Ancient Scandinavia

Ancient Scandinavia PDF Author: Theron Douglas Price
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190231971
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 521

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ancient Scandinavia provides a comprehensive overview of the archaeological history of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Ancient Scandinavia

Ancient Scandinavia PDF Author: Theron Douglas Price
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 0190231971
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 521

Get Book Here

Book Description
Ancient Scandinavia provides a comprehensive overview of the archaeological history of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Scandinavian Archeology

Scandinavian Archeology PDF Author: Haakon Shetelig
Publisher: Oxford, Clarendon P
ISBN:
Category : Archaeology
Languages : en
Pages : 564

Get Book Here

Book Description


Iron Age Myth and Materiality

Iron Age Myth and Materiality PDF Author: Lotte Hedeager
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136817263
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Get Book Here

Book Description
Iron Age Myth and Materiality: an Archaeology of Scandinavia AD 400-1000 considers the relationship between myth and materiality in Scandinavia from the beginning of the post-Roman era and the European Migrations up until the coming of Christianity. It pursues an interdisciplinary interpretation of text and material culture and examines how the documentation of an oral past relates to its material embodiment. While the material evidence is from the Iron Age, most Old Norse texts were written down in the thirteenth century or even later. With a time lag of 300 to 900 years from the archaeological evidence, the textual material has until recently been ruled out as a usable source for any study of the pagan past. However, Hedeager argues that this is true regarding any study of a society’s short-term history, but it should not be the crucial requirement for defining the sources relevant for studying long-term structures of the longue durée, or their potential contributions to a theoretical understanding of cultural changes and transformation. In Iron Age Scandinavia we are dealing with persistent and slow-changing structures of worldviews and ideologies over a wavelength of nearly a millennium. Furthermore, iconography can often date the arrival of new mythical themes anchoring written narratives in a much older archaeological context. Old Norse myths are explored with particular attention to one of the central mythical narratives of the Old Norse canon, the mythic cycle of Odin, king of the Norse pantheon. In addition, contemporaneous historical sources from late Antiquity and the early European Middle Age - the narratives of Jordanes, Gregory of Tours, and Paul the Deacon in particular - will be explored. No other study provides such a broad ranging and authoritative study of the relationship of myth to the archaeology of Scandinavia.

Ancient Scandinavia

Ancient Scandinavia PDF Author: T. Douglas Price
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190231998
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 521

Get Book Here

Book Description
Scandinavia, a land mass comprising the modern countries of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, was the last part of Europe to be inhabited by humans. Not until the end of the last Ice Age when the melting of huge ice sheets left behind a fresh, barren land surface, about 13,000 BC, did the first humans arrive and settle in the region. The archaeological record of these prehistoric cultures, much of it remarkably preserved in Scandinavia's bogs, lakes, and fjords, has given us a detailed portrait of the evolution of human society at the edge of the inhabitable world. In this book, distinguished archaeologist T. Douglas Price provides a history of Scandinavia from the arrival of the first humans to the end of the Viking period, ca. AD 1050. The first book of its kind in English in many years, Ancient Scandinavia features overviews of each prehistoric epoch followed by illustrative examples from the region's rich archaeology. An engrossing and comprehensive picture of change across the millennia emerges, showing how human society evolved from small bands of hunter-gatherers to large farming communities to the complex warrior cultures of the Bronze and Iron Ages, cultures which culminated in the spectacular rise of the Vikings at the end of the prehistoric period. The material evidence of these past societies--arrowheads from reindeer hunts, megalithic tombs, rock art, beautifully wrought weaponry, Viking warships--give vivid testimony to the ancient peoples of Scandinavia and to their extensive contacts with the remote cultures of the Arctic Circle, Western Europe, and the Mediterranean

Viking Myths and Sagas

Viking Myths and Sagas PDF Author: Rosalind Kerven
Publisher: Chartwell Books
ISBN: 0785835555
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 370

Get Book Here

Book Description
Written in consultation with leading academics.

The Birth of Prehistoric Chronology

The Birth of Prehistoric Chronology PDF Author: Bo Gräslund
Publisher: CUP Archive
ISBN: 9780521322492
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 152

Get Book Here

Book Description
Professor Gräslund's book is the first in-depth study of systematic methods for dating archaeological materials.

The Age of the Vikings

The Age of the Vikings PDF Author: Anders Winroth
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 1400851904
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 327

Get Book Here

Book Description
A major reassessment of the vikings and their legacy The Vikings maintain their grip on our imagination, but their image is too often distorted by myth. It is true that they pillaged, looted, and enslaved. But they also settled peacefully and traveled far from their homelands in swift and sturdy ships to explore. The Age of the Vikings tells the full story of this exciting period in history. Drawing on a wealth of written, visual, and archaeological evidence, Anders Winroth captures the innovation and pure daring of the Vikings without glossing over their destructive heritage. He not only explains the Viking attacks, but also looks at Viking endeavors in commerce, politics, discovery, and colonization, and reveals how Viking arts, literature, and religious thought evolved in ways unequaled in the rest of Europe. The Age of the Vikings sheds new light on the complex society, culture, and legacy of these legendary seafarers.

Archaeological Theory

Archaeological Theory PDF Author: Matthew Johnson
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 111847502X
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Get Book Here

Book Description
A lively and accessible introduction to themes and debates in archaeological theory for students of all levels Archaeological Theory is a relatable, accessible, reader-friendly first step into the world of theory for archaeology students. Recognizing that many students shy away from the study of theory for fear that the material is too difficult or obscure, Archaeological Theory maintains that any student can develop an understanding of theory and that a knowledge of theory will lead to better practice. As one of the leading texts for introductory courses in archaeology and archaeological theory, it has provided many students with the essential foundation for a complete education in the discipline. With a focus on clarifying the history and development of archaeological theory, this valuable text serves as a roadmap to the different schools of theory in archaeology, clarifying the foundations of these schools of thought, the relationships between them, and the ideas that distinguish each from the other. Students will also learn about the relationship between archaeology and cultural and political developments, the origins of New and ‘post-processual’ archaeology, and current issues shaping the field. Written in a clear and informal style and incorporating examples, cartoons, and dialogues, this text provides an ideal introduction for students at all levels. The revised third edition has been updated with new and revised chapters and an expanded glossary and bibliography, as well as new readings to guide further study. Engages readers with informal and easy-to-understand prose, as well as examples, cartoons, and informal dialogues Prepares students to understand complex topics and current and perennial issues in the field such as epistemology, agency, and materiality in the context of archaeological practice Discusses current developments in associated disciplines New and revised chapters on the material turn, politics and other issues, and an expanded glossary and bibliography with updated reading suggestions Offers expanded coverage of materiality, cultural-historical archaeology, evolutionary theory, and the work of scholars of diverse backgrounds and specializations Engaging and illuminating, Archaeological Theory is an indispensable resource for undergraduate and graduate students in archaeology and related disciplines.

Gods and Cults in Scandinavian Rock Carvings

Gods and Cults in Scandinavian Rock Carvings PDF Author: Anders Askåsen
Publisher: BoD - Books on Demand
ISBN: 9177854128
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 206

Get Book Here

Book Description
The Bronze Age in Scandinavia is a period of significant societal changes where religious cult activity thrived. The rock carvings scattered throughout the landscape hold incredible cultural value and perhaps the key to unlocking the mystery of the religion of the time. However, the absence of written sources and the complexities of interpretation have left much of the meaning shrouded in enigma. The author, inspired by the local rock carvings in Askim and around western Sweden, aims to unravel their secrets, particularly their religious significance to the Bronze Age peoples. Although the interpretations of rock carvings vary, the author aims to identify religious elements and provide a complementary picture of their connections and parallels to later religious practices. The book explores the development of worldview from the Bronze Age to the Viking Age mythology and examines whether there are traces of cultural and religious exchanges with other parts of the world. By comparing the petroglyphs with symbolism worldwide, the author shows the intimate relationship between spirituality, religion, society, and humans. The book serves as a testament to the afterworld, attempting to shed light on the enigmatic Scandinavian petroglyphs and archaeologists' interpretations of them. Despite extensive studies of the petroglyphs, the mysterious and arcane nature of these ancient carvings often leaves more questions than answers.

Old Norse Religion in Long-term Perspectives

Old Norse Religion in Long-term Perspectives PDF Author: Anders Andrén
Publisher: Nordic Academic Press
ISBN: 918911681X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 417

Get Book Here

Book Description
The study of Old Norse Religion is a truly multidisciplinary and international field of research. The rituals, myths and narratives of pre-Christian Scandinavia are investigated and interpreted by archaeologists, historians, art historians, historians of religion as well as scholars of literature, onomastics and Scandinavian studies. For obvious reasons, these studies belong to the main curricula in Scandinavia but are also carried out at many other universities in Europe, the United States and Australia a fact that is evident to any reader of this book. In order to bring this broad and varied field of research together, an international conference on Old Norse religion was held in Lund in June 2004. About two hundred delegates from more than fifteen countries took part. The intention was to gather researchers to encourage and improve scholarly exchange and dialogue, and Old Norse religion in long-term perspectives presents a selection of the proceedings from that conference. The 75 contributions elucidate topics such as worldview and cosmology, ritual and religious practice, myth and memory as well as the reception and present-day use of Old Norse religion. The main editors of this volume have directed the multidisciplinary research project Roads to Midgard since 2000. The project is based at Lund University and funded by the Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation.