This study deals with the contribution of the genetic variant lactase persistence among Neolithic people from the Baltic Island Öland. Skeletal remains from twelve individuals went through DNA sequencing in order to find the mutation that allows adult individuals to digest milk sugar. The twelve individuals were chosen from two different Neolithic sites, where the archaeological and isotopic data suggest that the individuals from Köpingsvik were hunters and gatherers and the individuals from Resmo were early farmers. The individuals with the genetic variant lactase persistence can be described with selection and genetic flow.  Only five individuals produced results and the mutation was found in two of the subjects. All the individuals who were successfully sequenced came from Resmo, whereasno individuals from Köpingsvik yielded any results.

This paper deals with testing the method Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) on the copy of the Piraeus-lion in Historic Museum in Stockholm. The purpose is to find out if it is possible to gather more information about the runic inscriptions. RTI is a method that records the surface normal of individual pixels in a digital photograph by analyzing the impact of light coming from different angles of entrance. RTI produces sort of a 3D-image of the object. There will be an overview of earlier interpretations of the runic scripts written on the lion as well as an overview of Varangians in the southeast.

This survey deals with textile production and how it was carried out during the late Iron Age,with main focus on a central place, Uppåkra. A comparison has been carried out betweenUppåkra and two agrarian settlements, Fosie and V. Karaby, from the nearby landscape toinvestigate whether any variation in production can be detected. The value of textiles has alsobeen investigated to determine whether a potential specialization in production may have ledto a surplus.An analytical and comparative method has been used with focus on the context of thematerial.The results show that the textile production vary at the different sites, and that a need fordifferent types of textiles has existed. At Uppåkra, the possibility to produce fine threads andtextiles existed as demonstated by the findings of small and lightweighted spindle whorls.This suggests that the production may have included both fine and coarse textiles.

This essay is comparing two authors and the way they make use of and explain some of the archaeological methods and artifacts through their books.The first author is the Swedish archaeologist Stig Welinder, who has written Jordbrukets första femtusen år (The First Five Thousand Years of Agriculture). The second author is the American archaeologist and writer Adrian Praetzellis, who has written the book Death by Theory.These books are very different in some ways, but not in others. The main difference is that Death by Theory is belles-lettres while Jordbrukets första femtusen år is science.Both authors explain and in some way apply the use of the terms ?artifact? and ?ethnoarchaeology?, which is the two main subjects of comparison in this essay. The way they present these subjects, through their different styles of writing, is compared and discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse and discuss clinch-nails found at an excavation at terrace II in the Garrison of Birka, on the island of Björkö in Sweden. This type of clinch-nails is common in Viking age Sweden and is usually interpreted as coming from boats. The study will try to show that these types of nails could have been used in several kinds of wooden constructions. It will also show how the nails were made and what kinds of tools were used by the Viking smiths. The study has shown that this type of nails were used in several different types of wooden constructions such as boats, sleds, cart bodies, coffins, Birka's ramparts and buildings.

Abstract? ?there is no reason?to assume that prehistorians cannot study ancient symbolism and beliefs. The question remains, however, how best to study symbolism within the material confines of archaeological research?(Fogelin 2007:63)With my essay I would like to bring up the meaning of the soapstonelamp for the Thule culture in Greenland. Humans in the arctic area, from the same in the north of Scandinavia to the inuites in Greenland, have a common way of viewing the world that stems from anemismen.

This essay deals with a picture-stone that was found in a pre Christian grave during the archaeological excavations of the Viking Age harbour and trading place at Fröjel parish, Gotland, in 1999. The stone is at least 100 years older then the male grave in which it was found. The picture-stone can be dated to  late 8th century or early 9th century, and the grave is probably from the late 10th century. One of the main questions in this essay is why the people of that time re-used an older picture-stone in a younger burial. I believe that the stone was reused as a grave-gift.

Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att identifiera exempel då datorgrafik har visualiserat historien och diskutera vilken effekt datorgrafik har på museum. Inledningen presenterar varierande hot från människa och natur mot arkeologiska lämningar och motivationen att bevara samt fördelar med att ha en 3D modell. Nästa kapitel ser tillbaka på uppkomsten av datorgrafik och bakgrunden till museer och vad besökare tycker samt är ute efter vid besök av dessa. Därefter redogörs metoderna med vilka denna studie bedrivits för att sedan skildra teknikerna genom hela arbetsprocessen för att öka förståelsen för icke sakkunniga. Den längre delen spaltar upp exempel på fullbordade projekt; vad som är unikt i varje fall och vilka lärdomar som framkommit.

Vad är materialitet? Denna fråga i kombination med den förhistoriska individen, är något av en utgångspunkt för uppsatsarbetet; materialitetsbegreppet och människans syn på tingen som omgav henne. För en vidare finslipning av syftet med just min uppsats, är det att se hur man uppfattat glas under romersk järnålder i Sydskandinavien. Finns det möjligen skillnader i den geografiska spridningen av glaset, sett ur en estetisk synvinkel?Det teoretiska avsnittet grundar sig på den dialogiska teorin i egenskap av kommunikationsteori ? d.v.s.

In this essay I try to look into how to bring a new concept to an already established Viking village and how to develop the existing one. This essay also sheds light on some negative sides that a Viking village can experience in their activity.I have interviewed responsible persons at three different Viking villages: Foteviken Museum and Viking Reserve, Fornföreningen Fibulas Viking village and VikingaTider. I have also examined different kinds of literature dealing with my chosen Viking villages.I came to the conclusion that I should have chosen an other Viking village than VikingaTider because a lot of VikingaTiders activity hasn´t really started yet. On the other hand it has been interesting to see how they are trying to start the activity and which their plans are. I could have chosen an other already established Viking village to get a more varied material.There are a lot of things that Fibula can do to improve, develop and bring new aspects to their concept.I have found both advantages and disadvantages with the different Viking villages activity and strategi.Different questions about authenticity has shown to be the most difficult problem.

The main aim was to investigate the provenance of Viking age antler material findings of moose and red deer from Sigtuna and from three sites on the island of Gotland in the Baltic sea. This was done by analysis of the stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur. Thre were never any living population of these mammals on Gotland during the Viking age.?34S-values of sulphur from this study was compared with earlier research and by studying maps of the Swedish bedrock. The ?34S-values were more like the ?34S-value for bedrock other than European granite.

Uppsatsen utgår från ett historiematerialistiskt perspektiv för att studera Tågerup. Tågerup är en stenåldersboplats i Skåne, öster om Landskrona. På platsen har det funnits Kongemose- och Ertebøllekultur. Uppsatsens frågeställningar är: Hur såg arbetsuppdelningen mellan kvinnor och män ut? Hur var familjerna sammansatta?Finns det några skillnader mellan hur historiematerialister tolkar arbetsuppdelningen och de sociala relationerna jämfört med de arkeologer som har arbetat med Tågerup?De historiematerialistiska teorierna utgår dels från Marx och Engels och dels från arkeologer och antropologer som har vidareutvecklat deras teorier.

In this essay I try to look into how to bring a new concept to an already established Viking village and how to develop the existing one. This essay also sheds light on some negative sides that a Viking village can experience in their activity.I have interviewed responsible persons at three different Viking villages: Foteviken Museum and Viking Reserve, Fornföreningen Fibulas Viking village and VikingaTider. I have also examined different kinds of literature dealing with my chosen Viking villages.I came to the conclusion that I should have chosen an other Viking village than VikingaTider because a lot of VikingaTiders activity hasn´t really started yet. On the other hand it has been interesting to see how they are trying to start the activity and which their plans are. I could have chosen an other already established Viking village to get a more varied material.There are a lot of things that Fibula can do to improve, develop and bring new aspects to their concept.I have found both advantages and disadvantages with the different Viking villages activity and strategi.

THE THIN RED LINE ? Identity in theory and method With this essay I want to explore some possibilities with the term identity within archaeology. Identity is a term best understood in the light of different scientific approaches. For instance the anthropological and historical angel combined with the quality of archaeology, as is the case in this essay. By combining these approaches, I create a (clarification) method of exploring traces of identity.By analysing two different graves from Scania, having a negligible number of artefacts from the Viking Age, and three graves from Bornholm, known for its large number of finds from this period, I test the ability of my method.

Tovesson. R 2012: Orientering av liv och död under mellanneolitikum. Irland, Orkneyöarna och södra England under perioden ca 4000 f.kr ? 2000 f.kr.The orientation of life and death- Ireland, Orkney, and Southern England during c 4000-2000 BC.Magisteruppsats i arkeologi. Linnéuniversitetet Kalmar Vt.