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Separate worlds? Interpretation of the different material patterns in the archipelago and the surrounding mainland areas of east-central Sweden in the Stone Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 January 2017

Agneta Åkerlund
Agneta Åkerlund*
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, Stockholm University
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Abstract

This paper draws attention to the fact that east-central Sweden consisted of an extensive archipelago throughout the Stone Age. An image of the Mesolithic cultural landscape is beginning to take shape, since a large number of sites have been found and excavated in recent years. The remains of the sub-regions on the mainland and at the inner margin of the archipelago are interpreted as reflecting changes in material culture without any corresponding change further out. In considering why people of some sub-regions were more susceptible to new ideas than those of others, the specific physical setting and the strong social order prevailing in fishing and seal-hunting communities are regarded as factors which prevent rapid changes.

L'article attire l'attention sur le fait que la Suède centre-orientale est constituée d'un immense archipel tout au long de l'âge de la pierre. L'image du paysage culturel mésolithique commence à prendre forme maintenant qu'un grand nombre de sites ont été découverts et fouillés ces dernières années. Les vestiges des sous-régions de la zone côtière et de la frange intérieure de l'archipel, selon l'auteur, témoignent de changements dans la culture matérielle qui ne trouvent pas d'équivalent ailleurs. En s'interrogeant sur la capacité des populations de certaines régions à réagir aux idées nouvelles plus vite qu'ailleurs, l'auteur considère que l'environnement physique particulier et l'ordre social rigide qui prévaut dans les communautés de pêcheurs et chasseurs de phoques sont des facteurs qui empêchent les changements rapides.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Artikel richtet seine Aufmerksamkeit auf die Tatsache, dass das östliche Mittelschweden während der gesamten Steinzeit aus einem extensiven Archipel bestand. Da eine große Anzahl von Fundplätzen in den letzten Jahren entdeckt und ausgegraben wurde, entsteht heute ein Bild der mesolithischen Kulturlandschaft. Die Hinterlassenschaften der Subregionen des Festlands und des inneren Saums des Archipels werden dahingehend interpretiert, dass sie Veränderungen in der materiellen Kultur widerspiegeln, die ohne entsprechende Veränderungen in entfernteren Räumen bleiben. Bei der Überlegung, warum die Bewohner mancher Subregionen weniger leicht von neuen Ideen zu beeinflussen waren als jene anderer Regionen, werden die spezifische physische Umwelt und auch die starke soziale Ordnung, die in Gemeinschaften von Fischern und Seehundjägern vorherrschte, als Faktoren betrachtet, die schnelle Veränderungen verhinderten.

Keywords

archipelagodiabase axeseast-central Swedenflint microbladeslandscape archaeologyperception of space and timequartzshore displacementsocial organizationterritoriality
Type
Articles
Information
European Journal of Archaeology , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , 2000 , pp. 7 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © 2000 Sage Publications 

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