Eastern Central Sweden Research Articles

Killing Cattle –Age Selection of Cattle at Iron Age Central Places in Third–Eleventh Century AD Sweden based on Tooth Wear

ABSTRACT Cattle were the most important livestock in Iron Age Scandinavia and have been utilised in multiple ways. This paper aims to investigate the kill-off patterns of cattle in the first millennium (third–eleventh century) AD at four complex and multifunctional sites in Sweden, namely Helgö, Gamla Uppsala, Uppåkra and Stanstorp. The mortality profiles are derived from data on tooth development and wear, with a focus on the dp4 and M3. The results support the notion of regional differences in the selection of animals between eastern central and southern Sweden. The kill-off patterns at Uppåkra and Stanstorp, with a large proportion of adult animals, resemble the pattern observed in early urban centres, such as Birka and Sigtuna. The mortality profiles both at Helgö and Gamla Uppsala exhibit a kill-off pattern with a large proportion of calves and young adults. The patterns are linked to the climatic and ecological preconditions, as well as to food preferences and ritual activities. There does not seem to be a specific age group selected for ritual depositions. However, a recurring kill-off pattern with a high proportion of either juveniles or adult cattle may be linked to a specific selection for communal consumption and feasting events.

Dwellings and workspaces at Strandvägen, 5600–5000 cal. BC

This paper describes identified workspaces and the manufacture of slotted bone points at the Late Mesolithic settlement Strandvägen in Motala, in eastern central Sweden. Several dwellings were documented, Dwelling 1 being typically round-oval in shape 9×5.5 meters, with a floor area covering 49.5 m2. Radiocarbon dates fall between approximately 5600-5200cal BC. A combined archaeological record, with lithics and bone artefacts as well as analyses of the osteological assemblage has shown that slotted bone tools with mounted lithic inserts have been produced adjacent of the dwelling. The spatial distribution of bone flakes, microblades, processed resin and slotted artefacts testify to a clearly and delimited craft area near the shoreline of the river Motala Ström. Analyses of the finds, e.g. birch bark resin and prepared bone preforms by direct percussion, also help in reconstructing the stages of manufacturing composite projectile points in this part of Eurasia.

Points of bone and antler from the Late Mesolithic settlement in Motala, eastern central Sweden

Excavations at Motala, eastern central Sweden, have yielded a large and diverse material of osseous tools dating from the Late Mesolithic, c. 6000-4500 cal BC. The assembled collection comprises so ...

Living by the shore: Mesolithic dwellings and household in Motala, eastern central Sweden, 5600–5000 cal BC

Dwellings symbolize culture, give meaning to everyday activities and provide central places for a range of household activities. This study focuses on hunter-gatherer households at the Late Mesolithic settlement in Motala, and the spatial arrangement of indoor and outdoor activities of two well preserved dwellings, Dwelling 4 and 6, at the site Strandvägen. We present structural elements as well as utilized lithics, firewood selection and choices in diet and food consumption. By studying methods of fishing and remains of fish processing we conclude that the inhabitants must have had ways of storage at the site. Through a combination of archaeobothanical studies and chemical analyzes we also confirm the exploitation of starch rich rhizomes and root tubers as part of the diet at the settlement. Post-built constructions, indoor hearths and estimated floor areas suggest the use of the dwellings as winter residences and probably utilized by multiple family units.

Diet and mobility among Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in Motala (Sweden) - The isotope perspective

Recent excavations at the sites of Strandvägen and Kanaljorden in Motala, Eastern Central Sweden, have unearthed complex and varied funerary remains from the Mesolithic. The two sites are situated on opposite banks of the river Motala Ström. While geographically close and roughly covering the same time span (c. 8000–7000cal. BP), the funerary remains reveal differences and similarities in the treatment of the dead between the two localities. While at Strandvägen human bones were mostly found either scattered along the river bed or in inhumation graves, Kanaljorden contains wetland depositions of disarticulated skulls. We have conducted multi-isotope analyses of δ13C, δ15N, δ34S and 87Sr/86Sr of human and animal remains with the aim of reconstructing the dietary patterns, geographic provenance and mobility of the interred. A series of faunal reference samples and, in the case of 87Sr/86Sr, soil samples have been analysed in order to establish relevant isotopic baselines. The results show a protein intake dominated by aquatic resources, probably consisting of both freshwater and marine fish in varied proportions. The strontium isotope data indicate an interesting distinction between the individuals buried on either side of the river Motala Ström. Five out of six sampled individuals from Strandvägen have isotope ratios consistent with a local provenance, whereas ratios from seven out of eight Kanaljorden individuals indicate a non-local origin. The δ34S analysis proved problematic as a majority of the samples appear to be affected by diagenesis. This is probably the result of contamination by exogenous sulphur from surrounding fluvial and lacustrine sediments, as has previously been reported from other waterlogged sites.

Effects of ungulate browsing on recruitment of aspen and rowan: a demographic approach

Aspen (Populus tremula L.) and rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.) are important for biodiversity conservation and aesthetic reasons. Intensified levels of ungulate browsing the last decades have raised concerns over the recruitment of aspen and rowan in boreal forests. Demographic data are vital to understand and quantify how the structure of tree populations are affected over time by browsing and other factors but such data are rare. In a five-year study, we quantified vital demographic rates for co-occurring aspen and rowan using exclosures in a productive forest area in eastern-central Sweden. Mean annual browsing rate on small (<1 m) aspen and rowan stems was 20 vs. 38%, whereas the order in browsing intensity was reversed for stems of medium (1–2 m) size (28 vs. 14%). Browsing had a clear negative effect on transition rate from small to medium size class in both species, but had a much smaller impact on transition rate from medium to large (2–3 m) size class. Residence time for small stems and regeneration rate was much higher in aspen than in rowan, but browsing did not affect these dynamics. Transition to ungulate safe height (>3 m) was reduced with a factor of two in rowan and four in aspen by browsing.

Interception and retention of wet-deposited radiocaesium and radiostrontium on a ley mixture of grass and clover

The aims of this study were to assess the potential radioactive contamination of fodder in the case of accidental radionuclide fallout, and to analyse the relationship between interception and retention of radionuclides as a function of biomass and Leaf Area Index (LAI). The interception and the retention of wet deposited 134Cs and 85Sr in ley (a mixture of grass and clover) were measured after artificial wet deposition in a field trial in Uppsala (eastern central Sweden). The field trial had a randomised block design with three replicates. 134Cs and 85Sr were deposited at six different growth stages during two growing seasons (2010 and 2011) using a rainfall simulator. The biomass was sampled in the center of each parcel 2 to 3h after deposition and at later growth stages (1 to 5) during the growing season. The above ground biomass and LAI were measured as well.The interception of radionuclides by the ley was largest at the late growth stages; the spike and tassel/flowering (code 5:6) in the 1st year, and at flowering/initial flowering (code 6:5) in the 2nd year. There was a correlation between radionuclide interception and above ground plant biomass, as well as with LAI, for both radionuclides in both years. The highest activity concentrations of both radionuclides were measured after deposition at the late growth stages and were found to be higher in the 2nd year. The weathering half-lives were shorter at the earlier growth stages than at the later growth stages for both radionuclides. For the magnitude of deposition chosen in our experiment, it can be concluded that the above ground biomass is a good predictor and the LAI a more uncertain predictor of the interception of radiocaesium and radiostrontium by ley grass and clover.

Spatial and Temporal Trends in New Cases of Men with Modified Teeth from Sweden (AD 750–1100)

Vikings with artificially modified teeth have previously been documented in the south-eastern parts of Scandinavia and in England. In a project dealing with life in the Mälaren Valley in Sweden during the period AD 750–1100, new cases of people with modified maxillary teeth were observed. The hypothesis that the practice was entirely associated with adult men dating to the Viking Age was tested. The new cases demonstrate that the habit extended to eastern-central Sweden, including the proto-town of Birka, perhaps as early as in the middle of the eighth century. Additionally, cases from Sigtuna show that the practice may have ended as late as the beginning of the twelfth century. A microanalysis, using a scanning electron microscope, showed the heterogeneous character of the modifications. The affected individuals were all adult men, similar to previously published cases. Some of the men are associated with weapons and violent acts and the cases from Sigtuna were all from cemeteries with a possible association with lower social strata. However, discrepancies in archaeological contexts and in the characteristics of the modifications suggest temporal and spatial variation in the social meaning of the modifications.

Full waveform inversion of seismic reflection data from the Forsmark planned repository for spent nuclear fuel, eastern central Sweden

The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) has been carrying out extensive studies at the planned repository for spent nuclear fuel at the Forsmark site in the eastern part of central Sweden since 2002. Identification of subhorizontal to gently dipping seismic reflections is especially important since these may represent transport routes for radionuclides. Studies have shown that such reflections can be generated by water filled fracture zones that have a lower velocity than the surrounding bedrock. Lithological changes, that is, mafic sills, may also be responsible for reflections in some cases. At the Forsmark site, it is difficult to distinguish fracture zones from mafic sills in the standard reflection seismic processed sections. However, since mafic sills usually have a positive velocity contrast with the background velocity field compared to fractures zones that have a negative one, the two possibilities could be differentiated if we could reconstruct the underground velocity field. Seismic full waveform inversion has the potential to perform this reconstruction, allowing us to discriminate between fractures zones and mafic sills. In this study, we apply a 2-D waveform inversion code on crooked line data sets acquired at the Forsmark site. This implies we are dealing with a 3-D geometry. We handle this problem by applying 3-D to 2-D coordinate projections. First, we perform a synthetic benchmark test with a similar geometry to that of the projected real data. We test both amplitude and phase inversion and phase only inversion on the synthetic data. The results show that the phase only inversion has fewer artefacts and is more stable. After successful application on the synthetic data, we apply the phase only waveform inversion on the real data. The resulting velocity fields show more details compared with the starting model based on first arrival traveltime tomography. Time domain synthetic data sets generated from the final velocity fields show a good match between the early arriving phase of the real data and the synthetic data sets. Checkerboard tests are also applied on the final models for resolution checks and indicate good resolution down to 200 m in the central parts of the profiles. Based on a comparison between the Kirchhoff pre-stack depth migrated sections and the final waveform inversion results we conclude that the reflections investigated most likely are generated at low-velocity fracture zones.

Lipid residue analyses of Early Neolithic funnel-beaker pottery from Skogsmossen, eastern Central Sweden, and the earliest evidence of dairying in Sweden

This study address the question of the use and function of Early Neolithic (4000–3000 cal. BC) funnel-beaker pots from Mälardalen in eastern Central Sweden. The material studied is pottery from a wetland offering at the site Skogsmossen in the province of Västmanland. While deposited under ritual circumstances in a fen, the pots were likely used in a domestic domain on the settlement adjacent to the offering fen, prior to final deposition. The lipid analysis indicate a varied vessel use, there are traces of aquatic resources, plants, terrestrial animals and milk. The identification of milk residue is the oldest so far from Sweden.

Neolitisk avfallshantering och samhällsförändring

This article deals with eastern central Sweden and the late Neolithic transition from a coastal based hunter-gatherer society, to a society based more or less on agriculture. The article proposes a hypothesis based on an earlier study, suggesting that the period for the shift to agriculture is visible; for example, in the change in waste management systems on dwelling sites, during the period 2500-2300 BC. Furthermore, it is suggested that the late Neolithic transition and the time span for the late Neolithic period itself, at least in the studied area, perhaps starts somewhat earlier than it is considered today.

Stjärneberg

In Eastern Central Sweden, two lithic traditions met during the Mesolithic. South of Östergötland, the primary raw material used in the making of tools was flint. In Östergötland and further north, quartz was the most common raw material used. Recently a small Mesolithic quartz quarry has been excavated outside the city of Linköping, in the central part of Östergötland. The site Stjärneberg, placed on a former island in the archipelago of the Litorina Sea, contained an exploited vein of quartz. The Stjärneberg site alsocontained other traces of a Mesolithic settlement, such as several pits and hearth pits. The hearth pits were radiocarbon dated to the Middle Mesolithic, approximately 7000 BP. Although Stjärneberg contained common elements of a settlement, the site was interpreted as a location visited primarily with the intention of extracting quartz.

Bostäder och boplatsorganisation under stenålder

In this article huts and houses found on the Neolithic coastal settlements, in eastern Central Sweden. The study reveals a pattern of change, which appears to be regionally specific. I interpret these transitions as changes in lifestyle and social organisation, which are mirrored in the housing. The first change is gradual, leading from the Mesolithic on to the Neolithic. I interpret this change as a result of an increasing specialization in hunting strategies and development of storage economy, which leads to an increase in thesize of the groups. The second change in the building tradition is a clear break with the older way of life in coastal settlements. This development is also visible as a change in the location of the settlements, as well as the introduction of livestock, crops and new burial practices.

The distribution of 137Cs, K, Rb and Cs in plants in a Sphagnum-dominated peatland in eastern central Sweden

We record the distribution of 137Cs, K, Rb and Cs within individual Sphagnum plants (down to 20 cm depth) as well as 137Cs in vascular plants growing on a peatland in eastern central Sweden. In Calluna vulgaris 137Cs was mainly located within the green parts, whereas Andromeda polifolia, Eriophorum vaginatum and Vaccinium oxycoccos showed higher 137Cs activity in roots. Carex rostrata and Menyanthes trifoliata showed variable distribution of 137Cs within the plants. The patterns of 137Cs activity concentration distribution as well as K, Rb and Cs concentrations within individual Sphagnum plants were rather similar and were usually highest in the capitula and/or in the subapical segments and lowest in the lower dead segments, which suggests continuous relocation of those elements to the actively growing apical part. The 137Cs and K showed relatively weak correlations, especially in capitula and living green segments (0–10 cm) of the plant ( r = 0.50). The strongest correlations were revealed between 137Cs and Rb ( r = 0.89), and between 137Cs and stable Cs ( r = 0.84). This suggests similarities between 137Cs and Rb in uptake and relocation within the Sphagnum, but that 137Cs differs from K.

Invasion of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and the rise of the boreal ecosystem in Fennoscandia

Summary 1. Norway spruce ( Picea abies ), one of the dominant tree species in Eurasia, has spread slowly westward in northern Europe, invading eastern Finland about 6500 calibrated years ago (cal. years BP), eastern central Sweden about 2700 cal. years BP and southern Norway about 1000 cal. years BP. Its spread is the most recent and best constrained invasion of a main tree species in northern Europe and allows an assessment of colonization patterns and associated competitive replacement processes. 2. We analysed five selected high-resolution pollen accumulation rate (PAR) -records along a 700-km long transect in the direction of P. abies invasion from eastern Finland to central Sweden across the present P. abies - and Pinus sylvestris- dominated southern boreal zone. 3. Our results show that the P. abies population increased in size from the time of the initial expansion to levels comparable with the modern in 100‐550 years. At each site P. abies invaded a dense, intact Pinus ‐ Betula ‐ Alnus forest, mixed with temperate deciduous taxa, particularly Tilia cordata and Corylus avellana . The resident mixed forest provided no or weak resistance to the colonization of P. abies , and the variable population growth rate was therefore not caused by compositional differences in the resident forest but by other, possibly local edaphic factors. 4. Of the taxa that formed the resident forest, T . cordata responded most strongly to the invasion of P. abies . This suggests that the mid-Holocene T. cordata population decline was not directly climateinduced but resulted from competitive replacement due to overlapping ecological niches with P. abies , a stronger competitor. 5. Synthesis . The rise to dominance of P. abies was caused not only by its rapid population growth but by associated competitive suppression of other taxa, leading to a major ecosystem change from a mixed conifer-deciduous forest to the modern P. abies - and P. sylvestris -dominated boreal conifer forest in central Fennoscandia. This competitive suppression by P. abies is still reflected in the scattered occurrence and generally weak performance of T. cordata in the boreal zone of Europe and may influence its distribution and abundance patterns under predicted future climate scenarios.

Wild at heart: Approaching Pitted Ware identity, economy and cosmology through stable isotopes in skeletal material from the Neolithic site Korsnäs in Eastern Central Sweden

The Middle Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture on the Baltic Sea islands comprised a common identity distinguished, in part, by an almost exclusively marine diet. Based on evidence from the first stable isotope analysis on Pitted Ware skeletal material from the Eastern Central Swedish mainland, we suggest that this identity was shared by PWC groups in the archipelago of the west side of the Baltic. Fifty-six faunal and 26 human bone and dentine samples originating from the Pitted Ware site Korsnäs in Södermanland, Sweden were analysed, and the data clearly shows that the diet of the Korsnäs people was marine, predominantly based on seal. The isotope data further indicate that the pig bones found in large quantities on the site emanate from wild boar rather than domestic pigs. The large representation of pig on several Pitted Ware sites, which cannot be explained in terms of economy, is interpreted as the results of occasional hunting of and ritual feasting on wild boar, indicating that the animal held a prominent position, alongside seal, in the hunting identity and cosmology of the Pitted Ware people. Further, eleven new radiocarbon dates are presented, placing the Korsnäs site, with a large probability, within Middle Neolithic A.

Long‐term effects of drainage and initial effects of hydrological restoration on rich fen vegetation

AbstractQuestions: What vegetational changes does a boreal rich fen (alkaline fen) undergo during a time period of 24 years after drainage? How is plant species richness affected, and what are the changes in composition of ecological groups of species? Is it possible to recover parts of the original flora by rewetting the rich fen? Which are the initial vegetation changes in the flora after rewetting? What are the major challenges for restoration of rich fen flora after rewetting?Location: Eastern central Sweden, southern boreal vegetational zone. Previously rich fen site, drained for forestry purposes during 1978–1979. The site was hydrologically restored (rewetted) in 2002.Method: Annual vegetation survey in permanent plots during a period of 28 years.Results: There were three successional stages in the vegetational changes. In the first stage there was a rapid (&lt; 5 years) loss of rich fen bryophytes. The second step was an increase of sedges and early successional bryophytes, which was followed by an increase of a few emerging dominants, such as Molinia caerulea, Betula pubescens and Sphagnum spp. After rewetting, there are indications of vegetation recovery, albeit at slow rates. Depending on, for instance, initial species composition different routes of vegetation change were observed in the flora after drainage, although after 24 years, species composition became more homogenous and dominated by a few species with high cover.Conclusion: Major changes have occurred after changes in the hydrology (drainage and rewetting) with a severe impact on the biodiversity among vascular plants and bryophytes. Several rich fen bryophytes respond quickly to the changes in water level (in contrast to vascular plants). The recovery after rewetting towards the original rich fen vegetation is slow, as delayed by substrate degradation, dispersal limitation and presence of dominant species.

A comparative study of peat proxies from two eastern central Swedish bogs and their relation to meteorological data

AbstractAnalyses of peat humification, testate amoebae, carbon and nitrogen content have been carried out on a peat sequence from Ältabergsmossen. At Gullbergbymossen testate amoebae and peat humification were analysed. Both bogs are located in eastern central Sweden. The longest sequence, Ältabergsmossen, covers the last 150 yr and the data from Gullbergbymossen covers the last 60 yr, both with a time resolution of ca. 2–4 yr cm−1. The different proxies were compared to each other and were also compared to instrumental meteorological data. Correlation between peat humification and C/N ratios is high whereas the correlation is low between these physical/chemical parameters and reconstructed water tables inferred from the testate amoebae assemblages. High peat humification values and C/N ratios greater than 50 indicate aerobic decay and are thought to reflect the thickness of the acrotelm. High humification values and low C/N ratios are recorded in peat deposited between 1965 and 1980, whereas the dry period starts in the early 1970s according to instrumental meteorological data and inferred water‐table depth. The difference in the timing of the onset of a dry‐shift between the physical/chemical proxies and meteorological data and testate amoebae derived water table changes is interpreted as renewed decay of already deposited peat. The term secondary decomposition is used for this process. The secondary decomposition process has implications for interpreting physical/chemical and biological parameters in peat as they may be out of phase during the beginning of a dry‐shift. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Effects of forest-fuel harvesting on the amount of deadwood on clear-cuts

Forest residue left after clear-cutting is increasingly being used as biofuel in Sweden. Deadwood is an important habitat for many species and a crucial resource for forest biodiversity. On eight clear-cuts in eastern central Sweden, the amount of Picea abies (L.) Karst. deadwood left on the ground was compared with the amount collected in piles for fuelwood extraction. It was found that 65% of the volume, 77% of the surface area and 84% of the pieces of slash were to be extracted. In another study on 23 clear-cuts in the same region, it was found that 36% of the logs left outside piles after clear-cutting were later removed. These studies indicate that a considerable amount of potential substrate is lost during slash extraction.

Reconstructed water tables from two ombrotrophic mires in eastern central Sweden compared with instrumental meteorological data

Water-level changes for the last 125 years were reconstructed from two ombrotrophic mires in eastern central Sweden using testate amoebae assemblages. The reconstructed water tables show the same overall pattem with high water tables during the 1950s and 1960s and low water levels from the 1970s until present. The similarity in the two records supports the hypothesis that water-table changes in the ombrotrophic mires of this area are driven by climate change. Correlation of decadal means of reconstructed iV l water levels and instrumental meteorological data was performed to examine the relationship between water table and climatic variability. The results show that the reconstructed water tables are correlated with changes in mean annual temperature (p &lt; 0.05). This contrasts with similar data for other parts of Europe where correlations have been found with summer or annual precipitation and temperature. We A suggest that low rainfall in this area of Sweden makes the peatlands more susceptible to changing temperaHOLOCENE ture and that the lack of a response to precipitation is a function of low rainfall variability over the comRESEARCH parison period. The results show that mire surface wetness responses to climate change are spatially PAPER variable and greater attention should be given to understanding this variability if more accurate palaeoclimatic inferences are to be drawn from longer Holocene records.