THE MUSEUM OF NATIONAL ANTIQUITIES, STOCKHOLM STUDIES 2 VENDEL PERIOD STUDIES Transactions of the Boat-grave symposium in Stockholm, February 2-3, 1981 edited by J.P. Lamm and H.-A. Nordstrom Statens Historiska Museum Stockholm 1983‘The Muscum of National Antiquities, Stockholm, Studies General editor: Hans-Ake Nordstram Distribution: Statens Historiska Museum, Box $405, $-114 84 Stock- holm, Sweden Editorial group of this issue: Jan Peder Lamm, Inger Kaberg, Hens- Ake Nordstrom, Inger Sj66 and Goran Tegnér Layout and cover design: Inger Kadberg Aerial photographs reproduced by permission of the Swedish Defense Statf © Statens Historiska Museum, Stockholm ISBN 91-7192-547-3 Printed by minaayoub Sissi 198Abbreviations Editorial note Contents Introduction: The Vendel period by Bjorn Ambrosiani «0.0... 10 u 12 3B Helmets, crowns and warrior’s dress - from the Roman scapes to techies OC Uppisd by Bertil Almgren Background to the bout graves of the Malaren valley by Bjorn Ambrosiani ...... ; Regalia and symbols in the boat-graves by Bjdrn Ambrosiani .... Aspects of site topography and boat morphology of the inhumation boat-graves of Vendel period Sweden by Phyllis Anderson ....0.00.0.008 zs ‘The chronology of the Vendel graves by Birgit Arrhenius......000..00000 Valsgiirde by Greta Arwidsson The characterization of mounted garnets and is value as archaeological evidence by Mavis Bimson and Morven Leese Zur topographischen und onomastischen Klirung des eisen- 2eitlichen Begrabnisplatzes von Kirmukarmu (Finland, Ksp. Vesilabti) by Aarni Erd-Esko..... Economic and settlement background to Sutton Hoo in Eastern England ‘by Catherine Hills... Vendel and the Vendel period by Agneta Lundstrom Royal and aristocratic graves in central and western Europe in the Merovingian period by Michael Mialler-Witle Seitlement and power among the Svcar in the Vendel period by Peter Sawyer ‘The custom of burial in boats by Bengt Schonbiick. vy un 31 39 n 21 105 109 uu7 12314 A Vendel warrior from Vallentuna ‘The grave by Lars Sjdsvard y 133 Human remains and animal offerings by Maria Vretemark 139 AA rune-inseribed gaming-die from Vallentuna by Helmer Gustavson 142 15 Techniques and craftsmanship in the Vendel period by Lena Thalin-Bergman aaemenmmacss, AST 16 Sweden-England by David Wilson. 163 17 ‘The Merovingian dogs from the boat-graves at Vendel by M Ohman .....+.20 ¥ 167 18 Pictorial part ‘A. The boat-grave sites... 183 B. The Coppergate helmet 190 Abbreviations AMAS Acta Musei Antiquitatum Septentrio- Remark: There are several inconsistencies as nalium Regiae Universitatis Upsalien- regards the spelling throughout this volume of sis the Studies. This is mainly due to the fact that the as. above séa level contributors come from different countries. The ATA Antikvarisk topografiska arkivet editors have not wished to change more than ATS — Antikvarisk tidskrift for Sverige necessary in the original manuscripts and the FFT —Finska fornminnesfOreningens tid- first proofs skrift KVHAA Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antik- vitets Akademien Rai _Riksantikvariedmbetet SHM Statens Historiska MuseumEditorial note A few years ago The Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm (Statens Historiska ‘Musoum, SHM, isthe equivalent Swedish name) decided to issue a new series, Studies, in which scholars working with the collections and related data on the antiquities could present their results. In this era of unprecedented information ‘boom in every ficld there is always a risk that & new series will attract little notice or even be considered rather superfluous. After all, one may think, every self-respecting museum and archaeological institute has already got at least one firmly established research bulletin or one monograph series of its own! Every museum, perhaps, except SHM. ‘This can readily be explained by the fact that nearly all publication activities at SHM have been, until recently, channelled through the Royal Academy of Letters, History and Anti- quities or through the Central Board of National Antiquities. Both have an extensive publication program and with both SHM has a fruitful cooperation ~ for example, together with the Academy and the Central Board, SHM partici- pates in a joint editorial responsibility for Fornvinnen. We anticipate that these relations will continue and that our employees will contribute in the same way as before to the various periodicals and series in our field. ‘Our ambitions to start a new series can be viewed in a broader perspective of external and intemal activities at SHM, which have influen- ced, toa large extent, the build-up and structure of our publication program. A number of large exhibitions during recent years have stimulated our efforts to present in various media new archaeological and historical facts to a broad public. These exhibitions have also intensified the international exchange in the field of re- search. At the same time there has been an ‘emphasis on problems concerning documenta- tion, conservation and safe-guarding of the finds and collections which are kept at or directed through our museum, It is widely known that these collections are outstanding from the international aspect, espe- cially in the fields of prehistory and of medieval art, New research and new knowledge will always emerge from this splendid body of facts. Studies is primarily intended to be a forum for research carried out at or in collaboration with ‘our museum, All scholars working with, the collections at SHM are thus invited to publish their results in our series. Suidies can also be used for the publication of conference papers and for summarizing the present state of re- search in a certain field. Another publication dealing with the collec- tionsis Tillvaxten, a register in Swedish covering the finds and objects added yearly to the SHM collections. It has been issued separately since 1939. Tillvdxten for 1974/75 is now in print. This issue of Studies deals with the Vendel period and consists of a number of papers delivered at the boat-grave symposium in Stock- holm in February 1981. In addition there are some contributions which have been prepared after the symposium, including a pictorial part. We hope that the result of this collective effort will give the reader a comprehensive picture of the current research concerning the Vendel period.We wish to thank the contributors, the trans- ators, the staff of the museum and our collea- ‘gues in the editorial group for all good help. Jan Peder Lamm Hans-Ake NordstromIntroduction: The Vendel period by Bjorn Ambrosiani ‘The Vendel period is an epoch of prehistory ‘which has a special significance for many archae~ ologists. The objects from the boat-graves near Vendel church rapidly became the most impor- tant element in the exhibitions at the Statens Historiska Museum, The objects spurred on an intensive study of both Migration-period erafts- manship and the animal ornament which is so characteristic of Scandinavia. Even though his Styles Il and TIT have since been subdivided into a number of phases, Bernhard Salin’s funda- ‘mental work on animal styles continues to be a basic work and forms an introduction to the researches which huve long been conducted by Swedish archaeologists such as Sune Lindqvist, Nils Aberg, Birger Nerman, Greta Arwidsson, Par Olsén, Wilhelm Holmqyist and Bertil Alm- ren. ‘The finds from Valsgirde gave new dimen- sions to this research and to many other ques- tions on weaponry, horse trappings, boat- building technique and prehistoric domestic economy resulted from the wealth of finds in the boats. The excavation technique used in the ‘Valsgirde graves and developed by Sune Lind- vist and his seminar, became the basis of the greater part of later archaeological fieldwork in Sweden. It has gradually led 10 much greater emphasis on laboratory archaeology so that today we are much better able to investigate prehistoric industry and technology through a study of the finds. For Swedish archaeologists who have special- ized in the late Iron Age, the finds from the boat-graves at Vendel and Valsgarde, and the graves from Ulltuna, Tuna in Alsike, Tuna in Badelunda and Norsa in Képing, which are perhaps less well known, are focal points which have stimulated new contributions, ‘The magnificent find from Sutton Hoo on the East Anglian coast to which English colleagues, Rupert Bruce-Mitford in particular, have de- voted much attention, has been of the greatest significance in this context. The craftsmanship in the Sutton Hoo find was quite beyond compare bbut there was also a wealth of associations with the boat-graves of the Milaren valley which has resulted in closer research contacts between England and Sweden, One discussion has con- cemed the closeness of contacts between East Anglia and Uppland. The Old English epic of Beowulf, for instance, actually describes battles in the Scandinavian area before the early boat- grave period, so a combination of literary and archaeological sources will be needed in any rerpretation of the contacts between the areas in which boat-graves occur. But, the Vendel period, which has taken its name from and is mostly associated with the boat-graves, also has other aspects, Tt has increasingly been demonstrated that the boat- graves are exceptions to the norm, and only show us one section of a prehistoric upper class the other members of which were cremated after death like the rest of the population. Which factors led to the growth of the particular group of families that is represented in the boat-grave cemeteries? What relationships did they have with their immediate neighbour- hood and the outside world? ‘Are the hypothetical great landowners per- haps much more than countryfolk? Did they not have close contacts with the political and tech- nological society which was stil alive based on