The doctoral dissertation 'Missing Interpretations: Natural and Residual Finds in Estonian Archaeological Collections' is concentrated on numerous selection of finds in Estonian archaeological collections that have remained uninterpreted or have attached only one-sided explanations. The source material of the thesis includes two kinds of finds – natural, like fossils and pebbles, and human-made, like stone artefacts (stone axes, adzes, flint arrowheads) found from chronologically later contexts. The latter have mostly been interpreted as residual finds.
The analysed finds have undoubtedly had different meanings and functions. Although the large part of interpretations are destined to remain speculations, the find context of several finds or use-wear on them enabled to show that part of fossils, pebbles and earlier stone artefacts have deliberately been brought to the later settlement sites, hillforts or cemeteries. Pebbles could have been used for burnishing items of various materials, as potboilers to heat water, ammunition stones or playing pieces. At the same time we know from written sources, ethnographical analogues as well as folklore records that different pebbles, fossils and stone items have been used in apotropaic and curing magical practices. For example stone axes, adzes and arrowheads, but also fossils and conspicuous pebbles have been regarded as thunderbolts that have fallen from the sky with a lightning strike; among other things they were used to keep away fires and lightning, but also to cure suddenly appearing diseases. Several finds in Estonian Late Iron Age, medieval and modern contexts can refer namely to this belief.
Magical curing and apotropaic practices are characterised by variety, which means that when needed agency could be ascribed to very different artefacts and substances. Thus we do not have to look for apotropaic and curing magical items among attractive and outstanding artefacts and they can rather be found amid unexpected, natural or everyday instruments. This understanding motivated to analyse the already gathered archaeological material from the viewpoint of magic.
Author(s): Kristiina Johanson
Series: Dissertationes Archaeologiae Universitatis Tartuensis, 8
Publisher: University of Tartu Press
Year: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 430
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS 9
LIST OF PAPERS INCLUDED IN THE DISSERTATION 11
1. INTRODUCTION12
2. HISTORIOGRAPHY 16
2.1. History of research of formed stones from the Antiquity to the modern period 16
2.2. Magic as an interpretative tool for (archaeologically collected) artefacts 22
3. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 31
3.1. Cultural universals and counterintuitivity 32
3.2. Magic 34
3.2.1. Magic vs. religion 35
3.2.2. Rationality debate 38
3.2.3. Efficacy of magic 42
3.3. Illnesses and curing 45
3.3.1. The efficacy debate in medicine – the placebo effect 47
3.4. Reuse theory 52
4. NARRATIVE SOURCES 58
4.1. Written sources 58
4.2. Folkloric sources 63
4.2.1. Multiritual stones 65
4.2.2. Single-ritual stones 69
4.2.3. Animal body parts 71
5. MATERIAL SOURCES 73
5.1. Ethnographic sources 73
5.2. Archaeological sources 78
5.2.1. Fossils 86
5.2.1.1. The case of Estonia 90
5.2.1.1.1. Cephalopods 95
5.2.1.1.2. Echinoderms97
5.2.1.1.3. Gastropods 99
5.2.1.1.4. Corals 103
5.2.1.1.5. Bryozoans 103
5.2.1.1.6. Trilobites 105
5.2.1.1.7. Cyclocrinites 106
5.2.1.1.8. Pseudo-fossils 107
5.2.1.1.9. Non-fossilised shells 108
5.2.2. Pebbles 110
5.2.2.1. The case of Estonia 114
5.2.2.1.1. Grinders, burnishers, smoothers 117
5.2.2.1.2. Potboilers and hearthstones 122
5.2.2.1.3. Ammunition stones 124
5.2.2.1.4. Gaming pebbles 127
5.2.2.1.5. Curing and apotropaic pebbles 129
5.2.3. Antiquities – Stone Age artefacts 132
5.2.3.1. The case of Estonia 138
5.2.3.1.1. Artefacts from the Iron Age, medieval and modern period settlement sites 141
5.2.3.1.2. Artefacts from the Roman and Middle Iron Age and Viking Age burial sites 152
5.2.3.1.3. Artefacts from the Late Iron Age, medieval and modern period burial sites 155
5.2.3.1.4. Artefacts from undated burial sites 156
5.2.3.1.5. Folkloric artefacts 158
6. DISCUSSION 160
7. CONCLUSIONS 170
SUMMARY IN ESTONIAN 173
REFERENCES 196
Abbreviations 196
Unpublished sources 196
Publications 201
APPENDICES 225
PUBLICATIONS 271
CURRICULUM VITAE 427
ELULOOKIRJELDUS 428
