Mathilda Kjällquist | National Historical Museums (original) (raw)

Books by Mathilda Kjällquist

Kulturkontakter i Sydskandinavien under mesolitikum. Hantverkstraditioner, råmaterialval och mobilitet för 9000 år sedan, med utgångspunkt från Norje Sunnansund i Blekinge, 2020

Licentiate thesis in Swedish, with English summary. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate... more Licentiate thesis in Swedish, with English summary.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate different scales of mobility and social networks in Southern Scandinavia around 7000 BC. An essential basis for this work is the hypothesis that the conical core pressure blade technology, a specific method for producing lithic blades, reached Scandinavia from the east. The process has been discussed and verified in several earlier studies.

The study is based on investigations of lithic material and bone tools, as well as human skeletal remains; a multidisciplinary strategy has been applied, which combines technological analyzes of archaeological material with isotope analyzes of human teeth. Materials and data have been collected from a total of 111 sites located mainly in Scandinavia, but also in Finland, the Baltic countries and Russia. The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund in Blekinge, southern Sweden is in focus.

Analyzes of the chaîne opératoire of lithic and osseous production make it possible to study technological processes as the transmission of culturally conditioned patterns; these patterns underlie the formative principles of each technology complex. By identifying specific traditional knowledge built into the material process, it becomes possible to define prehistoric human traditions and thereby study human interactions and migrations between geographical regions. The analyzes of strontium isotopes in human teeth from Norje Sunnansund enables an additional individual provenancing since the isotopes reflect a geographical-geological variation.

The study provides a higher resolution of the arrival and spreading of the pressure blade technology from the northeast. It also strengthens the picture of a Mesolithic society in Southern Scandinavia based on geographically extensive social networks. An increased regionalization and territorialization has previously been proposed for western Scandinavia around 8800-7500 BC. The study confirms that during this period the population seem to consist of several sub-groups related to specific territories, but with close and regular contact within a more extensive social network. This fits well with the picture of a group that may have inhabited Norje Sunnansund for extended periods, while social contacts were maintained over longer distances.

Mobilitet är ett centralt tema i arkeologiska studier av jägare-samlare. Omfattningen av människors förflyttningar och anledningarna till dessa har studerats i många decennier. I denna studie undersöks olika skalor av mobilitet och sociala kontakter i Sydskandinavien omkring 7000 f.Kr.
Arbetet inbegriper delar av Fennoskandia och Ryssland. Utgångspunkten är material från boplatsen Norje Sunnansund i Blekinge, men också material från ytterligare ett hundratal platser. Studien har ett tvärvetenskapligt upplägg, med en kombination av analyser av hantverkstraditioner vid tillverkning av föremål i sten och ben, och strontiumisotopanalyser av människotänder. Fokus ligger på mobilitetens omfattning i ett övergripande perspektiv, både tidsmässigt och geografiskt, uttryckt genom de materiella spåren av sociala nätverk.

Papers by Mathilda Kjällquist

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 5, 2018

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2022

Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fishe... more Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fisher-gathering societies Norje Sunnansund (Maglemose), Skateholm (Ertebølle) and Västerbjers (Pitted Ware Culture) were analysed with laser ablation to produce data on both individual movement patterns and societal mobility trends. The analyses of teeth from both Skateholm and Västerbjers displayed homogeneous ratios and corresponding mobility patterns, while the data from Norje Sunnansund showed larger variances with heterogenous strontium ratios and varied inter-individual mobility patterns. Correlation with the bioavailable baseline suggests that the size of the geographical areas, where human strontium ratios could have originated, was roughly comparable for all three sites. The teeth measurements were reflected within a 50-km radius of the surrounding landscape and the 25–75% data quartile matched with distances between 3 and 30 km from the sites, suggesting limited mobility ranges amo...

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2022

To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological te... more To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological teeth, the strontium isotope ratios on 28 human teeth from three separate Early-Mid Holocene, Swedish, foraging contexts (Norje Sunnansund, Skateholm and Västerbjers) were analysed through laser ablation. The teeth/individuals have previously been analysed using traditional bulk sampled thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. To validate the conclusions regarding the archaeological teeth, a tooth from a modern man with a known background was also analysed. The result shows that all of the teeth display less than 0.4% discrepancy between the mean values of the laser ablation profiles and the previously published bulk data and 25 (89%) of the teeth display less than a 0.2% discrepancy. By calculating linear and polynomial trendlines for each ablated tooth, it was possible to illustrate a strong correlation for the transition pattern between the measurements when following a chronological seque...

PLOS ONE, 2021

At Norje Sunnansund, an Early Holocene settlement in southern Sweden, the world's earliest eviden... more At Norje Sunnansund, an Early Holocene settlement in southern Sweden, the world's earliest evidence of fermentation has been interpreted as a method of managing long-term and large-scale food surplus. While an advanced fishery is suggested by the number of recovered fish bones, until now it has not been possible to identify the origin of the fish, or whether and how their seasonal migration was exploited. We analysed strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in 16 cyprinid and 8 pike teeth, which were recovered at the site, both from within the fermentation pit and from different areas outside of it, by using laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our investigation indicates three different regions of origin for the fish at the site. We find that the most commonly fermented fish, cyprinids (roach), were caught in the autumn during their seasonal migration from the Baltic Sea to the sheltered stream and lake next to the site. This is in contrast to the cyprinids from other areas of the site, which were caught when migrating from nearby estuaries and the Baltic Sea coast during late spring. The pikes from the fermentation pit were caught in the autumn as by-catch to the mainly targeted roach while moving from the nearby Baltic Sea coast. Lastly, the pikes from outside the fermentation pit were likely caught as they migrated from nearby waters in sedimentary bedrock areas to the south of the site, to spawn in early spring. Combined, these data suggest an advanced fishery with the ability to combine optimal use of seasonal fish abundance at different times of the year. Our results offer insights into the practice of delayed-return consumption patterns, provide a more complete view of the storage system used, and increase our understanding of Early Holocene sedentism among northern hunter-fisher-gatherers. By applying advanced strontium isotope analyses to archaeological material integrated into an ecological setting, we present a methodology that can be used elsewhere to enhance our understanding of the otherwise elusive indications of storage practices and fish exploitation patterns among ancient foraging societies.

PLOS ONE, 2020

Despite a growing body of evidence concerning accelerated organic degradation at archaeological s... more Despite a growing body of evidence concerning accelerated organic degradation at archaeological sites, there have been few follow-up investigations to examine the status of the remaining archaeological materials in the ground. To address the question of archaeo-organic preservation, we revisited the Swedish, Mesolithic key-site Ageröd and could show that the bone material had been subjected to an accelerated deterioration during the last 75 years, which had destroyed the bones in the areas where they had previously been best preserved. To understand why this has happened and to quantify and qualify the extent of the organic degradation, we here analyse the soil chemistry, bone histology, collagen preservation and palaeobotany at the site. Our results show that the soil at Ageröd is losing, or has already lost, its preservative and buffering qualities, and that pH-values in the still wet areas of the site have dropped to levels where no bone preservation is possible. Our results suggest that this acidification process is enhanced by the release of sulphuric acid as pyrite in the bones oxidizes. While we are still able to find well-preserved palaeobotanical remains, they are also starting to corrode through re-introduced oxygen into the archaeological layers. While some areas of the site have been more protected through redeposited soil on top of the archaeological layers, all areas of Ageröd are rapidly deteriorating. Lastly, while it is still possible to perform molecular analyses on the best-preserved bones from the most protected areas, this opportunity will likely be lost within a few decades. In conclusion, we find that if we, as a society, wish to keep this valuable climatic, environmental and cultural archive, both at Ageröd and elsewhere, the time to act is now and if we wait we will soon be in a situation where this record will be irretrievably lost forever.

PLOS ONE, 2020

Ancient organic remains are essential for the reconstruction of past human lifeways and environme... more Ancient organic remains are essential for the reconstruction of past human lifeways and environments but are only preserved under particular conditions. Recent findings indicate that such conditions are becoming rarer and that archaeological sites with previously good preservation, are deteriorating. To investigate this, we returned to the well-known Swedish Mesolithic site Ageröd I. Here we present the result of the re-excavation and the osteological analyses of the bone remains from the 1940s, 1970s and 2019 excavation campaigns of the site, to document and quantify changes in bone preservation and relate them to variations in soil conditions and on-site topography. The results indicate that the bone material has suffered from accelerated deterioration during the last 75 years. This has led to heavily degraded remains in some areas and complete destruction in others. We conclude that while Agerö d can still be considered an important site, it has lost much of the properties that made it unique. If no actions are taken to secure its future preservation, the site will soon lose the organic remains that before modern encroachment and climate change had been preserved for 9000 years. Finally, because Ageröd has not been subjected to more or heavier encroachment than most other archaeological sites, our results also raise questions of the state of organic preservation in other areas and call for a broad examination of our most vulnerable hidden archaeological remains.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019

Recent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within ... more Recent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within Eurasia, based on ancient DNA or lithic technology. But the extent of regional human mobility is not well known. In this study, we combined two different approaches to investigate regional mobility and social networks in southern Scandinavia. We analyzed strontium isotopes in human teeth and regional lithic raw material use and technology from a Mesolithic site, Norje Sunnansund in southern Sweden (7000 BCE). The lithic raw material composition
at the site, and previous archaeological studies, indicated that the inhabitants mainly had utilized an area stretching 30 km southward. The isotopic analysis indicated that at least half of the analyzed individuals had a non-local origin, based on the local isotope signature, but that possibly only a few individuals originated outside the area defined by lithic acquisition. Those few isotopic values and the presence of lithic material as non-local flint and East Swedish microblade-cores in quartz, suggested that people also traveled far, but probably more sporadically. The combined analyzes revealed the complexity of late Boreal hunter-gatherers in South Scandinavia – although some groups appear to have had a limited geographical mobility, contact networks seem to have stretched over long distances.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology , 2019

RIecent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within... more RIecent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within Eurasia, based on ancient DNA or lithic technology. But the extent of regional human mobility is not well known. In this study, we combined two different approaches to investigate regional mobility and social networks in southern Scandinavia. We analyzed strontium isotopes in human teeth and regional lithic raw material use and technology from a Mesolithic site, Norje Sunnansund in southern Sweden (7000 BCE). The lithic raw material composition at the site, and previous archaeological studies, indicated that the inhabitants mainly had utilized an area stretching 30 km southward. The isotopic analysis indicated that at least half of the analyzed individuals had a non-local origin, based on the local isotope signature, but that possibly only a few individuals originated outside the area defined by lithic acquisition. Those few isotopic values and the presence of lithic material as non-local flint and East Swedish microblade-cores in quartz, suggested that people also traveled far, but probably more sporadically. The combined analyzes revealed the complexity of late Boreal hunter-gatherers in South Scandinavia – although some groups appear to have had a limited geographical mobility, contact networks seem to have stretched over long distances.

In Håkon Glørstad; Kjel Sten Åke Knutsson; Helena Knutsson & Jan Apel (eds.), Technology of Early Settlement in Northern Europe - Transmission of Knowledge and Culture (Volume 2). Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. Apr 2018. ISBN 9781781795163., 2018

In: Knutsson, K., Knutsson, H., Apel, J. & Glorstad, H. (eds), Technology of Early Settlement in Northern Europe - Transmission of Knowledge and Culture. Equinox Publishing., 2018

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=30718\_\_\_The newly discovered site... more DOWNLOAD HERE: https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=30718___The newly discovered site of Norje Sunnansund, located in south-eastern Sweden, presents great potential for analysing the origin of technological change in postglacial Europe based on transmission patterns through the technological analysis of Mesolithic material production and how manufacturing techniques and implements were distributed chronologically and geographically. Vertical transmission is displayed in the way that most of the cultural equipment—specifically, hunting weapons—was traditionally produced. In the framework of this research, horizontal transmission is indicated by the unexpected geographical distribution of particular artefact types—slotted gear and pendants—that were technically shaped and adorned in a specific style. The study concerns the material from Norje Sunnansund, compared to other contemporary archaeological assemblages in the region. While on the one hand, Early Holocene sites in Europe contain lithic and bone assemblages that are suitable for characterizing the material cultures of prehistoric human groups, on the other hand, some of these
industrial products are also adorned, so that a technological study can reveal the techniques used not only in the manufacture of bone and lithic items, but also in art. The site of Norje Sunnansund is geographically situated in a border zone between the region with a Maglemosian
tradition stricto sensu, located in Denmark, and the region with a north-eastern tradition, around the eastern side of the Baltic Sea (the Kunda-Butovo-Oka-Volga or Post-Swiderian related technocomplex). An overview of similarities and differences in the material from Norje
Sunnansund in comparison with its neighbourhood, where aspects of the two Mesolithic traditions seem to interact, thus yields an interesting methodological framework for deciphering sociocultural transmission through postglacial records in the region of southern Scandinavia.
The study shows that material from the site was manufactured according to the north-eastern tradition but also displays a newly characterized Norje Sunnansund style, relating to the shape
of certain weapons and the art they bear in the form of specific engraved motifs (tiny zigzag lines and scores). The distribution of specific items exhibiting the Norje Sunnansund style on contemporary Maglemosian sites, where no such examples are otherwise recorded, suggests
a relationship between Maglemosian (Phase 2) and north-eastern groups. This coincides with the introduction of new knapping techniques in southern Scandinavia from c. 7500 cal BC onward, suggesting that direct contact might have occurred between specific social groups, probably craftsmen/hunters with distinct cultural traditions.

Talks by Mathilda Kjällquist

Conference: The Early settlement of Northern Europe Anthology, 2014

Details of the osseous and lithic production at the Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund.

Reports by Mathilda Kjällquist

Våren 2011 gjorde Riksantikvarieämbetet UV Syd en särskild arkeologisk undersökning vid Ljungavik... more Våren 2011 gjorde Riksantikvarieämbetet UV Syd en särskild arkeologisk undersökning vid Ljungaviken i Sölvesborg. Platsen som undersöktes ingick i Siretorpsområdet, som är välkänt bland skandinaviska stenåldersarkeologer för sin keramik. Under stora delar av stenåldern låg det längs med stranden på en ö. Vid undersökningen hittade arkeologerna lämningar efter hus och hyddor. Resultaten visar att platsen framför allt varit bebodd under början av yngre stenålder, (ca 4100–3400 f Kr). En spännande upptäckt var spår efter korta rader av resta stolpar och stenar, och ett par möjliga gravar. I anslutning till flera av dem hade yxor och yxdelar av bergart placerats. Att bygga små monument på det här sättet, eller begrava sina döda, kan ha varit ett sätt att markera att platsen tillhörde en viss grupp människor. Det talar för att invånarna varit ganska bofasta, samtidigt som det inte finns några spår av odling. Sannolikt har man mest levt av fiske, jakt och insamling.
Förutom stenålderslämningarna gjorde arkeologerna en oväntad upptäckt av en stensättning och en grop med brända människoben. De visade sig vara rester av kremeringsplatser från slutet av bronsåldern eller början av järnåldern (ca 800–200 f Kr).

Sommaren 2016 genomförde Arkeologerna, Statens historiska museer, en arkeologisk undersökning i L... more Sommaren 2016 genomförde Arkeologerna, Statens historiska museer, en arkeologisk undersökning i Ljungaviken i Sölvesborg.
Under stora delar av stenåldern låg den undersökta platsen vid stranden
på en mindre ö eller halvö. Resultaten visar att den varit en boplats som
framför allt var bebodd under en period av äldre stenålder för cirka 8000 år sedan (omkring 6700–5700 f.Kr.). Eftersom havet sedan hade översvämmat stranden vid Littorinatransgressionen, hade boplatsen blivit täckt av ett bitvis flera meter tjockt sandlager. Därför var den mycket välbevarad.
Vid undersökningen hittades lämningar efter sex eller sju hyddor. Några
kan ha använts samtidigt, eventuellt mer än en gång, medan andra är spår efter enstaka kortare vistelser på platsen.
På flintredskap från flera hyddor fanns mikroskopiska slitspår från kötthantering.I kombination med att hyddorna varit ganska tillfälliga och att boplatsen legat vid stranden, talar det för att man bland annat har bott på ön under perioder med fiske och säljakt. Läget bör ha varit utmärkt för att jaga och fiska i det skärgårdsliknande landskap som Listerlandet då var. Fröer visade att man också hade samlat ätliga växter som mjölon, vicker och hallon, och det är sannolikt att man oftast bott på platsen under högsommar eller tidig höst.

The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund is one of a few places in Scandinavia with preserved bone an... more The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund is one of a few places in Scandinavia with preserved bone and wood from 7600–6600 cal. BC. (early and middle South Scandinavian Mesolithic). It was excavated in 2011, due to the construction of a new motorway. Norje Sunnansund seems to have functioned as a settlement for a larger group of people, staying there for several occasions, mainly from late summer and until spring. The finds are extensive, including more than 18000 fragments of bone, and nearly 300 fragments of bone and antler tools. In addition, there are vast quantities of fish bones, indicating that fishing had a considerable economic importance even during the early Mesolithic. Furthermore, a total of about 30000 objects from flint, quartz and other lithic material were collected. Single human teeth and bones were also found, as well as nuts, seeds, resin and worked wood. The excavation yielded new information about economy, seasonality and contacts between different geographical areas during this part of the Mesolithic. The report is written in Swedish, with English figure captions and an English summary. For appendices, use the link: http://kulturarvsdata.se/raa/samla/html/9514

Arkeologerna SHM rapport; (2020:87) (2020), 2020

Kulturkontakter i Sydskandinavien under mesolitikum. Hantverkstraditioner, råmaterialval och mobilitet för 9000 år sedan, med utgångspunkt från Norje Sunnansund i Blekinge, 2020

Licentiate thesis in Swedish, with English summary. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate... more Licentiate thesis in Swedish, with English summary.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate different scales of mobility and social networks in Southern Scandinavia around 7000 BC. An essential basis for this work is the hypothesis that the conical core pressure blade technology, a specific method for producing lithic blades, reached Scandinavia from the east. The process has been discussed and verified in several earlier studies.

The study is based on investigations of lithic material and bone tools, as well as human skeletal remains; a multidisciplinary strategy has been applied, which combines technological analyzes of archaeological material with isotope analyzes of human teeth. Materials and data have been collected from a total of 111 sites located mainly in Scandinavia, but also in Finland, the Baltic countries and Russia. The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund in Blekinge, southern Sweden is in focus.

Analyzes of the chaîne opératoire of lithic and osseous production make it possible to study technological processes as the transmission of culturally conditioned patterns; these patterns underlie the formative principles of each technology complex. By identifying specific traditional knowledge built into the material process, it becomes possible to define prehistoric human traditions and thereby study human interactions and migrations between geographical regions. The analyzes of strontium isotopes in human teeth from Norje Sunnansund enables an additional individual provenancing since the isotopes reflect a geographical-geological variation.

The study provides a higher resolution of the arrival and spreading of the pressure blade technology from the northeast. It also strengthens the picture of a Mesolithic society in Southern Scandinavia based on geographically extensive social networks. An increased regionalization and territorialization has previously been proposed for western Scandinavia around 8800-7500 BC. The study confirms that during this period the population seem to consist of several sub-groups related to specific territories, but with close and regular contact within a more extensive social network. This fits well with the picture of a group that may have inhabited Norje Sunnansund for extended periods, while social contacts were maintained over longer distances.

Mobilitet är ett centralt tema i arkeologiska studier av jägare-samlare. Omfattningen av människors förflyttningar och anledningarna till dessa har studerats i många decennier. I denna studie undersöks olika skalor av mobilitet och sociala kontakter i Sydskandinavien omkring 7000 f.Kr.
Arbetet inbegriper delar av Fennoskandia och Ryssland. Utgångspunkten är material från boplatsen Norje Sunnansund i Blekinge, men också material från ytterligare ett hundratal platser. Studien har ett tvärvetenskapligt upplägg, med en kombination av analyser av hantverkstraditioner vid tillverkning av föremål i sten och ben, och strontiumisotopanalyser av människotänder. Fokus ligger på mobilitetens omfattning i ett övergripande perspektiv, både tidsmässigt och geografiskt, uttryckt genom de materiella spåren av sociala nätverk.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Dec 5, 2018

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2022

Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fishe... more Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fisher-gathering societies Norje Sunnansund (Maglemose), Skateholm (Ertebølle) and Västerbjers (Pitted Ware Culture) were analysed with laser ablation to produce data on both individual movement patterns and societal mobility trends. The analyses of teeth from both Skateholm and Västerbjers displayed homogeneous ratios and corresponding mobility patterns, while the data from Norje Sunnansund showed larger variances with heterogenous strontium ratios and varied inter-individual mobility patterns. Correlation with the bioavailable baseline suggests that the size of the geographical areas, where human strontium ratios could have originated, was roughly comparable for all three sites. The teeth measurements were reflected within a 50-km radius of the surrounding landscape and the 25–75% data quartile matched with distances between 3 and 30 km from the sites, suggesting limited mobility ranges amo...

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2022

To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological te... more To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological teeth, the strontium isotope ratios on 28 human teeth from three separate Early-Mid Holocene, Swedish, foraging contexts (Norje Sunnansund, Skateholm and Västerbjers) were analysed through laser ablation. The teeth/individuals have previously been analysed using traditional bulk sampled thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. To validate the conclusions regarding the archaeological teeth, a tooth from a modern man with a known background was also analysed. The result shows that all of the teeth display less than 0.4% discrepancy between the mean values of the laser ablation profiles and the previously published bulk data and 25 (89%) of the teeth display less than a 0.2% discrepancy. By calculating linear and polynomial trendlines for each ablated tooth, it was possible to illustrate a strong correlation for the transition pattern between the measurements when following a chronological seque...

PLOS ONE, 2021

At Norje Sunnansund, an Early Holocene settlement in southern Sweden, the world's earliest eviden... more At Norje Sunnansund, an Early Holocene settlement in southern Sweden, the world's earliest evidence of fermentation has been interpreted as a method of managing long-term and large-scale food surplus. While an advanced fishery is suggested by the number of recovered fish bones, until now it has not been possible to identify the origin of the fish, or whether and how their seasonal migration was exploited. We analysed strontium isotope ratios (87 Sr/ 86 Sr) in 16 cyprinid and 8 pike teeth, which were recovered at the site, both from within the fermentation pit and from different areas outside of it, by using laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Our investigation indicates three different regions of origin for the fish at the site. We find that the most commonly fermented fish, cyprinids (roach), were caught in the autumn during their seasonal migration from the Baltic Sea to the sheltered stream and lake next to the site. This is in contrast to the cyprinids from other areas of the site, which were caught when migrating from nearby estuaries and the Baltic Sea coast during late spring. The pikes from the fermentation pit were caught in the autumn as by-catch to the mainly targeted roach while moving from the nearby Baltic Sea coast. Lastly, the pikes from outside the fermentation pit were likely caught as they migrated from nearby waters in sedimentary bedrock areas to the south of the site, to spawn in early spring. Combined, these data suggest an advanced fishery with the ability to combine optimal use of seasonal fish abundance at different times of the year. Our results offer insights into the practice of delayed-return consumption patterns, provide a more complete view of the storage system used, and increase our understanding of Early Holocene sedentism among northern hunter-fisher-gatherers. By applying advanced strontium isotope analyses to archaeological material integrated into an ecological setting, we present a methodology that can be used elsewhere to enhance our understanding of the otherwise elusive indications of storage practices and fish exploitation patterns among ancient foraging societies.

PLOS ONE, 2020

Despite a growing body of evidence concerning accelerated organic degradation at archaeological s... more Despite a growing body of evidence concerning accelerated organic degradation at archaeological sites, there have been few follow-up investigations to examine the status of the remaining archaeological materials in the ground. To address the question of archaeo-organic preservation, we revisited the Swedish, Mesolithic key-site Ageröd and could show that the bone material had been subjected to an accelerated deterioration during the last 75 years, which had destroyed the bones in the areas where they had previously been best preserved. To understand why this has happened and to quantify and qualify the extent of the organic degradation, we here analyse the soil chemistry, bone histology, collagen preservation and palaeobotany at the site. Our results show that the soil at Ageröd is losing, or has already lost, its preservative and buffering qualities, and that pH-values in the still wet areas of the site have dropped to levels where no bone preservation is possible. Our results suggest that this acidification process is enhanced by the release of sulphuric acid as pyrite in the bones oxidizes. While we are still able to find well-preserved palaeobotanical remains, they are also starting to corrode through re-introduced oxygen into the archaeological layers. While some areas of the site have been more protected through redeposited soil on top of the archaeological layers, all areas of Ageröd are rapidly deteriorating. Lastly, while it is still possible to perform molecular analyses on the best-preserved bones from the most protected areas, this opportunity will likely be lost within a few decades. In conclusion, we find that if we, as a society, wish to keep this valuable climatic, environmental and cultural archive, both at Ageröd and elsewhere, the time to act is now and if we wait we will soon be in a situation where this record will be irretrievably lost forever.

PLOS ONE, 2020

Ancient organic remains are essential for the reconstruction of past human lifeways and environme... more Ancient organic remains are essential for the reconstruction of past human lifeways and environments but are only preserved under particular conditions. Recent findings indicate that such conditions are becoming rarer and that archaeological sites with previously good preservation, are deteriorating. To investigate this, we returned to the well-known Swedish Mesolithic site Ageröd I. Here we present the result of the re-excavation and the osteological analyses of the bone remains from the 1940s, 1970s and 2019 excavation campaigns of the site, to document and quantify changes in bone preservation and relate them to variations in soil conditions and on-site topography. The results indicate that the bone material has suffered from accelerated deterioration during the last 75 years. This has led to heavily degraded remains in some areas and complete destruction in others. We conclude that while Agerö d can still be considered an important site, it has lost much of the properties that made it unique. If no actions are taken to secure its future preservation, the site will soon lose the organic remains that before modern encroachment and climate change had been preserved for 9000 years. Finally, because Ageröd has not been subjected to more or heavier encroachment than most other archaeological sites, our results also raise questions of the state of organic preservation in other areas and call for a broad examination of our most vulnerable hidden archaeological remains.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 2019

Recent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within ... more Recent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within Eurasia, based on ancient DNA or lithic technology. But the extent of regional human mobility is not well known. In this study, we combined two different approaches to investigate regional mobility and social networks in southern Scandinavia. We analyzed strontium isotopes in human teeth and regional lithic raw material use and technology from a Mesolithic site, Norje Sunnansund in southern Sweden (7000 BCE). The lithic raw material composition
at the site, and previous archaeological studies, indicated that the inhabitants mainly had utilized an area stretching 30 km southward. The isotopic analysis indicated that at least half of the analyzed individuals had a non-local origin, based on the local isotope signature, but that possibly only a few individuals originated outside the area defined by lithic acquisition. Those few isotopic values and the presence of lithic material as non-local flint and East Swedish microblade-cores in quartz, suggested that people also traveled far, but probably more sporadically. The combined analyzes revealed the complexity of late Boreal hunter-gatherers in South Scandinavia – although some groups appear to have had a limited geographical mobility, contact networks seem to have stretched over long distances.

Journal of Anthropological Archaeology , 2019

RIecent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within... more RIecent research provides new perspectives on large-scale Early Holocene human interaction within Eurasia, based on ancient DNA or lithic technology. But the extent of regional human mobility is not well known. In this study, we combined two different approaches to investigate regional mobility and social networks in southern Scandinavia. We analyzed strontium isotopes in human teeth and regional lithic raw material use and technology from a Mesolithic site, Norje Sunnansund in southern Sweden (7000 BCE). The lithic raw material composition at the site, and previous archaeological studies, indicated that the inhabitants mainly had utilized an area stretching 30 km southward. The isotopic analysis indicated that at least half of the analyzed individuals had a non-local origin, based on the local isotope signature, but that possibly only a few individuals originated outside the area defined by lithic acquisition. Those few isotopic values and the presence of lithic material as non-local flint and East Swedish microblade-cores in quartz, suggested that people also traveled far, but probably more sporadically. The combined analyzes revealed the complexity of late Boreal hunter-gatherers in South Scandinavia – although some groups appear to have had a limited geographical mobility, contact networks seem to have stretched over long distances.

In Håkon Glørstad; Kjel Sten Åke Knutsson; Helena Knutsson & Jan Apel (eds.), Technology of Early Settlement in Northern Europe - Transmission of Knowledge and Culture (Volume 2). Equinox eBooks Publishing, United Kingdom. Apr 2018. ISBN 9781781795163., 2018

In: Knutsson, K., Knutsson, H., Apel, J. & Glorstad, H. (eds), Technology of Early Settlement in Northern Europe - Transmission of Knowledge and Culture. Equinox Publishing., 2018

DOWNLOAD HERE: https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=30718\_\_\_The newly discovered site... more DOWNLOAD HERE: https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/view-chapter/?id=30718___The newly discovered site of Norje Sunnansund, located in south-eastern Sweden, presents great potential for analysing the origin of technological change in postglacial Europe based on transmission patterns through the technological analysis of Mesolithic material production and how manufacturing techniques and implements were distributed chronologically and geographically. Vertical transmission is displayed in the way that most of the cultural equipment—specifically, hunting weapons—was traditionally produced. In the framework of this research, horizontal transmission is indicated by the unexpected geographical distribution of particular artefact types—slotted gear and pendants—that were technically shaped and adorned in a specific style. The study concerns the material from Norje Sunnansund, compared to other contemporary archaeological assemblages in the region. While on the one hand, Early Holocene sites in Europe contain lithic and bone assemblages that are suitable for characterizing the material cultures of prehistoric human groups, on the other hand, some of these
industrial products are also adorned, so that a technological study can reveal the techniques used not only in the manufacture of bone and lithic items, but also in art. The site of Norje Sunnansund is geographically situated in a border zone between the region with a Maglemosian
tradition stricto sensu, located in Denmark, and the region with a north-eastern tradition, around the eastern side of the Baltic Sea (the Kunda-Butovo-Oka-Volga or Post-Swiderian related technocomplex). An overview of similarities and differences in the material from Norje
Sunnansund in comparison with its neighbourhood, where aspects of the two Mesolithic traditions seem to interact, thus yields an interesting methodological framework for deciphering sociocultural transmission through postglacial records in the region of southern Scandinavia.
The study shows that material from the site was manufactured according to the north-eastern tradition but also displays a newly characterized Norje Sunnansund style, relating to the shape
of certain weapons and the art they bear in the form of specific engraved motifs (tiny zigzag lines and scores). The distribution of specific items exhibiting the Norje Sunnansund style on contemporary Maglemosian sites, where no such examples are otherwise recorded, suggests
a relationship between Maglemosian (Phase 2) and north-eastern groups. This coincides with the introduction of new knapping techniques in southern Scandinavia from c. 7500 cal BC onward, suggesting that direct contact might have occurred between specific social groups, probably craftsmen/hunters with distinct cultural traditions.

Våren 2011 gjorde Riksantikvarieämbetet UV Syd en särskild arkeologisk undersökning vid Ljungavik... more Våren 2011 gjorde Riksantikvarieämbetet UV Syd en särskild arkeologisk undersökning vid Ljungaviken i Sölvesborg. Platsen som undersöktes ingick i Siretorpsområdet, som är välkänt bland skandinaviska stenåldersarkeologer för sin keramik. Under stora delar av stenåldern låg det längs med stranden på en ö. Vid undersökningen hittade arkeologerna lämningar efter hus och hyddor. Resultaten visar att platsen framför allt varit bebodd under början av yngre stenålder, (ca 4100–3400 f Kr). En spännande upptäckt var spår efter korta rader av resta stolpar och stenar, och ett par möjliga gravar. I anslutning till flera av dem hade yxor och yxdelar av bergart placerats. Att bygga små monument på det här sättet, eller begrava sina döda, kan ha varit ett sätt att markera att platsen tillhörde en viss grupp människor. Det talar för att invånarna varit ganska bofasta, samtidigt som det inte finns några spår av odling. Sannolikt har man mest levt av fiske, jakt och insamling.
Förutom stenålderslämningarna gjorde arkeologerna en oväntad upptäckt av en stensättning och en grop med brända människoben. De visade sig vara rester av kremeringsplatser från slutet av bronsåldern eller början av järnåldern (ca 800–200 f Kr).

Sommaren 2016 genomförde Arkeologerna, Statens historiska museer, en arkeologisk undersökning i L... more Sommaren 2016 genomförde Arkeologerna, Statens historiska museer, en arkeologisk undersökning i Ljungaviken i Sölvesborg.
Under stora delar av stenåldern låg den undersökta platsen vid stranden
på en mindre ö eller halvö. Resultaten visar att den varit en boplats som
framför allt var bebodd under en period av äldre stenålder för cirka 8000 år sedan (omkring 6700–5700 f.Kr.). Eftersom havet sedan hade översvämmat stranden vid Littorinatransgressionen, hade boplatsen blivit täckt av ett bitvis flera meter tjockt sandlager. Därför var den mycket välbevarad.
Vid undersökningen hittades lämningar efter sex eller sju hyddor. Några
kan ha använts samtidigt, eventuellt mer än en gång, medan andra är spår efter enstaka kortare vistelser på platsen.
På flintredskap från flera hyddor fanns mikroskopiska slitspår från kötthantering.I kombination med att hyddorna varit ganska tillfälliga och att boplatsen legat vid stranden, talar det för att man bland annat har bott på ön under perioder med fiske och säljakt. Läget bör ha varit utmärkt för att jaga och fiska i det skärgårdsliknande landskap som Listerlandet då var. Fröer visade att man också hade samlat ätliga växter som mjölon, vicker och hallon, och det är sannolikt att man oftast bott på platsen under högsommar eller tidig höst.

The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund is one of a few places in Scandinavia with preserved bone an... more The Mesolithic site Norje Sunnansund is one of a few places in Scandinavia with preserved bone and wood from 7600–6600 cal. BC. (early and middle South Scandinavian Mesolithic). It was excavated in 2011, due to the construction of a new motorway. Norje Sunnansund seems to have functioned as a settlement for a larger group of people, staying there for several occasions, mainly from late summer and until spring. The finds are extensive, including more than 18000 fragments of bone, and nearly 300 fragments of bone and antler tools. In addition, there are vast quantities of fish bones, indicating that fishing had a considerable economic importance even during the early Mesolithic. Furthermore, a total of about 30000 objects from flint, quartz and other lithic material were collected. Single human teeth and bones were also found, as well as nuts, seeds, resin and worked wood. The excavation yielded new information about economy, seasonality and contacts between different geographical areas during this part of the Mesolithic. The report is written in Swedish, with English figure captions and an English summary. For appendices, use the link: http://kulturarvsdata.se/raa/samla/html/9514

Arkeologerna SHM rapport; (2020:87) (2020), 2020

Under 2019 och 2021 genomfördes två mindre forskningsundersökningar inom en stenåldersboplats vi... more Under 2019 och 2021 genomfördes två mindre forskningsundersökningar
inom en stenåldersboplats vid kanten av en mosse i Ageröd. Platsen har tidigare undersökts av Carl-Axel Althin under 1940-talet, samt av Lars Larsson under 1970-talet. Syftet med de nya undersökningarna var att granska hur väl det arkeologiska materialet på platsen har bevarats sedan de tidigare undersökningarna. Resultaten visade att nedbrytningen av det 8000-åriga benmaterialet på platsen har ökat kraftigt under de senaste 75 åren, och att mycket information därför har gått förlorat under denna period. Att vattennivån på platsen varierar efter utdikningar verkar vara en väsentlig orsak till den ökade nedbrytningstakten.

Vad som kunde anas i Skateholmsundersökningen, och som tydliggjorts genom analysen av gravarna i ... more Vad som kunde anas i Skateholmsundersökningen, och som tydliggjorts genom analysen av gravarna i Tågerup, är att gravfyllningen kan vara en väsentlig del av gravläggningen, och att vad som ytligt sett framstår som rester från ett kulturlager helt eller delvis kan vara avsiktligt deponerat.En hög dokumentationsnivå i kombination med avsaknaden av kulturlager kring Tågerupsgravarna har klargjort detta. Fynd i gravfyllningen av vardagliga föremål som spån och avslag, eller till och med avfall och obearbetade stenar, har visat sig vara möjliga att knyta till gravläggningsritualen. Att skilja på material från skelettnivå och gravfyllning är således att underskatta gravläggningens komplexitet.

Nordskånes höglänta delar skiljer sig från slätten i Sydskåne och Danmark. Uppe på höglandet växe... more Nordskånes höglänta delar skiljer sig från slätten i Sydskåne och Danmark. Uppe på höglandet växer skog, och det är glest mellan de moderna åkrarna. Landskapet är rikt på små sjöar, våtmarker och vattendrag. I den här miljön ligger mesolitisk flinta kvar in situ, ibland nästan direkt under riset på marken. Författarna har haft förmånen att undersöka flera tidigmesolitiska boplatser här, i samband med att Europaväg 4 skulle dras om och bli motorväg. Under 1995 gjordes en inventering inom ett åtta hektar stort område, som resulterade i upptäckten av ett 40-tal mesolitiska boplatser. Under sju år har totalt ett sextiotal mesolitiska boplatser upptäckts inom detta område, där dessförinnan inga stenåldersboplatser var kända. Ett flertal av dem är Maglemoseboplatser, och tolv av dem ligger inom vägsträckningen. Under 2002 undersöktes ett tiotal mesolitiska platser i området, och under 2003 kommer ytterligare fem att undersökas. Resultaten i artikeln är preliminära, eftersom långt ifrån all data har analyserats.

Att leva vid Vesan. Arkeologi längs nya väg E22 i västra Blekinge. Elisabeth Rudebeck & Mats Anglert (red), 2021

Illustrated summary in Swedish of the preliminary results from the excavation of Norje Sunnansund... more Illustrated summary in Swedish of the preliminary results from the excavation of Norje Sunnansund, a Mesolithic site from 7600-6600 cal BC.