Roman Iron Age Research Articles

New insights from forgotten bog bodies: The potential of bog skeletons for investigating the phenomenon of deposition of human remains in bogs during prehistory

Since the 18 th century, the peat bogs of Northern Europe have yielded the remains of hundreds of people dating from as far back as c. 8.000 BC. While the individuals with preserved soft tissue have been subjected to numerous and comprehensive studies, the less famous bog skeletons have received much less attention, even though the distinction is essentially attributable solely to differences in preservation conditions. The objective of this study is to fill this gap by providing valuable information on ten bog skeletons from the small region of Vesthimmerland in northwest Denmark. The large majority (nine out of ten) of these finds are previously unpublished. We.apply a cross-disciplinary approach consisting of osteological and paleopathological investigations combined with radiocarbon and strontium isotope analyses. Our radiocarbon results show that two of the ten bog skeletons (two adult females) date to the Nordic Neolithic Age, one 8-year old child dates to the Nordic Bronze Age, while the majority are from the Pre-Roman Iron Age and Roman Iron Age (one child, four adult females and two adult males). Anthropological examination suggested no evidence of peri-mortem violence, but the finding of gross pathologies in two individuals could hint at deliberate deposition in the bog. Nine individuals yielded strontium isotopic values suggesting a local origin, whereas a female dating to the Pre- Roman Iron Age yielded highly radiogenic signatures suggesting a non-local origin. These results represent the first cross-disciplinary study of numerous bog skeletons adding much needed information to a neglected group of individuals, shedding new light on the different theories for the deposition of human remains in bogs in prehistoric times.

Brenselsstrategi i yngre romertids jernfremstilling

Relatively little charcoal analysis has been conducted in western Norway, despite its considerable potential to contribute to the interpretation of archaeological sites. This is especially relevant in the case of ironworking and other industries which require large amounts of fuel. In 2018 excavations in Sandeid, Vindafjord k. revealed the largest ironworking site so far investigated on cultivated land in Rogaland. The site included slag pits, a possible forge furnace, midden deposits, and a building with a sunken floor ; all dated to the Roman Iron Age. Charcoal-rich structures were sampled to investigate their function as well as to contribute to wider discussions of fuel use, forest management and vegetation history. Here we present the results of this analysis and discuss the potential of charcoal analysis to contribute to the interpretation of ironworking sites in Norway.

Dunnicaer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland: a Roman Iron Age promontory fort beyond the frontier

ABSTRACT Dunnicaer, Aberdeenshire, a now isolated sea stack, is the findspot of five Pictish symbol stones discovered in the nineteenth century. Excavations from 2015 to 2017 have revealed a Roman Iron Age promontory fort, providing insights into the development of fortified settlement in north-east Scotland, with fortified sites being a key feature of first millennium AD elite practice in this region. The presence of rare and unusual finds indicates contact with the Roman world to the south and changes in the character of settlement as evidenced at Dunnicaer indicate broader transitions in the later Roman Iron Age native society. The archaeological sequence at Dunnicaer sheds new light on the adoption of non-roundhouse styles of architecture in first millennium AD Scotland and provides important evidence for the dating of the Pictish symbol tradition. A consideration of the impacts of coastal erosion on promontories of this nature suggests these are amongst the most threatened archaeological sites.

Mobility and diet in Prehistoric Denmark: strontium isotope analysis and incremental stable isotope analysis of human remains from the Limfjord area

The Limfjord in Denmark held a prominent position throughout Prehistory as a natural communication port between east and west. Identifying the presence of non-local individuals might shed light on socio-economic and cultural changes occurring in the Limfjord area. Existing studies attempting to do so using strontium isotope analysis on Danish prehistoric remains focus on certain archaeological time periods and geographic locations, resulting in an uneven distribution of analysed material. This study aimed at filling a gap in the existing literature, both from a geographical as well as a chronological point of view. Additionally, carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis on bone and tooth dentine from these individuals was carried out to examine dietary changes between childhood and adulthood. The strontium isotope results revealed four non-local individuals, two from the Neolithic, one from the Early Roman Iron Age and one from the Germanic Iron/Viking Age. We conducted incremental stable isotope analysis of tooth dentine from the four non-local individuals to investigate the palaeodietary information in their dental records at a higher resolution and potentially pinpoint their age at the time of movement. The two Neolithic individuals revealed stable isotope ratios that might be indicative of stress.

Wealth and Wetlands: Two Millennia of Landscape History in and around Haagerup, on the Island of Funen, Denmark

ABSTRACT The countryside around the village Haagerup on Funen is dominated by gently rolling hills and large tracts of woodland, wetland and fields. Looking closer, the eye catches the old monastery and the castle, but under the soil is hidden a story of amazing wealth, unrest and shifting powers. Surveys with metal detectors in recent years have brought to light unexpected quantities of metal finds, revealing new heights of the economic resources and power of the area between the Roman Iron Age and the Middle Ages. Supporting research used a multi-proxy approach to combine the artefacts and landscapes of already known sites with a range of newly discovered sites, analysing them together to track the socio-economic developments through twelve centuries. This has enabled us to identify not just how the connection between landscape, monumentality and power shifted between the eras, but also how differently this connection was manifested even within the same periods in a small area. We are able to identify bog iron to be a likely source of the area’s wealth, and we can demonstrate how the shifts between local and national government led to a complete remodelling of the landscape of power during the early middle Ages.

‘Historical Craft from the Artisan’s Point of View’. Analysis of the Results of the Survey Conducted Among Craftsmen Specialising in Historical Reconstruction

The paper presents the results of the survey carried out by the authors of this paper, the subject of which was experimental archaeology. We asked a group of artisans that deal with historical reconstruction a set of questions about the difficulties they encounter during their reconstruction work. What is their biggest problem? Where do the craftsmen derive information about the ancient technology from? How are their products received by recipients? The chronological framework of the reconstruction industry was narrowed down to one historical period (the time of the Przeworsk culture, that is the Pre-Roman Iron Age, the Roman Iron Age and Migration Period). This clearly showed some connections between a small group of craftsmen using ancient methods in their work and the academic world, and how important it is to acquire historical and archaeological knowledge and to find ethnographic inspirations in order to solve the problems of craft techniques. The survey covered artisans practising various crafts, from metalwork to pottery, which added a broader perspective to the issues studied.

Gotlandic pottery outside Gotland

The article discusses contacts and networks along the eastern coast of Sweden and around the Baltic Sea. The focus is on the decorated pottery c. 0–700 AD. Sweden and Scandinavia had different regional styles of pottery during this period. One of the most distinctive Scandinavian styles is found on Öland and Gotland. This style is distinguished by the elaborate use of stamps and vessels with handles positioned from the rim to the shoulder. Vessels made in this style are found outside the large islands, notably in Svealand, i.e. the lake Mälaren Basin in central Sweden, as well as in northern Sweden. More interesting is the spread and influences in the Dollkeim-Kovrovo culture, in north-eastern Poland, and Oblast Kaliningrad. During the Roman Iron Age, a special type of beaker is found from the Mälar basin to Gotland/Öland and further on in Oblast Kaliningrad. The connection can also be seen in dress ornaments and other artefacts. The regional differences in the pottery decrease during the Vendel Period (c. 550–800 AD). A new style of stamped vessels is spread from the Langobards in northern Italy to England and Scandinavia and marks a new, more uniform material culture. This marks probably a new area of more complex and centralised political units.

*Sæheimr: Just a Settlement by the Sea? Dating, Naming Motivation and Function of an Iron Age Maritime Place Name in Scandinavia

Derivations of the maritime place name *Saeheimr—‘the settlement by the sea’—are known from 54 examples from different parts of Scandinavia. Traditionally, these are thought to describe merely a feature of the terrain that defined a site’s location by the sea, a fjord or a lake. Consequently, they have not been the focus of archaeological research. By analysing the sites’ topographical, archaeological-historical and onomastic settings, the theory developed in this article is that the derivations of the place name *Saeheimr denote outlying landing sites of central place complexes that were established in the Roman Iron Age and Migration Period. In this respect, the phenomenon fits with and supplements the traditional Scandinavian concept of the Iron Age central place complex, in which stereotypical place names denote specific central functions, in this case maritime activities such as landing, trading, seasonally practised crafts, and defence. Market functions and the long-term exchange of goods, in particular, are collaborated by many sources. Landing and trade seem to have been prominent activities at these sites, which also show a striking coincidence with far-reaching waterways of strategic and commercial significance. In contrast to place names denoting Viking Age and medieval harbours and maritime market places, there is a dearth of corresponding names for the early Iron Age. The place name *Saeheimr and its assumed eastern-Swedish counterpart Satuna might fill this vacuum, and constitute a valuable tool for research and cultural heritage management regarding the identification of landing and trading sites established in the early Iron Age.

The environmental impact of cultural change: Palynological and quantitative land cover reconstructions for the last two millennia in northern Poland

This paper presents the first quantitative past land cover reconstructions for northern Poland using the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA), interpreted alongside traditional percentage pollen data and historical sources. These data are used to evaluate the impact of cultural change on past vegetation and land-use in northern Poland during the last 2000 years. Vegetation change and land-use are apparent corresponding to the late Roman Iron Age (1st to 3rd centuries), Migration Period (4th–7th centuries), early Medieval (8th to early-13th centuries) and late medieval (early-13th to mid-15th centuries). The Roman Iron Age is characterised by significant land cover estimates for meadowland, likely part of a broad spectrum agricultural strategy. Widespread depopulation and woodland regrowth characterise the Migration Period, followed by the progressive clearance of woodland from the 7th/8th centuries corresponding to Slavic colonisation. Polish control of the region from the mid-10th century is accompanied by intensification in agricultural land-use. However, archaeological evidence for increasing settlement instability during the 11th/12th centuries is not obviously apparent in the palynological data. This likely reflects the sporadic nature and uneven impact of conflict, but also the difficulty in resolving short-term events in the palynological record. Significant woodland clearance occurred prior to the crusades, with the consequence that there is no clearly identifiable horizon of significant landscape change associated with the arrival of the Teutonic Order. However, large tracts of woodland survived in sparsely populated frontier zones and in areas with poor agricultural soils, managed as part of an extensive provisioning network covering the Teutonic Order's state.

The Arrival of Siberian Ancestry Connecting the Eastern Baltic to Uralic Speakers further East

In this study, we compare the genetic ancestry of individuals from two as yet genetically unstudied cultural traditions in Estonia in the context of available modern and ancient datasets: 15 from the Late Bronze Age stone-cist graves (1200-400 BC) (EstBA) and 6 from the Pre-Roman Iron Age tarand cemeteries (800/500 BC-50 AD) (EstIA). We also included 5 Pre-Roman to Roman Iron Age Ingrian (500 BC-450 AD) (IngIA) and 7 Middle Age Estonian (1200-1600 AD) (EstMA) individuals to build a dataset for studying the demographic history of the northern parts of the Eastern Baltic from the earliest layer of Mesolithic to modern times. Our findings are consistent with EstBA receiving gene flow from regions with strong Western hunter-gatherer (WHG) affinities and EstIA from populations related to modern Siberians. The latter inference is in accordance with Y chromosome (chrY) distributions in present day populations of the Eastern Baltic, as well as patterns of autosomal variation in the majority of the westernmost Uralic speakers [1-5]. This ancestry reached the coasts ofthe Baltic Sea no later than the mid-first millenniumBC; i.e., in the same time window as thediversification of west Uralic (Finnic) languages [6]. Furthermore, phenotypic traits often associated with modern Northern Europeans, like light eyes, hair, and skin, as well as lactose tolerance, can be traced back to the Bronze Age in the Eastern Baltic. VIDEO ABSTRACT.

Uppåkra. A Central Site in South Scandinavian Iron Age

In the 1930s, during the construction of a house south of Lund in south-western Scania (southern Sweden), a thick occupation layer was discovered. The layer formed as a result of settlement during the Early Iron Age as a small-scale excavation demonstrated. The article is a presentation of recent investigations of the site in 1996-2014. The occupation layer, which covers an area of some 40 hectares, contained traces of settlements from the late Pre-Roman Iron Age to the Viking Age. Of particular significance are the remains of a small timber structure interpreted as a ceremonial building. It was reconstructed seven times during the 1st millennium AD and used for around seven hundred years. On each side of the ceremonial building were depositions of weapons combined with animal bones from large feasts. Besides the ceremonial building, several large halls were excavated, dating from the Roman Iron Age to the Viking Age. These produced evidence of repeated and deliberate arson. Several years of metal detector surveys have resulted in 14,000 registered finds that give a good foundation for interpreting the significance of the site in local, regional and international perspectives as an important religious, political and economic centre in southern Sweden. Contributions by a large number of scholars have helped to provide a well-based insight into different crafts and sources of artistic inspiration.

Tinginstitusjonens alder i Skandinavia belyst ved arkeologi og stedsnavnsgransking – samsvar eller ikke?

The age of the thing institution in Scandinavia as indicated by archaeological evidence and place name studies – correspondence or discrepancy?The age of the legal assemblies in Scandinavian, the Old Norse thing, is obscure. The sources, which best can shed light on the prehistoric situation, are archaeology and place names. To discuss this, two analytical categories are defined, «the archaeological thing site» and «the place name thing site» and whether the two categories affirm, supplement or contradict each other. Different thing-sites are discussed, especially those that are most recentlyargued to be thing sites from the early Iron Age. It is argued that archaeology and place names cannot individually shed light on the age of the thing institution, but with comparative use, where all available material is included, it has been shown to be probable that the thing, as an institution, extends back to the Early Roman Iron Age. Archaeological traces in their wider context can extend the thing institution further back in time than place-name research has been able to do for the time being. Nevertheless, to throw light on the age of the thing, both place names and archaeology are dependent of and complementary to each other.

Early Gothic numismatic [h]rustis and γουνθ/ιου

Abstract The inscriptions on two late Roman Iron Age coins conserved in the Ossolineum in Wrocław appear to record an early Gothic noun and name respectively. One, an imitation of an aureus of Severus Alexander, bears a runic text that seems best to be taken as [h]rustis ›adornment‹. The other, an aureus of Postumus, appears to feature a name Gunþeis or Gutteis scratched into it recorded in Greek letters. Both of the coins feature holes bored in them, indicating that they were formerly worn as pendants, much like the later Migration Age bracteates.

Roman traces in Germania magna: New thermoluminescence and pIRIR290 data from a lime kiln at Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

The applicability of a post‐infrared infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR290) protocol and two different thermoluminescence (TL) protocols—a single aliquot regeneration (SAR) and a multiple aliquot additive dose (MAAD)—was tested on six polymineral fine‐grain (4–11 μm) samples extracted from the wall remains of a Roman lime kiln and a Roman roof tile. These remains had been excavated close to Bergisch Gladbach, which was at that time part of Germania magna. For the pIRIR290 measurements, no dependence of De on first‐stimulation temperature was detectable, and the standard first stimulation temperature at 50°C was adopted. Fading tests and dose‐recovery tests were made for all samples. Background subtracted glow curves were recorded up to 480°C for TL after a preheat of 220°C for 120 s. A‐values were determined for all TL and pIRIR measurements. The results for all three protocols were fairly consistent, and TL and pIRIR290 protocols are shown to be suitable to estimate reliable equivalent doses for the fired kiln walls. The resulting ages are in agreement with the expected time range—Roman Iron Age—and with independent age control provided by radiocarbon ages of animal bones and charcoal from the firing chamber.

Hrabianki Szembekówny - pionierki archeologii wielkopolskiej z przełomu XIX i XX wieku

Archaeological interests of the Szembek earls from Siemianice near Kępno (southern Wielkopolska) have spread over many generations starting from the middle of the 19th century until the present time. This is well exemplified by activities of Jadwiga (1883-1939) and Zofia (1884-1974) Szembek. In the years 1897-1908, both sisters undertook systematic and model excavations of the multicultural cemetery (-ies) at Siemianice near Kępno (Bronze Age 11, Bronze Age V - HaD; the Late La Téne - Early Roman Iron Age) and cemetery at Lipie near Kępno (Bronze Age V). Jadwiga Szembek excavated also multicultural settlement at Tarnowica near Jaworów (western Ukraine) in 1924 and 1927. An origin and development of archaeological interests of the Szembek sisters, along with a detailed analysis of their field works, was reconstructed on the basis of unpublished archive materials and old literature of the subject. Assessment of their achievements in this field, according to both previous and current criteria, made possible to support opinion by Prof. Józef Kostrzewski who rated the Szembek sisters among archaeologists of the most outstanding merit before 1918.

Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum Geschichte und Kultur Ostmitteleuropas (GWZO), Leipzig, Germany

Impressively decorated shield fibulae (Ger. Sehieldfibeln), used from phase C2 until phase C2/C3), belong to the most elaborated metal artifacts from the Late Roman Iron Age. They have been used by communities living in Scandinavia, on the Elbe lowlands as well as by society of the Dębczyno group in Pomerania and the Cecele phase of the Wielbark culture. The paper is an attempt of a thorough chronological analysis of these fibulae from the Dębczyno group along with the burial assemblages in which they had been found. It is suggested that these adornments were an element of the women dress decoration as they have been found mostly in rich burials. It is argued that presence of the shield fibulae on this territory is indicative of wide contacts of the Late Roman Iron Age elite with Scandinavia and the Elbe lowland region.

Z badań wykopaliskowych i inwentaryzacyjnych w Nowym Krakowie, gm. Darłowo, stan. 1

The article presents history of hitherto conducing studies at this site. It is also aimed at presentation of a short-lived excavation of the early Roman Iron Age burial mound as well as the Hallstatt settlement features, conducted in the 1991 season.

Humus-rich topsoils in SW Norway – Molecular and isotopic signatures of soil organic matter as indicators for anthropo-pedogenesis

Some previous studies showed that the formation of several deep dark humus-rich topsoils in Northern Europe was strongly influenced by the application of different organic materials by anthropogenic activities in former times. Such topsoils classified as plaggic Anthrosols also occurred in the Jæren region in SW Norway. However, source material and formation time of these Plaggic Anthrosols have not yet been clarified. Close to this region we found further humus-rich topsoils in the Karmøy municipality (2 sites at main island of Karmøy and 1 site at Feøy). These soils show a thick humus-rich topsoil up to 30 cm, and their formation cannot only be explained by natural conditions. We analyzed the molecular signature of the soil organic matter (SOM) by benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCA), non-targeted bulk SOM mass spectrometry, δ34S and 14C AMS dating in order to determine source materials and the age of the SOM. The black carbon (BC) contents of the plaggic soils in Jæren (mean 3.4 g kg−1) deliver clear evidence for inputs of combustion residues from ancient fire management and/or from settlements. The C-XANES and Py-FIMS-spectra reveal relative enrichments of aromatic C and heterocyclic N compounds in the plaggic soils corresponding to the BC contents. In contrast, the humus-rich topsoils in Karmøy seem to be unaffected by fire management due to the low BC contents (mean 0.6 g kg−1) and the relative low portions of aromatic C and heterocyclic N compounds from C-XANES and Py-FIMS. The δ34S isotope signature of the SOM ranged from 10.6 to 15.2‰ in the soils at the islands and 10.0 to 13.5‰ in Jæren, corresponding to the Anthrosols in the Baltic Sea region (Median: δ34S = 11.5‰) and suggest an input of marine biomass (δ34S of seaweed = 20‰). The AMS 14C dating and complementary archaeological literature implied that the soils in Jæren and Karmøy have been formed between the Roman Iron Age (500 BC to AD 500) and the Viking Age (AD 800 to AD 1,000). Our results provide strong evidence for an anthropo-pedogenesis of the humus-rich topsoils in Karmøy and indicate parallels to the plaggic soils in Jæren as well as to Anthrosols in the Baltic Sea region. Therefore, we propose to classify the humus-rich topsoils in Karmøy as Anthrosols.

Dla obcego inny grób? Wielkopolskie groby typu bustum jako przykład przyswojonej inności religijnej

The paper is an attempt to present a model of an attitude towards strangers: getting to know, tolerating, accepting, and finally assimilating them, in terms of funeral rites, and thus of different religion. Such is a case manifested by an appearance of bustum type graves within the Przeworsk culture cemeteries in Wielkopolska (Greater Poland) in the Roman Iron Age.

Domestic cats (Felis catus) in Denmark have increased significantly in size since the Viking Age

The earliest finds of domestic cat in Denmark date back to the Roman Iron Age (c. 1–375 AD). Initially, cats occurred sparsely and only from the Viking Age (c. 850–1050 AD) did they become more fre...