To differentiate between bones from sheep (Ovis aries) and bones from of goats (Capra hircus) is a long lasting challenge for zoologists, archaeozoologists and osteologists. Especially considering archaeological remains which are often found fractured and poorly preserved due to taphonomic processes. Zeder & Pilaar?s (2010) and Zeder & Lapham?s (2010) methods of species differentiation has shown promising results when used on bones from modern sheeps and goats. This paper aims to evaluate these methods by exerting them on excavated bones from kv.

The hillforts of Bohusl?n are numerous, yet few have been studied, leaving gaps in our understanding of their dating, morphology, and connections to nearby prehistoric sites. With the help of settlement archaeology, the aim of this study has been to analyse three hillforts on Hisingen and answer these questions. This was done by observing the location and morphology of the hillforts and by analysing the age and functions of nearby prehistoric sites within a kilometer of the hillforts. The results indicate that Bj?rlanda 22:1 and Torslanda 56:1 were likely ritualistic enclosures, while Torslanda 15:1 had defensive functions.

The aim of this paper is to illuminate and discuss the political and ideological aspects of Early Medieval Nordic music. Due to shortage of sources, this issue has been overlooked until now. Did Early Medieval Nordic music meet the requirements for political and ideological use? In what ways could music potentially be used politically and ideologically? Was music used as a political and ideological tool? This is examined by a contextual analysis combining music history and historical archaeology. The survey consists of a background account, focusing on the potential of music and some requests for political use, and three case studies, where musical reflections of societal tensions is investigated in folk music lyrics, Icelandic sagas and church art.

My aim was to get a deeper insight about the parish clerk and how this profession has changed over time in Sweden from the Middle Ages up to the eighteenth century. Who was the parish clerk? Is it possible to find out in what way his duties changed over time? The information mainly derives from written historical sources, such aslaws. It seems like the parish clerk in the countryside often was a layman whom had to be approved by the parish, the parish priest or the bishop. His position in the early Middle Ages seems to have taken the form of assistant to the priest, participating in the liturgy.

Root rot causes large economical losses for Swedish forestry. The spread of root rot can partly be prevented by treating the spruce stumps in thinnings. Late pre-commercial thinning (PCT) is one of the forestry measures where stump treatment is not used. Late PCT can be defined as: The act of cleaning the stand with the aim of improving accessibility and sight within the stand, and so to increase the mean stem´s volume during the first conventional thinning. The aim of this study was to examine how late PCT is performed, its spatial extent and if it aids the spreading of root rot. The study was limited to encompass late PCT before first conventional thinnings in spruce stands in southern Sweden. Samples of spruce stumps were taken from four stands where late PTC had been carried out.

This essay concerns the osteological cremated skeletal remains from Broe, Halla parish, Gotland of  The Late Iron Age.The focus of this essay is to determine the position of the corpse on the pyre, whether the cremated bones were crushed after or prior to the cremation and if the individual was buried in the pyre. In addition the species, age, sex and skeletal abnormalities of the bones in question will be studied.The result of the research has yielded that the cremated bones did not need to be crushed to result in the small fragment sizes. Crushing of the bones may have happened during the cremation, this conclusion has been drawn through the comparison of a pyre experiment were bone fragmentation is evident with cremated foxes, and dogs in the cremation graves from Broe. The construction of the pyre and the position of the corpse could not be determined through colouring and fragmentation of the bones.The human's were commonly buried in the pyre, and in some cases it is possible that the "grave" in fact is the remainder of a pyre. The species found are dog, horse, cow, sheep/goat and bear.

This thesis examines five deposits, some of which contain stone axes, at the settlement in V?nersn?s, Sweden. Two of them date to the late Mesolithic era. The aim is to explore the ritual world of the late Mesolithic in V?sterg?tland, Sweden and its relationship to the landscape.

This paper deals with the question of whether the symbolic language of the late Neolithic and middle Bronze Age was transferred from ceremonial monuments and barrows into the domestic sphere in the late Bronze Age. I will consider such elements as doorway orientation, the significance of boundaries and depositional practices to see if Early-Middle Iron Age settlements were indeed a major scene for ritual behaviour..

This paper deals with the question of whether the symbolic language of the late Neolithic and middle Bronze Age was transferred from ceremonial monuments and barrows into the domestic sphere in the late Bronze Age. I will consider such elements as doorway orientation, the significance of boundaries and depositional practices to see if Early-Middle Iron Age settlements were indeed a major scene for ritual behaviour..

For some time, there has been a general thought that churches built in the Early Middle Ages in Scandinavia, around the 12th century, directly replaced cult buildings or cult sites from the Late Iron Age. There are archaeologists who have criticized this and were instead skeptical that churches at all were built on places where a pre-Christian cult building existed. Several examples from Scandinavia contradict this and show a continuity of place and cult from the Late Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages. The aim of this thesis is through a spatial analysis, study Late Iron Age archaeological sites in the landscape around thirteen churches located around lake T?kern in the western part of ?sterg?tland, to see if there is a place and cult continuity from the Late Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages at the selected locations.

The purpose of this study was to examine and illustrate how young adults look at themselves and their lifesituation in relation to the late modern society. More specifically its aim was to find out if the respondents have been affected by the ideals and norms of the late modern society in their lifechoises and their view of happiness. This study was based on interviews with eight young adults in the ages between 25 - 33. Out of the eight three were singles, two were married with children and three were in relationships. During the process four themes were identified: The importance and developement of an identity, fullfillment in the respondents lifesituations, the experience of happiness in the respondents lives and how the late modern society have influenced the respondents in their lives.

The intention of this essay is to put the light on and to discuss if there is a connection between a pre-Christian creation mythology and naked rocks on prehistoric sacred places in Scandinavia. Archaeological as well as historical materials are studied. The historical material is mostly from Snorre Sturlasons Asasagan with the explanation of the creation of the world. In this story the world was built from the body of a killed and deposited giant named Ymer. Almost the same myth is told in all Indo-European countries.

This essay examines possible maternal deaths in paleodemographic analyses and grave material by comparing three cemeteries: Nya L?d?se, Helgeandsholmen and V?sterhus. By comparing mortality patterns and burial practices, the aim is to investigate possible signs of obstetric care during medieval and early modern Sweden. The results show a higher death rate for adult women in all three burial places, indicating possible maternal deaths. Fetuses and small children were found in all cemeteries and potential evidence of medical knowledge were found in Nya L?d?se.

This paper examines the possibility of identifying votive offerings among a collection of stray finds in a Late neolithic material from one farm land on the island Hven.First, I identify the Late neolithic artefacts in a collection of stray finds and make a register as well as take photographes of the artefacts. Then I compare these stray finds with material from hoards found in Scania to analyz if any similarities arise regarding length, fragmentation and patina. Additionally, I use maps to identify wetlands and a field survey to help identify and discover important areas connected to votive offerings. There is a strong possibility that the stray finds collection contains some votive offerings because similarities can be found between the lengths of the stray finds and the materials from the hoards..

The capricious roman goddess Fortune is known for her strong power to influence or even decide the destiny of humans. In ancient Rome she was considered to be a good goddess, who brought the gifts of destiny and who also was seen as a possible ally. During the Middle Ages this position changed. Fortune was given two sides, a good and friendly one and a cruel impenetrable side. She was seen as one of God´s ministers and became an expression of divine providence.My purpose with this essay is to analyse three artworks of Fortune by Giovanni Bellini, Albrecht Dürer and Master MZ, but also some texts by the renaissance humanist Niccolò Machiavelli.