Notes and Reviews
http://kulturarvsdata.se/raa/fornvannen/html/1959_062 Fornvännen 1959, s. 62-64
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A K T U E L L T
b r a n d g r a v a r som kristet p å v e r k a d e skelettgravar. Det a n d r a bestod av 230 f o r n l ä m n i n g a r och torde h u v u d s a k l i g e n tillhöra r o m e r s k j ä r n å l d e r . Bland g r a v f o r m e r n a m ä r k a s r u n d a , t r i a n g u l ä r a och k v a d r a t i s k a stensällningar, i vilka påträffades såväl b r a n d g r a v a r som skelettgravar, F y n d b c s l å n d e l v å r rikt och o m v ä x l a n d e .
NOTES AND REVIEWS
Two Scal H a r p o o n s from HälslnglanäVs Stone Age. Of lhe Iwo h a r p o o n finds, which Louise Cedersciiiöld here publishes, one comes from Skarv- tjärn, H a r m å n g e r parish (fig. 1), a n d has, by means of pollen analysis, been dated at p r o b a b l y some time in the centuries closely preceding 2000 B . C , or according to a less definite dating, at some time between 2000-1500 B.C.
T h e h a r p o o n was discovered, stuck fast in the skeleton of a seal (Phoca Groenlandica). About fivc Swedish miles (50 km.) to the south of the Skarv- tjärn finding-place is situated lhe Stone Age settlement of Hedningahällan, which dates from the lalcr division of the Middle Neolithie Period. If it w a s a seal-hiinler from Hedningahällan that downed the seal at Skarvtjärn, which is of course only a possibility, il would be tbc s o m e w h a t m o r e u n c e r t a i n dating of tbc find that must be accepted. The unlucky seal b u n t would in such case have taken place at some time between 2000 and 1800 B.C. T h e second h a r p o o n find (Fig. 2) comes from the Vibo Lake, Hälsingtuna p a r i s h , and w a s reporled as a loose find. The Vibo Lake h a r p o o n is here c o m p a r e d wilh a h a r p o o n found together with a seal skeleton at Oulojoki, Österbotten, in F i n l a n d , a n d published by L e p p ä a h o and Korvenkontio in "Suomen Museo", 1936. This is from the New Stone Age, the typical Comb P o t t e r y period.
An Earlg Type of Short-Sword from Golland. B, Nerman distinguishes a group of one-edged short-swords or daggers on Gotland, which belongs t o lhe Migration Period (ca. 400-ca. 550) and p e r h a p s to the time immcdiately following, and which t h u s constitutcs the oldest g r o u p ; t h e w e a p o n s in ques- tion belong, as is well known, chiefly to the Vendel period (ca. 550-ca. 800 A. D.). These earliest specimens have—figs. 1-3, 5—a very n a r r o w , and at the tip extremely pointed blade, with a very thick back, which is provided with a faceling that, from about the middle, exlends for a considcrable dislance on t o w a r d s the point; the f a c d i n g is formed by Iwo longish bev- elled plancs, which slant up lo the c o m m o n longitudinal back, a f a c d i n g that is well k n o w n from tbc Migration Period and lhe Late Boman Iron Age (ca. 200-ca. 400 A. D.); cf. the Gotlandic slrap-end mounting fig. 4 from the time 400-475 A. D. This faceling, taken together wilh the find, combinalions, fixes the time of o u r short-swords or daggers. T h a t so
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few exemplars are k n o w n , is because weapons are very seldom dcposited in lhe Golland graves from the Migration Period, and outsidc of the graves, they are still m o r e r a r e .
77ie B r i d a l Crown of S k ä r s t a d Church. As E. Andrén points out, t b c church in Skärstad, on the east side of Lake Vättern w a s , in t h e 17th c e n t u r y , poor in silver; t w o wina pitchers and one bowl for consccrated wafers were m a d e of simple pottery, down to the 1660's. A new bridal crown (not now preserved) w a s made in 1040 by tbc goldsmith Peter Månsson Smitt in Jönköping, w h o w a s born in Scotland b u t learned t h e craft in Sweden, w h e r e he died in 1682. The accounts list in detail the a m o u n t of silver t h a t w e n t into t h e m a k i n g of the b r i d a l crown, t h e value of t h e stones, the gold for the gilding, p a y m e n t s for w o r k m a n s b i p , etc. The crown casket illustrated, from t b c 1640's or possibly a little earlier, has a framework of b a s k d - w c a v i n g , and is e x t e r n a l l y covered w i t h black leather and r i v d t e d - o n iron m o u n t i n g s .
Wealbering on Cliff-Caruings. A. Strömberg describes the l a d o r s opcrative in t h e w e a t h e r i n g of different rocks. Strcsses in rocks t h a t are caused by t h e r m a l v a r i a t i o n s or t h e expansion of w a t e r at frcezing-point m a y rcsult in fraetural f o r m a t i o n and t h e splitting of t h e rock. Chemical w e a t h e r i n g acts s d e c t i v d y upon certain m i n e r a l s , as for instance, tbc m i n e r a l calclte in rocks. Carbonic and o t h e r acids to be found in t h e soil or in r a i n w a t e r , m a y dissolve calcite and o t h e r easily dissolvable m i n e r a l s . In c e r t a i n instances it h a s been possible to study t h e process by w h i c h w e a t h e r i n g acts upon rocks b e a r i n g t h e ancient d i f f - e a r v i n g s k n o w n as " h ä l l r i s t n i n g a r " . At F o s s u m in t h e p a r i s h of T a n u m , Bohuslän, t h e reddish g r a n i t e on w h i c h there are d i f f - c a r v i n g s , bas witbstood w e a t h e r i n g r c m a r k a b l y well w h e r e it h a s lain b a r e . On the o t h e r hand, at Ekenberg, n e a r Norrköping, the d a r k grey gneiss b a s been protected from d i s i n t e g r a t i o n by lhe covering of c a r t h . These t w o examples show t h a t t h e d r e u m s t a n c e s governing various cases of w e a t h e r i n g may vary considcrably in relation to the m i n e r a l composition of tbc rock itself and of the condition of its s u r r o u n d i n g s .
A Circum-1'olar Conferencc. C.-A. Moberg conlribulcs a short report on tbc discussions a r r a n g e d by lhe E t h n o g r a p h i e Department of lhe National Mu- seum in Copenhagen, between a n u m b e r of e t h n o g r a p h e r s , archaeologists and antbropologists from North America, lhe Soviet Union and Seandinavia. on p h e n o m e n a which are c o m m o n to the aretie and adjoining areas of E u r o p é , Asia and America.
Svenska F o r n m i n n e s f ö r e n i n g e n 1958. A report on the activities of the Swedish Archaeological Association in 1958.
Svenska Arkeologiska Samfundet 1958. An account of lhe activities of lhe Swedish Archaeological Society in 1958.
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Andreas Oldeberg reviews II. IL Coghlan's book, "Notes on Prehistoric and Early I r o n in the Old W o r l d " . Coghlan first deals wilh lhe occurrence of iron orc and the extraction of iron in ancient times as also with the further treat- menls in the manufacture of iron during different periods. As a consequence of his own e x p e r i m e n t s , he does not b d i e v e t h a t iron w a s originally discovered as a result of the chancy occurrence of a bit of iron orc in an open camp-fire. which had thus happened to get m d t e d . Instead, in agree- mcnl with Witter, he considers Ihat the earliest occurrence and use of iron was connected with the extraction of copper. Coghlan has here published a large n u m b e r of microscopic analyses of various iron objects, and be illustrates the presentation wilh pictures and diagrams. According to lhe reviewer, Coghlan has brought together m a n y valuable facts associated with the earliest history of iron. and he h a s , by his microscopical investigations, m a d e a n u m b e r of important discoveries that have enriched o u r knowledgc of the technical methods of procedure that were in use by lhe blacksmiths of ancient times.
Armin Tuulse reviews a steneilled lexicon by P a u l Campe, w i t h i n f o r m a - tion a b o u t 3500 m a s t c r - b u i l d e r s , m a s o n s and carpenters and others, w h o d u r i n g the time from 1400 to 1850 were active in Livland and Kurland, t h a t is to say, in the present Latvia and the southern p a r t of E s t h o n i a . The first part of this lexicon appeared in 1951 (see F o r n v ä n n e n , 1953, p. 149).
B. T h o r d e m a n reviews a book by B. Stolt, on lhe restoration of churches.
The writer considers that lhe funclional purposes of a c h u r c h ought to receive first consideration when one is being restored. This view leads lo c o n d u s i o n s , which likewise from a n t i q u a r i a n standpoints, are salisfactory. T h e wriler"s conception as lo the role of the m u s e u m s in relation lo early ecclesiastical art is sensible and m o d e r a t e , and m a y well therefore be shared by m u s e u m workcrs. T h e book's attack upon different types of 17lh century c h u r c h decoration, the reviewer considers to be rather overshooling the m a r k .
News. Information is given about certain husiness dealt wilh at the meetings of lhe Academy of L d l e r s , History and Antiquities; certain ilems announced in lhe 1958 Budget; cerlain granls from the State Lotleries F u n d and from 11. M. King Gustaf VI A d o l f s 70th Birthday F u n d for Swedish culture m a d e in 1958; grants for a rebuilding of the m u s e u m in Visby; buildings of historie interest scheduled for protection u n d e r lhe Historie Buildings Protection Act of 1942, and, finally, excavations and finds from Arsta near Stockholm and from Bromölla in Skåne.
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