Med skibet i kroppen. Mennesker og maritimt miljø i Det sydfynske Øhav 1750–1950

Abstract

countryside sites. The purpose is to study the remains of production which can give clues regarding location, intensity and the type of production that took place. Ferrous and non-ferrous metalworking took place at numerous places often simultaneously. The production intensified in the Viking age as a response to an increased demand for iron. Contrary to many previous ideas on ferrous and non-ferrous metalworking, it is shown that this production took place at the same areas/buildings on the excavated sites. Production seems often to have been temporal or occasional and both types of crafts can have been performed by the same individuals. Viking age metal production in the countryside was thus according to Sahlén small-scale and intended for local use. Thus, iron for export was connected to central places and early towns. The last and fifth chapter, Interactions and infrastructure – driving forces and organization behind the Viking Age trade networks in the Baltic and beyond, by the archaeologist Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, aims to identify sites involved in trade in the Baltic, but also to contextualise some of the commodities traded, as well as discussing the driving forces behind the trading networks of the Viking age. It also functions as a summary to the other four chapters of the book. This article does not only discuss iron, rather trading commodities in general, of which iron and iron products were two. Focus is also on the eastern Baltic and the regions further east. The establishment of trading centres and how commodities as fur, textiles and iron exchanged hands along the trading routes is discussed. The result shows that there was a close connection between the development of the first town-like structures in the Baltic region and the presence of advanced crafts. The exchange of raw materials and finished goods, as well as skilled labourers are discussed. The Viking expansion was driven by factors like trade, an urge for acquiring wealth and power. The steady increase of the need for iron for new and heavier products, promoted this development. Even if the two first chapters in the book do not focus on the Viking age to the same degree as the last three, the book nevertheless gives a thorough presentation of the importance of metalworking for the Viking society. The scope of the book is mainly archaeological, and especially the last three chapters give new insights regarding the topic. Especially the combination of the results from Zachrisson’s and Sahlén’s studies highlights the different but complementary aspects of the topic. The interested reader finds much valuable reading in this book. At the same time, it is obvious that the topic can be developed further in the future.