The Swedish province of Östergötland is one of Scandinavia's breadbaskets, with an archaeological and historical record that speaks of great wealth through the ages. The province has long been recognised as one of the first millennium's political hot spots. Splendid single finds, though never before surveyed comprehensively, offer a rough idea of where elite settlements might be sought. But little has been known about individual elite settlements in first millennium Östergötland.
Not one of the Beowulfian mead-halls of this book's title, the ostentatious manorial buildings where the Late Iron Age elite lived their lives and played 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 of mead-halls, being an investigation of the province's internal political geography 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.
Author(s): Martin Rundkvist
Series: Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademiens handlingar, Antikvariska serien, 49
Publisher: The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities
Year: 2011
Language: English
Pages: 166
City: Stockholm
Preface 7
Chapter 1. Introduction 9
Chronological Terminology 10
Chronological Delimitation and Contemporaneity of Evidence 11
Previous Work in Other Regions 13
Recognising the Presence of Power 14
A Note on Find Provenances 16
Fieldwork 2003–2008 16
Chapter 2. Setting 19
1st Millennium Settlement Patterns 20
Territorial Units 21
Chapter 3. Prelude: the Late Roman Period (150–400) 23
General Settlement Pattern 23
Gold and Silver 24
Imports: Glass and Bronze Vessels 24
Weapons 24
Conclusions 26
Chapter 4. The Migration Period (375–540) 28
Gold and Silver 28
Imports: Glass and Amber 29
Weaponry 30
Fine Metalworking 30
Animal Art 31
Runic Inscriptions 32
Hillforts 32
Signalling Fire Lines 33
Elite Site Distribution 33
Where Were the Mead-halls? 36
'-tuna' Place Names 37
Conclusion 38
Chapter 5. The Vendel Period (540–790) 39
Gold and Silver 40
Imports: Glass and Garnets 40
Weaponry and Horse Gear 41
Fine Metalworking 41
Animal Art 41
Disc-On-Bow Brooches 44
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 (790–1000) 51
Silver and Gold 51
Imported Luxury Goods 55
Weaponry and Horse Gear 55
Fine Crafts 56
Weights 56
Short-Twig Runic Inscriptions 57
Great Barrows 57
Stone Ships and Boat Burials 59
Elite Site Distribution 60
Sacrifices in Water and Wetland Along Traffic Routes 61
Borg Manor in Borg 62
Where Were the Mead-halls? 63
Place Names 65
M. G. Larsson on Svear Infiltration 67
Härad 68
The Götavirke and the Stegeborg Barrage 72
Jarl Haakon’s Attack on Götaland 74
Prehistoric Land Estates 75
Vikbolandet: Accessibility and Vulnerability 76
Conclusion 78
Chapter 7. Conclusions: Power Patterns Over Time 79
Regional Rulership 80
Future Work 81
Chapter 8. Coda: Later Developments (1000–1400) 82
Christianisation and Early Churches 82
The Stenkil, Sverker and Bjälbo Royal Dynasties 83
11th/12th Century Land Estates 84
12th Century Monasteries 84
Husby and the Kings of Sweden 85
Bosgård 85
Market Sites and Medieval Towns 87
Chapter 9. Gazetteer of Elite Settlement
Candidates 375–1000 89
Askeby Parish: Asktorpet/Solberga 89
Borg Parish: Borg Manor 90
Borg Parish: Herrebro 90
Hagebyhöga Parish: Aska 91
Heda and Rök Parishes 93
Hov Church 94
Kaga Parish: Sättuna and Alguvi 96
Kimstad Parish: Ullevi 112
Kuddby Parish: Skamby and Örminge 113
Ledberg church and Odensfors in Vreta kloster 118
Motala 119
Regna and Skedevi parishes 119
St. Lars Parish 120
St. Per Parish 122
Sjögestad Parish: Stora Tollstad 123
Tingstad Parish: Gullborg 124
Varv Parish: Östervarv 125
Vreta kloster Parish 125
Väderstad Parish: Abbetorp 126
Västra Tollstad Parish:
Sverkersgården at Alvastra 127
Östra Eneby Parish 129
Östra Husby Parish 130
Bibliography 133
Appendicies. Elite Indicators 151
1. Late Roman Period 151
2. Migration Period 153
3. Vendel Period 155
4. Early and Middle Viking Period 158
About the Author 165
