87 Preface This book is a fruit of five years’ happy pursuit lessly in the field with awe-inspiringFingerspitzge - of Östergötland’s 1st millennium political elite. fühl. Howard Williams brought his expertise, his Of my projects so far, it has been the most eclec- hard-working students and considerable funds tic and thematically wide-ranging, offering great to our excavations, and commented on a draft of variety in the types of source material I have had chapters 1–8. Thank you all! reason to handle, and a legitimate reason to steer From April 2003 to September 2008, I directed clear of the everyday and humdrum. By design, 418 person-hours of metal detecting at seventeen the book is a contribution to the archaeology of sites in Östergötland. Almost all of this work was the rich and famous. done without remuneration by members of the Though the book is written in English, it is not Gothenburg Historical Society, and if only the intended as an introductory text for archaeolo- high-quality person-hours are counted, then their gists from abroad wishing to approach this field of percentage of the whole is even higher (as the de- study for the first time. I have envisioned a reader tector hours I put in myself were a long freshman who already has a committed interest in mid-to- effort). In addition to metal detecting, I have di- late-1st millennium Scandinavia. rected excavations at three of the seventeen sites: Four friends have played particularly important a boat inhumation cemetery at Skamby in Kudd- roles in the project. Arne Danielsson put me on by together with Howard Williams in 2005, a the scent, simply by calling me on the telephone great barrow at Stora Tollstad in Sjögestad to- and asking me would I please excavate a boat gether with Howard in 2006, and a ploughed-out grave cemetery near his home, and then support- settlement site at Sättuna in Kaga in 2008, when ed the project throughout. Marie Ohlsén wel- Howard was unable to participate in person but comed me, a freelance scholar from the capital, sent his Chester students. to the County Museum, in which all the project’s This book would have been far poorer but for fieldwork permits have been invested, and took the help and support of a large number of people.