X-marked trees: carriers of Indigenous Sami traditions

Abstract

Cultural landscapes affiliated with the Indigenous S & aacute;mi of the northern boreal forests are laden with cognitive elements of social and religious significance. Here, the authors focus on trees bearing incised markings and use an archaeological and ethnohistoric interpretive framework to explore the significance of such trees in S & aacute;mi landscapes. Intensive forestry is destroying culturally modified trees at an alarming rate, and their significance as the bearers of culture and history is being stripped from forest landscapes. As a step towards understanding their importance, this work makes a plea for the documentation, interpretation and protection of the remaining trees.

Keywords

Western Europe; Sami; Sapmi; culturally modified trees; forest history

Published in

Antiquity
2024
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Östlund, Lars

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

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science
Cultural Studies

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2024.184

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/139500