Hellere i Rogaland og bruken av landskapet i førromersk jernalder

Abstract

Rock shelters and landscape use in Rogaland during the Pre-Roman Iron AgeThis article discusses the occupation of rock shelters in Rogaland during the Pre-Roman Iron Age (BC 500–1). In total, seven rock shelters show traces of use in this period, and all are located less than 3 km from contemporary farms or good farming areas. In South-Norway, the settlement expanded substantially during this period. A reason for this was a collective approach concerning how and where to settle. The expansion led to a greater pressure on outfield resources and grazing areas. The location of rock shelters suggests that they served as important focal points in the landscape when organizing and exercising rights to exploit outfield resources. The occupation in most of the rock shelters seems to have been sporadic and for short periods only, and most likely the rock shelters have served as nodes when organizing grazing activity. One rock shelter stands out with thick cultural layers and traces of a specialized utilization of maritime resources. This kind of specialized work and repeated visits over a long period suggests a collective use and the collaboration of different farms and households.