As I check my back-log I see that I need to blog more about archaeology, but it seems that time just haven’t been there. During the coming weekend there will be time for archaeology though as it is time for the 5th annual archaeological seminar in Blankaholm – much thanks to Michael Dahlin.
The schedule holds 14 interesting seminars and it’s always fun to meet other archaeologists and archeo-buffs.
Michael Dahlin – On rhombic axes, from the late Bronze Age and their contexts in Kalmar County.
Gustaf Wollentz – On the future within the cultural heritage sector
Emelie Svenman – Beyond the grave – a georapahic analysis of the Bronze Age in Tjust
Kenneth Alexandersson – In the Age of Tingby. Mesolithics in Möre.
Lars-Erik Nilsson – the language of the rock art makers
Joakim Goldhahn – The rock art in Tjust – five years later
Michel Guinard, Mattias Pettersson & Roger Wikell – Early Mesolithic (flint) chips and their context
Helena Victor – Sandby borg at Öland – focusing on an ancient fortress
Helena Wilhelmsson – Archaeology captured in the moment – the osteological traces of the massacre at Sandby borg, ancient fortress, at Öland
Emelie Sunding – The residential district Gesällen – crafts and households in the 17th Century Kalmar
Ludvig Papmehl-Dufay – Back to the Tingby settlement
Patrik Gustavsson – A ship filled with goods – early Neolithic graves in Sörmland
Karl-Oskar Erlandsson – News from Kalmar County AdministrativeBoard – An archaeological report records and historic village sites
Anna Lögdqvist & Roger Wikell – Torshammarringar (rings with ritual symbols sometimes connected to Thor) seen in bigger geographic circles
14 seminars in two days and a great meeting place to discuss whats new and old in prehistorics!
Her thesis is called: Working animals and skeletal lesions. Paleopathology of cattle and horse in Iron Age and medieval Öland, Sweden.
Ylva has concentrated on the relationship between animal husbandry practices and the associated pathological conditions using methods such as osteometric analysis, conventional radiographic and bone mineral study, as well as incorporated molecular analysis.
The material used was excavated (1964-1974) at Eketorp ringfort on Öland. The fort was used during the Iron Age and early Middle Ages, ca 300–1300 AD and from the Skedemosse wetland site that was excavated in the early 60’s. This site is a ritual site where weapons, animals, coins and other valuables was offered to the gods, 200-500 AD.
I recently was in Georgia on a wine-tour in combination with EWBC. Now Georgia also poses lots of interesting archaeological finds and some of the oldest that can be connected to wine and wine producing.
Vine branches with silver framing, dated to ca 2-1st millennium B.C. found in Georgia
We visited the Georgian National Museums archaeological exhibit and also got to see some finds that as yet has not reached the exhibit. If you go to Georgia this is a museum not to miss, lots of nice and interesting finds that shows both relations to West Europe, the Middle East and Asia – there’s really no question that you are on the Silk road.
Most of these finds are found in graves and there are several fantastic gold and silver artifacts. The exhibition represent the history of Georgian gold smithery from the 3rd millennium B.C. To the 4th century A.D. So lets get ready for some archeo- artifact – pornography! The pictures are just a few the objects on display and a few in the end that are not on display as yet.
Most archaeologist along with librarians, antiquarians and communicators in Sweden are in the union DIK (Link in Swedish), a part of SACO (Swedens Academics Central Organisation). DIK is short for Documentation, Information and Culture (Kultur).
Now I never been much of a union man, though I do recognize they do an important work. Lately I’ve been pulled into it, though, as I’ve been working in a work group with ethics & archeology. Also it seems they gotten a new image via the current president, Karin Linder, that does do a good job.
A few days ago I was asked to run as a board member for the national council of DIK. Its always an honor that someone, whoever it is, has proposed me for a position such as this. Currently I am considering it: partly cause I’ve become more and more interested in the union as such and I believe that they do a good job, partly due to the fact that I feel it is important that an archaeologist, and especially someone that does not have a permanent job (as most archaeologists), can have a voice within DIK.
I don’t believe I’ll become a tycoon but I do believe that I might be able to be an interesting voice within DIK and that why I considering saying yes.
On June 29th it’s time for Day of Archaeology, I’ll participate as I did last year (read the post here) and was one of ca 400 archaeologists that contributed, from all over the world.
As we said good bye to a colleague that goes into retirement we visited the The Swedish Air Force Museum, but before that my colleague got to get a flight in the SK60 (a jet plane) we got a trip in Helcopter 16 or better known as Black hawk. Really really cool
I can also strongly recommend Flygvapenmuseum The Swedish Air Force Museum in Linkoping. Here are almost all planes that can be connected to Swedish air force as well as an exhibit on the cold war, where Swedens military, Swedish politics and domestic issues are connected – really good and then an exhibt or a crypt of a a Swedish DC3 that was shot down in the Baltic Sea in the 50′s and the story of the political game behind the story – this is stuff for a Hollywood picture – the plane was found a few years ago and lifted from the bottom of Sea. This museum is not only for air force or air plane buffs but everyone that wants to know more about the history of the cold war.
The pictures are divided into three groups: air force exhibit, cold war exhibit, DC3 exhibit.
Next stop on my Rock art lollapalooza in the UNESCO world Herritage site Tanum is Fossum. The rock art in Tanum is dated to the Bronze Age, ca 1500-1000 BC.
Among the pictures are hunting scenes, people holding axes, people playing horns and of course lots of ships, animals, foot soles and cup marks etc.
I’m spending Easter in Långban, Värmland where my fiancées sister with family owns a croft that they use as a summer residence etc.
Långban is perhaps most famous for its smelting and mining areas where Iron has been mined since the 16th century. Around the mines the yeomenminers formed a small community, Långban.
During the 17th century the mines were closed but they reopened in 1711 and mining for Iron continued until 1956 and for dolomite until 1972. Långban has a geological claim to fame as more than 300 minerals has been found here, equal to ca 1/10 of all known minerals in the world, according to information signs this is the greatest number of minerals found in one place.
As mining has continued for such a long time the area is also interesting from a cultural historical point of view and the museum and area is well worth a visit. As I was going trough some old pictures I found these from a few years back of the mining area. So tag along we’re going to the mine
Today I’ll attend a seminar on current research and projects concerning the Middle ages in Sweden åt Östergötland County museum, Linköping, Sweden. The seminars are being held by contract-archaeologist as well as resrearchers.
Among the seminars are:
Krokeks Cloister – the franciscan forest convent by Marie Ohlsen, Östergötland museum.
Devestation or restructring – the Linköping are during the Iron Age and Middle Ages by Karin Lindeblad & Maria Petersson, the National heritage board UV öst (east)
Ecological & social connections associated with the black death by Per Lagerås, the National heritage board UV syd (south)
Slaves, tradesfolk and common people – strangers during the middle ages and how we find them by Mats Roslund, archaeologist, Lund University.
To work with a gender perspective on historic landscapes by Elisabeth Gräslund berg, geographer, Stockholm University.
Hemvidakulla – a deserted farmstead in Ydre by Hans Andersson, professor emeritus historical archaeology, Lund University
Musical meetings – music during the Middle Ages by Lars Jonsson, music producer and artistic director, NoMeMus.
Today I visited the exhibit Etruria 3D at the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Stockholm. I’m sorry to say this exhibit wasn’t all that good. The 3D part worked on the stills but was a total waste on TV-screens. The other big, BIG, negative is that you need to get some kind of hearing aids/audio guide to understand the films, probably at an extra cost, this wasn’t mentioned when we bought the tickets, we neither go any info where to get them – as the exhibit is based on the audio guide and I didn’t have it, I didn’t get the exhibit at all – and I’m sorry to say for me it was a waste of money!
The new standard exhibit is nice though.
Etrurskerna 3D på medelhavsmuseet i Stockholm var tyvärr inte bra. Uppenbarligen måste man ha hörlurar för att få ut något av denna utställning, även som intresserad arkeolog, vilket det inte informerades om när man köpte biljetten. Detta inser man dock ganska fort då informationsskyltarna är få och filmerna tappar sin mening utan kommentarer. Jag antar att man kan hyra hörlurar och audioguide – men så som utställningen är utformad borde detta ingå i priset, dessutom hittade jag ingen information om var man fick tag i den (även om jag antar att de finns i kassan). 3D filmerna och 3-bilderna på digitala skärmar var mycket svåra att se mednågon skärpa i 3D glasögonen, de fungerade dock bra på de tryckta stillbilderna (dessutom fungerar inte 3D-glasögonen i kombination med glasögon). Personligen ser jag dock hellre fynden verkligheten, och framför allt ge mig vettiga informationsskyltar.
Tyvärr är känslan att man lagt ut 80 kronor i onödan och gör att jag tyvärr är riktigt besviken då jag lämnar utställningen – men jag vill dock framhålla att den nya grundutställningen är trevlig.
Vad gäller Etruskerna – gör om gör rätt – vilket i detta fall tyvärr betyder gör om i princip allt!
My name is Magnus Reuterdahl and I am a Swedish archaeologist and osteologist. Most posts are connected to my work or my interests in general; Scandinavian archaeology, osteology, cultural heritage, literature and so forth.
On the blog Aqua Vitae (in Swedish) and Testimony of a wine (in English) junkie I blog on wine.
Contact; inventerare[at]hotmail[dot]com or via a comment.
