Syllabus Gotland Archaeological Field School July 15 - August 16, 2019 Directors Dan Carlsson. PhD Associate Professor. Arendus AB. Research This year we will be excavating a Viking Age site on the southeastern coast of Gotland in the parish of Eke. The landscape is littered with remains from the Bronze Age, Viking Age and Middle Ages including cairns, stone walls, grave fields, grinding stones, and an ancient fortification. The location is several hundred meters from the sea, but in previous time periods the shoreline likely came right up to the site and the area could have been used as a harbor site or settlement. There have been few excavations in this area, but the landscape has clearly been in use for millennia. Our goal with this excavation is to formulate an understanding of the activities that took place in this certain location. The 2018 summer excavation concerned the stone-walled fortification, known as Gudings slott (Guding s Castle). Students investigated areas all around the construction, including sections of the wall, areas just outside and inside the entrance, and a possible stone structure inside the wall. Findings from these trenches yielded few artifacts but enabled us to see the structure of the wall, confirm the stone structure as a manmade construction, and uncovered a hearth. Ultimately, the findings were not substantial enough to lead to any conclusions about the use of the fortification, but charcoal from the hearth is likely related to the original activities during the Roman Iron Age. Along with the investigations into the original function of the fortification, the students excavated a handful of stone cairns located on and along the wall. Several of the cairns contained inhumation burials, complete with grave goods (including brooches, knives and beads), while others contained only fragments of artifacts, leading us to believe some of the cairns were plundered. These graves can be dated to the Viking Age based on analysis of the grave goods found and are evidence of secondary use of the fortification, which was likely already in ruins by the Viking Age. The curious thing about the Viking Age graves at the site is the distance from any known contemporary settlements or harbor sites. This year s excavation will involve an area some 500 meters southwest of the fortification where there exist stone walls, possible graves, and other strange stone constructions. Our goal with this excavation is to formulate an understanding of the activities that took place in this certain location and possibly link it to the Viking Age activities at Gudings slott and in this area of the southeastern coast.
Course objectives After completing the course, the student will be able to distinguish different archaeological finds and materials, recognize changes in stratigraphy and clean, measure, weigh, photograph and catalogue finds. The student will also learn how to write basic archaeological documentation and reports, read academic texts and discus theories and methods in a group environment. The student should also be able to theorize about the features and find materials as well as contextualize the excavation to the surrounding landscape and time period. Applied methods: Basic excavation techniques such as use of a trowel (and other excavation tools), stratigraphy identification, measuring, and documentation. Field drawings of plans, sections and features. Field mapping through use of a total station. Find processing including cleaning, measuring, weighing, cataloging, and photographing finds. Metal detecting. Photographing trenches and features. Filling in basic archaeological documentation forms. During the course, students will attend lectures by field school staff and visiting lecturers on various subjects regarding Gotland and the Viking Age relevant to the excavation or to excursions. Other aspects of the course, such as mapping, artifact drawing and 3D modelling are dependent on the amount of free time allotted by the excavation. General Course Schedule The course schedule will be handed out upon arrival. s, seminars and lab work will also be specified at this time. Students are required to do homework during their free time such as evenings and weekends. Homework can entail reading specific texts, preparing for seminars and lectures and writing field notes and trench reports. The course entails 112 hours of field work, 30 hours of lab work with find processing, 16 hours of excursions and 50 hours of seminars, lectures and applied method exercises. An example of the possible schedule: Mon Week 1 July 15-21 Introduction Week 2 July 22-28 Week 3 July 29- Aug 4 Week 4 Aug 5-11 Week 5 Aug 12-16 Tue Applied method Evening lecture Wed Excursion Thu Evening lecture
Fri Presentations Course end Sat Free Free Free Free Sun Free Free Excursion: Medieval Week Free Grading % of grade Activity 30% Written report and presentation 20% field methods 20% Finds processing lab work 10% s and lectures attendance and interaction 10% Field notes 10% Excursions attendance and interaction Attendance policy A minimum of 80% attendance is required for completing the course. Attendance of all course activities is extremely encouraged except in the case of illness, etc. Academic credit and transcripts The field school is not run by a university and therefore cannot provide academic credit in and of itself. The course is RPA registered and represents 7,5 ECTS points. Students are encouraged to discuss if the course can be used as credit with their university officials BEFORE joining the field school. A transcript will be emailed to you approximately 2 weeks after completion of the field course. If you want your transcript posted to your university, you have to provide us with a postal address BEFORE leaving the course. Further information and a reminder of this will occur during the last week of the course. Prerequisites There are no prerequisites for attending the course as it is set at a beginner s level. All practical, methodological and theoretical requirements for excavating will be presented in the week before the excavation (week 1 of the course). Students are however required to follow the rules set up by the field school and by Gotland Folk High School regarding conduct and behavior towards other field school students and personnel.
Equipment List tools will be provided by the field school. Students are required to bring: Clothes for excavating in all weather (i.e. hat, work gloves, scarf, rain jacket, rubber boots, excavation boots, etc.). The weather in Sweden during summer can range from 10-30 Celsius (about 50-86 Fahrenheit) with humid sunny days, wind or rain. Insect spray and sun protection Personal items such as bathing suits, bags/backpacks, sunglasses, money, cellphone, etc. Accommodation Full board at Gotland Folk High School in Hemse includes lodging in a double room and three meals per day including weekends. At the school, there is WIFI available, a shared laundry room and communal areas. Bed linens and towels are also included. Stationary computers are available at the school together with a separate Skype room for calling family and friends. For more information regarding accommodation please refer all questions to agneta.lindqvist@gotland.se. Travel For guidance and additional questions about travel to and from Gotland please contact agneta.lindqvist@gotland.se. There are not meet ups before the course, however, there will be a Facebook group for students of the course where you can interact and ask questions, as well as find useful information regarding the course. Some useful websites about travel to and from Gotland: http://www.destinationgotland.se/en/ http://www.gotland.net/en/travel Additional Information Additional information regarding the course can be found on our website http://gotlandfieldschool.com/ as well as on our social media sites: Facebook:@GotlandFieldSchool Twitter: @gotlandarch Instagram: @gotlandfieldschool
Required reading All required readings will be presented to the students prior to or upon arrival. The literature will be handed out as printed copies or emailed as PDF s. The reading will be done gradually over the course and will be used in seminars and written hand-ins and preparation. Suggested reading before the course start: Andréeff, A (2012). Archaeological s of Picture Stone Sites. In: M. Hernli Karnell (Ed.) Gotlands Picture Stones: Bearers of an Enigmatic Legacy (pp. 129-144). Visby: Gotlands Museum. Brink, Stefan & Price, Neil (red.)(2008). The Viking World. Abingdon: Routledge Carver, Martin., Gaydarska, Bisserka & Monton-Subias, Sandra (2015). Field Archaeology from Around the World: Ideas and Approaches. Carlsson, D. (2003). The Deserted Farm Fjäle in Ala Parish, Gotland. CCC Papers 9 (pp. 25-37). Visby: Gotland University. Graham-Campbell, James & Williams, Gareth (red.) (2007). Silver Economy in the Viking Age. Walnut Creek, CA: Left Coast Press. Hodder, Ian (red.) (2001). Archaeological theory Today. Cambridge: Polity Roskams, S. (2001).. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Skoglund, P. (2008). Stone ships: continuity and change in the Scandinavian prehistory. In: World Archaeology Vol 40:3 (pp. 390-406). Taylor and Francis. Widerström, Per & Petersson,Ann-Marie (2009). The Spilling s Hoard: Gotland s Role in Viking Age World Trade. Visby: Gotlands museum: Fornsalens Förlag