Karl-Magnus Melin | University of Gothenburg (original) (raw)

Papers by Karl-Magnus Melin

Lund Archaeological review 28-29, 2022

This paper presents an analysis of lead from the original roof of the Cistercian abbey Church of ... more This paper presents an analysis of lead from the original roof of the Cistercian abbey Church of Sorø which burned in 1247, compared to fragments of lead from the coffin of Archbishop Absalon, who was buried in Sorø 1201. His coffin was made of south English lead and the roof by lead from around the cities of Aachen and Cologne in northwestern Germany. This is compared to the rather exclusive evidence of Absalon as a possible buyer of lead on the international market at the end of the 12 th century. A survey of extant traces of original roofing material on churches in Scania challenges the general view of lead as the predominantly used roofing material in medieval Denmark in the 12 th and 13 th centuries. Further research into the origin, use and distribution of lead is recommended.

Journal of Material Culture, 2024

Transdisciplinary project groups are promoted as a way for coping with the growing complexity of ... more Transdisciplinary project groups are promoted as a way for coping with the growing complexity of research environments. In the context of archaeology and conservation, the knowhow of practitioner-researchers in crafts has potential in supporting the reconstruction of past events as well as the material and technical background factors. As education in the arts and crafts have gradually moved from the workshops into academic institutions, artisans enter higher education and can pursue research careers. In cases where an artisan with longitudinal craft experience conducts research training in a related area, such as archaeology or conservation, we can speak of T-shaped practitioners. In this article, we will present three examples of research conducted by Scandinavian practitioner-researchers who are professional crafts practitioners in wood, but also archaeologists / conservators. We discuss the potentials of practitioner-researchers in craft for facilitating experiential knowledge transfer between project members of different disciplines.

Hantverkare emellan, 2014

Timmerman Sten Nilsson från Laholm intervjuas av Karl-Magnus Melin. I den här intervjun förstärkt... more Timmerman Sten Nilsson från Laholm intervjuas av Karl-Magnus Melin. I den här intervjun förstärktes samtalet med en rundresa bland Hallands äldsta timmerhus. Husen inspirerade och väckte nya frågor. Tillsammans kunde de två generationernas hantverkare se hur de timmermän, som för hundra eller tvåhundra år sedan byggde husen, hade arbetat.

Form Academic Vol.16 Nr.4, BICCS 23, 2023, 1-8, 2023

In the Nordic countries, a major part of the built heritage is constructed of wood and on churche... more In the Nordic countries, a major part of the built heritage is constructed of wood and on churches it is still common for the roofing to consist of shingles. In the 20th century, there was a paradigm shift when the heritage authorities made new standards where, for example, the variety of species used throughout history was replaced by pine with sapwood. Today, it is evident that the broken traditions have resulted in roofings with shorter life spans (Göllas & Lindblad, 2021). Further, changes in forestry during the last century made old mature pines, appropriate for shingles, a scarcity. Until last year, it was common that wood for shingles was imported from Russia and northern Finland, which is questionable from more than one perspective. In a project by the Craft Laboratory, the aim is to reclaim traditional know-how through craft research. Old built-in shingle roofs are examined, old forestry and building literature is inventoried and tradition bearers are interviewed. Several of these sources put forward oak and aspen as species well suited for long-lasting shingle roofing. The focus of the exhibition is the development of a field method in which we present features to define wood species on the weathered surfaces of shingles using sight and touch characterization. A built-in roof with both aspen and oak shingles in Tönnersjö church in Halland will serve as an example.

University of Gothenburg hosts a national center focusing on traditional crafts called the Craft ... more University of Gothenburg hosts a national center focusing on traditional crafts called the Craft Laboratory. Craft research is being conducted in traditional building techniques, materials, and re-innovation. In an ongoing project the traditional use of aspen in historic architecture isexamined thru literature reviews, field studies and processual experiments. The aim is to understand more about aspen as a building material and as a timber source for maintenance of historic buildings and further to introduce it as an alternative material in contemporary construction. There are not only advantages with aspen for the cultural heritage but also for the present and future: it is mature after about 20 years which makes an economical advantage while at the same time contributing to a more sustainable forestry promoting biodiversity.

Timmerhus med historia: berättelser om några hus på Kulturen i Lund. [Lund]: Kulturen. Editor Gunilla Gardelin, 2018

Innan Kulturens timmerbyggnaderrestaurerades gjordes omfattande byggnadsarkeologiska och hantverk... more Innan Kulturens timmerbyggnaderrestaurerades gjordes omfattande byggnadsarkeologiska och hantverksvetenskapliga undersökningar för att fà ökad kunskap om byggnaderna och dokumenter: de delar som var skadade och som man planerade att ersätta. Resultaten användes också som en

Timmerhus med historia: berättelser om några hus på Kulturen i Lund. [Lund]: Kulturen. Editor Gunilla Gardelin, 2018

Traditionellt sett har det varit vanligt att hantverkskunskap överförts genom att barn lärts upp ... more Traditionellt sett har det varit vanligt att hantverkskunskap överförts genom att barn lärts upp av sina föräldrar eller att man gått som lärling. För att få en bättre förståelse för hantverkets örerföring och traditioner ger jag exempel på hur traditionsöverföringen skett under olika tider.

Steineke, M and Jensen, J J (Eds) Københavns Museum/ Museum of Copenhagen/ Archaeological report. Kongens Nytorv Metro Cityring Project KBM 3829, Øster Kvarter, Københavns Sogn, Sokkelund Herred, Københavns Amt Kulturstyrelsen j.nr.: 2010-7.24.02/KBM-0017., 2017

This is a report (written 2013 published by Copenhagen museum 2017) of the analysis done on the w... more This is a report (written 2013 published by Copenhagen museum 2017) of the analysis done on the wood from a palisade “Byens Planker” found in connection to the former medieval city wall at Kongens Nytorv.
The analysis focus on the tool marks and what they can tell us about the used woodworking techniques. By combining the tool marks with the results from the dendrochronological analysis we get interesting insights of the origins of the used timbers and of the different woodworking techniques. It is also possible to tell that some of the timbers is certainly reused from an older construction and that some of the used material most certainly is made only for the purpose where they where found in situ. The tool marks analysis contributes to the dendrochronological analysis also by adding undated timbers to the two main groups.

Aarbøger for Nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie 2018, 2022

This article deals with oak window frames in the medieval churches of the Diocese of Lund. The me... more This article deals with oak window frames in the medieval churches of the Diocese of Lund. The medieval Diocese of Lund consisted of Scania with Bornholm, Blekinge and Halland. The region was also referred to as Skåneland and was the second largest region in medieval Denmark, with an archbishop's seat from 1104. The window frames in Lund's diocese are compared and discussed with frames from the rest of medieval Denmark, but also with frames from other parts of Europe. The frames are analysed primarily from a craftsmanship perspective, where the 12th century view of craftsmanship and church windows is also included as an important aspect of understanding the conditions for craftsmanship. The intention is to approach possible contemporary perspectives on both the technical execution, the result in the form of frames that were intended to serve as light inlets and the underlying ideological content of the church windows. By examining and comparing a larger number of frames, new knowledge has emerged that provides an insight into craftsmanship methods as well as the type of wood and quality that was preferred. In the Diocese of Lund, 41 churches have so far been documented that have, or have had, walled-in oak frames in double-hung window openings. The frames are divided into two main types: those that are made of a standing plank and those that are composed of several parts whose upper part consists of a horizontal plank. As examples of types, the following are highlighted and discussed: the plank frame from Norra Åsum church, the composite frame from Fulltofta church and the composite stone frames of Bornholm churches. The article presents a number of recent dendrochronological dates of window frames from the Diocese of Lund and compares the results with previous analyses of Danish frames. Norra Åsum church, dated to 1185, and its plank frames are placed in the context of Archbishop Absalon, the Scanian-Halland rebellion and its aftermath, the struggle for natural resources and an archaic rune stone. Norra Åsum's stone church with built-in wooden frames is also juxtaposed with the modern brick material used in the construction of Gumlösa Church, which was consecrated in 1192, and its window frames made of brick instead of wood.

Norra Strö kyrka. Andlig utpost och pionjär i gammal kulturbygd, 2020

Ovan valven. Medeltida kyrkvindar i Göteborgs stift, 2020

Denna artikel kommer att behandla hur man med geometrisk analys, med hjälp av passare och linjal,... more Denna artikel kommer att behandla hur man med geometrisk analys, med hjälp av passare och linjal, kan få kunskap kring hur takstolar och kyrkor ursprungligen gestaltats. Här förklaras också avmärkningar som gjorts som hjälplinjer inför hophuggning av takstolarna och den märkning som gjorts när takstolarna varit färdiga på mark för att under- lätta vid återmonteringen uppe på kyrkans murkrön. Traditionell takstolsforskning har till stor del fokuserat på att typologisera schematiska avbildningar av representativa takstolar från ett taklag.1 Men syftet med denna artikel är att visa på möjliga vägar till att komma närmare de bakomliggande processerna som var väsentliga för beställare och utförare när kyrkorna och/ eller taklagen gestaltades och uppfördes. Veinge kyrkas lång- hustaklag kommer därför att utgöra en fallstudie och jämföras med det samtida taklaget i Farhults kyrka, Lunds stift. Genom att jämföra geometri, märkning, sammanfogningar, taklagens ingående delar och dendrokronologisk datering kommer hy- potesen att de är tillverkade av samma hantverkslag att prövas. I avsnittet om märkningar kommer även andra typer av märkningar i stiftet att diskuteras. Graffiti och eldmärken som vi hit- tar på takstolarna diskuteras kort då dessa fenomen även säger mycket om den tidsanda som rådde när de utfördes.

Earthen and wood vernacular heritage and climate change, 2021

Historically clay has been an important building material in Scania and half-timbered houses with... more Historically clay has been an important building material in Scania and half-timbered houses with thatched roofs are still a signum for the region. In 2009 a project about vernacular use of clay in buildings was implemented by the author, in cooperation with the local history society, Albo härads hembygdsförening. The aim was to reclaim traditional and ecological techniques that could be used in maintenance work of listed buildings in the region. Another important aim was to share the results with professional builders and the public. Old literature was reviewed, and museum tool collections were surveyed. In cooperation with Nordiska museet and Folklivsarkivet ethnological questionnaires, from the 1920s and onwards, concerning traditional building techniques were searched for clay techniques. Two tradition bearers were interviewed, in the 1930s-40s they had been involved in making clay threshing floors and adobe bricks. Original buildings, with clay: floors, half-timber infills, plaster and inner roofs were investigated. The community involvement was essential and the villagers in Bondrum were involved in search of local clay and then in organizing courses for the public. The reconstructed techniques have since then been practiced on several listed buildings, a report from the project is available for free download and the villagers has continued to hold courses in the techniques. Local techniques that seemed lost are now again in use.

Forests, 2021

A significant part of our cultural heritage consists of wood. Research on historical wooden stru... more A significant part of our cultural heritage consists of wood. Research on historical wooden

structures and artefacts thereby provides knowledge of people's daily lives and the society in which

they lived. Dendrochronology is a well-established dating method of wood that can also provide

valuable knowledge about climate dynamics, environmental changes, silviculture, and cultural

transformations. However, dendrochronology comes with some limitations that end users in cultural

heritage sciences must be aware of, otherwise their surveys may not be ultimately performed. We

have drawn attention to studies in which dendrochronological results have been misinterpreted,

over-interpreted, or not fully utilized. On the other hand, a rigorous dendrochronological survey

may not respond to the request of information in practice. To bridge this rigour-relevance gap,

this article has considered and reviewed both the dendrochronology's science-perspective and

the practitioner's and end user's call for context appropriate studies. The material for this study

consists of (i) interviews with researchers in dendrochronology and end users represented by cultural

heritage researchers with focus on building conservation and building history in Sweden, and (ii) a

review of dendrochronological reports and the literature where results from the reports have been

interpreted. From these sources we can conclude that a continuous two-way communication between

the dendrochronologists and end users often would have resulted in improved cultural heritage

studies. The communication can take place in several steps. Firstly, the design of a sampling plan,

which according to the current standard for sampling of cultural materials often is required, is an

excellent common starting point for communication. Secondly, the survey reports could be developed

with a more extensive general outline of the method and guidance in how to interpret the results.

Thirdly, the potential contribution from dendrochronology is often underused, foreseeing historical

information on local climate, silviculture, and choice of quality of the wooden resource, as the focus

most often is the chronological dating. Finally, the interpretation of the results should consider all the

available sources where dendrochronology is one stake for a conciliant conclusion.

Byggnadskultur nr 2, 2018

Väl utarbetade principer och överenskommelser har kännetecknat rekonstruktions-arbetet av Södra R... more Väl utarbetade principer och överenskommelser har kännetecknat rekonstruktions-arbetet av Södra Råda gamla kyrka och renoveringen av Ingatorps medeltida tionde-bod. I denna avslutande artikel på temat hantverksforskning, redogör Karl-Magnus Melin för ideologiska ställningstaganden, poängerna med att arbeta tvärvetenskapligt och projektens påverkan på framtida arbeten med medeltida konstruktioner.

Byggnadskultur nr 1, 2018

För hantverksforskarna runt Södra Råda kyrka var det till en början svårt att förstå de gamla rit... more För hantverksforskarna runt Södra Råda kyrka var det till en början svårt att förstå de gamla ritningarna över taklaget. Var de kanske felgjorda? Genom att se bortom vår egen tids normer och undersöka det material som faktiskt finns bevarat, uppdagades en takkonstruktion som var både logisk och medvetet skapad. Karl-Magnus Melin berättar om vägen fram mot rekonstruktionen.

Byggnadskultur nr 4, 2017

För att kunna rekonstruera de ursprungliga fönsteröppningarna i Södra Råda kyrka, räckte det inte... more För att kunna rekonstruera de ursprungliga fönsteröppningarna i Södra Råda kyrka, räckte det inte med en titt i arkiven. En djupare förståelse för den medeltida bygg-mästarens arbetssätt krävdes, samt förmåga att hantera en passare. Karl-Magnus Melin förklarar vikten av geometri inom byggnadskonsten.

Byggnadskultur nr 3, 2019

Parallellt med restaureringen av Ingatorps tiondebod har dendrokronologiska provtagningar, analys... more Parallellt med restaureringen av Ingatorps tiondebod har dendrokronologiska provtagningar, analyser och hantverksvetenskapliga undersökningar genomförts. Utifrån resultaten från första provtagningen kröntes tiondeboden till att vara Sveriges äldsta profana timmerbyggnad. Detta måste nu revideras. Kalle Melin betonar vikten av olika analysmetoder för ett tillförlitligt resultat vid datering.

BYGGNADSHISTORISK TIDSKRIFT NR 74, 2017

Under tidig medeltid fanns i Södra Råda en liten stavkyrka1 med långhus och kor mel- lan jordgräv... more Under tidig medeltid fanns i Södra Råda en liten stavkyrka1 med långhus och kor mel- lan jordgrävda stolpar. I början av 1300-ta-
let fälldes träden till det som skulle bli stommen till en ny timmerkyrka. Södra Råda kan från början ha varit ett kapell som hörde till Amne- härads socken och möjligtvis var det i samband med en sockendelning som den nya timmerkyr- kan byggdes.2 I denna artikel vill vi diskutera de praktiska aspekterna vid att bygga en kyrka i trä: Hur gick det till att bygga en timmerkyrka vid denna tid? Hur mycket material gick åt och hur lång tid tog de olika procedurerna? Hur många träd, hur många spån och hur mycket järn be- hövdes till spiken? Vad ansvarade yrkespersoner för och vad ombesörjdes av bönder själva, om vi förutsätter att en sockenmenighet stod bakom bygget?
Södra Råda gamla kyrka brann till grunden år 2001 i ett pyromandåd. Kyrkans ägare, Riks- antikvarieämbetet, beslutade att rekonstruera kyrkan ”som ett pedagogiskt exempel för att ge nytt hantverkskunnande och kunskap om vår medeltida historia.”3 Rekonstruktionsarbetet startade 2007, efter arkeologiska undersökning- ar och förstudier, och pågår alltjämt. Den här artikeln bygger på resultaten av de hantverksve- tenskapliga och byggnadshistoriska studier som rekonstruktionen av kyrkan har inbegripit.4 Syf- tet med artikeln är att diskutera hur det kan ha gått till att bygga en timmerkyrka på 1300-talet. Främst handlar det om analyser av byggnads- material, hantverksprocedurer och verktyg som ett kyrkobygge av det här slaget kräver. Artikeln grundar sig också på våra undersökningar av be-
varade medeltida kyrkor, arkeologiskt material, medeltida handskrifter och illustrationer.
Artikeln inleds med en presentation av tidiga- re forskning om medeltida timmerkyrkor och re- dovisar därefter kritiska perspektiv på den speci- ella metodiken att handgripligt rekonstruera ett forskningsobjekt. Därpå följer undersökningen av Södra Råda som börjar med en tolkning av vem som lät uppföra kyrkan. I påföljande avsnitt analyseras kyrkokonceptet och vi för en diskus- sion om hur byggnadsprojektet kommunicera- des och visualiserades. Den sista delen utgör ar- tikelns huvuddel och behandlar timmerskogen, byggnadsmaterialet och byggprocessen steg för steg med proceduranalyser, huggarlistor, materi- allistor och dagsverken i en ordning som följer det praktiska arbetet. Avslutningsvis diskuteras resultaten och allmänna slutsatser om företaget att bygga en timmerkyrka.

Årsskrift 2020 Lokalhistorisk Forening for Nordfalster, 2020

Hvornår er den bygget, af hvad og af hvem-klassiske spørgsmål til de middelalderlige kirkebygning... more Hvornår er den bygget, af hvad og af hvem-klassiske spørgsmål til de middelalderlige kirkebygninger, som yderst sjaeldent kan besvares saerlig praecist. En undersøgelse af Nr. Kirkeby Kirke i 2019-20 har dog bragt os noget naermere, og den har givet lyst til at lave lignende undersøgelser i andre kirker på Lolland-Falster. De to øer rummer nogle af landets fineste landsbykirker fra middelalderen, og dem vil vi vide mere om. I Nr. Kirkeby på Nordfalster stod det i foråret 2018 klart for menighedsrådet, at noget var helt galt med kirkens tag Repraesentanter for Lolland-Falsters Stift, Nationalmuseet og kongelig bygningsinspektør, provsten og menighedsrådet samt dettes arkitekt mødtes i kirken den 30. april 2018. Det gav stødet til en større reno-vering samt en spaendende, tvaerfaglig undersøgelse. Kirken så langtfra godt ud. Den var for laengst blevet lukket, inde i den blev loftets tvaerbjaelker støttet af to raekker stivere, og udvendig var tegltaget taget af og erstattet af tagpap og påsømmede laegter. Skaderne på tømmeret i tagkonstruktionen skyldtes i høj grad ind-traengende vand, der havde sat gang i angreb af råd, skimmel og svamp. Hvad skulle man gøre, og ville man kunne få udbetalt nogen erstatning fra svampeforsikringen, blev der spurgt. Det sidste var der dog netop kommet et bekraeftende svar på, oplyste formanden for menighedsrådet.

ICOMOSWOOD PROCEEDINGS BILBAO, 2021

The project Historic Carpentry Art in The Diocese of Lund started in 2014. By making a full inven... more The project Historic Carpentry Art in The Diocese of Lund started in 2014. By making a full inventory of the historic wooden constructions in the nearly 350 churches with medieval origin in the diocese we believe that what is known can be valued and what is valued can be saved. The general aim is to preserve by enlightenment and cooperation. The priority of the project are churches that are about to be restored. Cooperation with restoration planners, entrepreneurs, engineers, heritage officers, caretakers and authorities are of great importance to direct and limit actions to what is necessary in order to save the church´s heritage and reduce costs. Another aim is to make the carpentry art available to the parish members and to the public. Roof trusses and attics are 3D-modelled and published on Sketchfab, while papers and reports are published on the blog timmermanskonst.se. Seminars and lectures are held in the parishes. The regional medieval carpentry art is also seen in a larger European context. The accumulated knowledge is finally used in a PhD project that focuses on the carpentry art in the 12 th century and its connections to the zeitgeist of the period. Introduction The medieval archdiocese of Lund consisted of Scania, Blekinge, Halland and Bornholm. This region was a large part of medieval Denmark and Lund was the seat for the archbishop. In 1658 Denmark lost all of the diocese of Lund to Sweden. Later Denmark got the island Bornholm back. The diocese of Lund was reduced and also lost Halland to the diocese of Gothenburg.