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

Sammanfattning

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.

Nyckelord

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

Publicerad i

Fennoscandia Archaeologica
2014, volym: 31, sidor: 45-60
Utgivare: Suomen Arkeologinen Seura

SLU författare

• Östlund, Lars

  • Institutionen för skogens ekologi och skötsel, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet
    

UKÄ forskningsämne

Arkeologi
Skogsvetenskap

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

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