Ring Out Your Dead: Distribution, form, and function of iron amulets in the late Iron Age grave fields of Lovö
2016 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
The purpose of this study is to analyze the distribution, forms, and function(s) of iron amulets deposited in the late Iron Age gravefields of Lovö, with the goal of ascertaining how (and so far as possible why) these objects were utilized in rituals carried out during and after burials. Particular emphasis is given to re-interpreting the largest group of iron amulets, the iron amulet rings, in a more relational and practice-focused way than has heretofore been attempted. By framing burial analyses, questions of typology, and evidence of ritualized actions in comparison with what is known of other cult sites in Mälardalen specifically– and theorized about the cognitive landscape(s) of late Iron Age Scandinavia generally– a picture of iron amulets as inscribed objects made to act as catalytic, protective, and mediating agents is brought to light.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2016. , p. 71
Keywords [en]
archaeology, Iron Age, Late Iron Age, Viking Age, Viking Studies, Vendel period, practice theory, cognitive archaeology, grave goods, New Materialism, neo-materialism, Thor's hammer rings, burial analysis, post-structuralism, Early Medieval, medieval studies, Scandinavian archaeology, Scandinavia Sweden, Swedish archaeology, Mälardalen, cultural history, ritual theory, ritual, rituals studies, burial rituals, ritualization, deviant burial, history of religions, Old Norse religion, Viking Age religion, cult places, material culture, rites of passage, amulets, magic, ancient magic, medieval magic, pratice, praxis
National Category
Archaeology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:su:diva-131728OAI: oai:DiVA.org:su-131728DiVA, id: diva2:941693
Presentation
2016-06-08, Stockholm University, 18:14 (English)
Supervisors
2016-06-272016-06-222016-06-27Bibliographically approved