Travelling in boreal forests: Routes of communication in pre-industrial Northern Sweden

Abstract

The archaeological record of northern Sweden verifi es contact between people and societies over vast areas from the Stone Age onwards. By various means of contact and communication, technical innovations and objects of foreign provenance have found their way to the interior areas. This paper explores the structure of contacts between coastal and interior societies during the period AD 1000-1600. The study draws on archaeological data and historical records including maps and taxation records. Place names are also included in the analysis. The paper describes the design of ancient trails and the persistence of routes over long periods. It is proposed that the birkarla trading network developed during the course of the Late Iron Age and that there were regularlyused routes connecting the coastal and interior areas. Trails were established and maintained with consensus between the parties involved and signify continuous and mutual relationships between coastal and interior societies.

Keywords

Birkarlar; Iron Age; Networks; Northern Sweden; Sami; Trade; Trails

Published in

Fennoscandia Archaeologica
2014, volume: 31, pages: 45-60
Publisher: Suomen Arkeologinen Seura

SLU Authors

• Östlund, Lars

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Archaeology
Forest Science

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/132101