Quarry exposed

Then the excavation at Raa 225 and 226 in Holm parish, Medelpad is finished and we’re back in Ostersund. 

 

This was a special dig, not many quartz quarries have been excavated so it was exciting. Quartz has been used at all times. During the Stone Age and fourth; arrows, knives and scrapers, etc was made. As you might see on the pictures, below,  the  quartz vein is situated above ground on the slope of the mountain making it easily accessible, from which they chopped or broke off pieces. The remains of this is what we call a quartz quarry.

Quartz has also been used during historical times in the manufacture of glass, as raw material for porcelain and as a key ingredient in ceramic glazes. In modern times quartz is used because of its interesting piezoelectric properties to make components in computers, cell phones and radios, etc.

The quarry is situated beautifully on a small rock just by the water. The quartz core is rather big, ca 10 x 2 m and when the sun hits it, it lit up the mountainside. It’s evident that someone has extracted rather large amounts of quarts there.

Unfortunately we didn’t find many artefacts so its difficult to date the quarry but a settlement nearby suggests that it’s Stone Age. We did find a lot of chips and a hammer stone and it’s possible that we find more as we clean and study the quartz chips.

 

On our way back we made a stop at Liden’s medieval church and enjoyed it as well as the dramatic landscape.

The church was built 1483-1510 by the Dominican monk Josephus. It was in use till the 1860’s when it was abandoned and partly destroyed as a new church was built. The church was then restored 1911-1928.

 In the back is Liden’s new church and just in front of that the medieval one.

Magnus Reuterdahl