THE PALACE AND THE VILLAGE – STRUCTURES AND ACTIVITIES IN GAMLA UPPSALA
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 30/11/2020

The character of central places and proto-urbanity have been discussed for decades. Perhaps it is particularly hard to define some of the very large inland sites in Scandinavia with a pre Viking origin. Places like Uppåkra, Gudme, Sorte Muld and Gamla Uppsala are larger, richer, and more monumental sites than their surroundings. They have a completely different settlement layout and landscape placement than later coastal sites such as Birka, Ribe or Hedeby, all defined as either urban, proto urban, as emporia etc. But these old places are all not only royal residences or cult places, they filled a specific roles in their societies that could involve a royal presence, law, religion, military aspects, as regional assemblies and symbols. Finally they could have filled some of the economic roles of the emporia. This paper is based on a very basic question surrounding a large inland sites. What did people do in Gamla Uppsala? This is an almost ridiculous question, but it has actually been hard to specify the character of the material culture of this site beyond the rich finds and monuments. New investigations makes it possible to discuss its settlement patterns, the diversity and intensity of crafts, and activities set in relation to sites in the surrounding landscape. Gamla Uppsala represents in some ways the idea of the pre medieval manor or village (although very large) but there is also evidence for an ambition to create something different compared to other rural settlements. That includes not only the construction of the famous great mounds and halls. It also involves concentrating a number of workshops in the palace area, evidence of deviant agrarian activities, a peculiar village structure and not the least the evidence of spectacular rituals and peculiar finds that signal international contacts and a taste for special foodstuff.


Author(s): Ljungkvist, John (Dept. of Archaeology & Ancient history)