Search

This thesis is about Bronze age graves in Kronobergs län. My purpose is to examine fourteen confirmed graves from this period. The three question I ask is 1. What action can you attribute from a ritul therory to the buildings of the graves 2. What action can you attribute from a ritual theory to the deposit of osteological material. 3. What actions can you attribute from a ritual theory to the deposit of other material objects. The theory I use in this case is Catherine Bells theory on ritual which states that we should concentrate on different actions and whats these may mean instead by assume that what we observe when it comes to bronze age graves has always something to do with ritual by default. The methodical approach used was to read archeologiacl reports which had examined bronze age graves in Kronoberg, and collect the data from these regarding construction and deposits. Then in my analyse bring the data from this reports and then apply Bells ritual theory on these findings. The conclusion reached is that the construction of the graves did follow certation norms and rules when it come to the location of the graves, what stones were used and a relations between the different construction part of the graves had a connection. Also that the cremation of the osteological material happened in the vicinity and not in the graves themselves and the bones was scatted around or in a specific place in the graves and in some cases may have had the function as an altar. The deposit of other material objects shows that this might have been personal belongings to individual that was buried and showed there status in life, but also that some of the material that was deposit was actions that belonged to funeral itself.

Alvastra pålbyggnad, en rituell samlingsplats? Alvastra pile dwelling, a ritual gathering place? The aim of this essay is to examine whether or not Alvastra pile dwelling in Östergötland, Sweden was used as a rituell gathering place for people living here during the prehistoric time that is refered to as neolitikum 4000-1700 B.C. This analysis is done by examining the objects that was discovered during the excavations in 1909-1930 and 1976-1980 and by comparing Alvastra pile dwelling to other similar places in Sweden and enclosures called pallisades during this period. The conclusion is that there are objects that can be interpreted to have been part in ritual contexts in connection to Alvastra pile dwelling and thus the place could have function as a ritual gathering place during this period.