Palynological evidence for pre-agricultural reindeer grazing and the later settlement history of the Lycksele region, northern Sweden

Ilse M Kamerling,J Edward Schofield,Kevin J Edwards

doi:10.1007/s12520-021-01275-7

Abstract

Analyses of high-resolution pollen data, coprophilous fungal spores, microscopic charcoal and sedimentology, combined with radiocarbon dating, allow the assessment of the impact of Sami and Nordic land use in the region surrounding the winter market town of Lycksele in northern Sweden. Such winter markets were established by the Crown during the seventeenth century AD to control the semi-nomadic movements of the Sami who traded here with Finnish settlers and were also taxed and educated. Little is known about Sami and Nordic co-existence beyond these market places, mainly due to a lack of archaeological evidence relating to Sami activity. Vegetation and land-use changes in the region between ~ AD 250 and 1825 reveal no signal for pre-seventeenth century agricultural activity, but the coprophilous fungal spore records suggest the increased regional presence of grazing herbivores (possibly reindeer) between ~ AD 800 and 1100. Sami activity in the parish of Lycksele has been suggested by rich metal finds dated to ~ AD 1000–1350 and they may have been attracted by an abundance of reindeer.

Highlights

This paper reports the findings of palynological investigations at the Nordic farming settlements of Gammelhemmet-iKnaften and Hornmyr within the catchment of the market town of Lycksele, in Västerbotten province, northern Sweden (Fig. 1)
The aims of our investigation were as follows: (i) to use pollen analysis and associated proxies to confirm ideas regarding the introduction of agriculture, and the Nordic settlement history of the area; (ii) to consider whether a signal for Sami activity may be evident in the palynological record
Separating contemporaneous signals for Sami activity and Nordic settlement. At both Gammelhemmet and Hornmyr, a clear signal for Finnish colonization supported by inferred slash-and-burn is seemingly evident in the palynological record, through a positive response in microscopic charcoal

Summary

Introduction

This paper reports the findings of palynological investigations at the Nordic farming settlements of Gammelhemmet-iKnaften and Hornmyr within the catchment of the market town of Lycksele, in Västerbotten province, northern Sweden (Fig. 1). Such markets formed the main centres of cultural interaction between the Sami and Nordic agricultural settlers, and offer an opportunity to study the activities of both cultural groups. Research into the past activity of Nordic agriculturalists and Sami has focused either on high altitude alpine forests in the west (Salmonsson 2003; Karlsson et al 2007, 2009; Staland et al 2011; Östlund et al 2015) or on coastal areas in the east (Engelmark 1976; Hörnberg et al 2014). Sami reindeer herding is one of five Eurasian types (Aronsson 1991) and is characterised by reindeer milking, dog-controlled pasturing, and the use of reindeer for the transport of goods/people and as decoys during hunting (Heinrich 2006; Müller-Wille et al 2006)

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion