Scandinavia’s role in the copper networks of Europe in the 2nd Millennium BC
The proposed project will concentrate on the Nordic Early BA, when the supply of bronze in the whole of Europe was quite substantial. Our previous conclusions were based on lead isotope and chemical analyses of more than 200 objects from Scandinavia. This is, however, a minor amount of the more than 20 000 objects from this region. In order to test these results we need to conduct a minimum of 200 new samples. These will be made on Scandinavian objects as well as strategically chosen European artefacts.
Some of the main issues which need to be illuminated are how the chronological variation observed in the Scandinavian material correlates with the extent and structure of copper production in the Mediterranean region and whether differences can be distinguished within Scandinavia, which indicate that there were various trade routes and networks.
The purpose of the project and development during the project period
The overall aim of the project was to reach a better understanding of the provenance of metals, and to map routes of importation, during the Nordic Early Bronze Age (1700-1100 BC). Our point of departure was the partly controversial results from previous analytical undertakings. These results indicated that copper reached Scandinavia from a much wider range of ore sources and suppliers than previously suggested. On this basis, a complex picture of connections between Scandinavia and other parts of Europe has emerged. In order to further nuance and broaden this picture, the project addressed variations within Scandinavia as well as chronological variation.
Project implementation
On this background object categories that occur regularly in Scandinavia were selected for analysis. Sampling was conducted in collaboration with museums in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Preliminary results governed further selection of material for analysis as well as the selection of areas for more focused analyses, including the need for new reference data for some regions. Resulting from these endeavors is ongoing collaboration with international experts, who have been involved in the interpretation and discussion of the results from the project. Interpretations of the results from lead isotope and chemical analysis of 230 samples (168 of these from Scandinavia) have been continuously discussed and modified, in comparison with new reference data, and according to archaeological research questions related to typology, cultural connections, trade networks, social organisation, and evidence of mining.
The three most important results and contributions to the international research front
On the basis of new analyses and a new body of reference data, some of the previous interpretations have been revised, reaching more robust conclusions regarding provenance and trade routes. For instance, the copper in Scandinavian artefacts which typologically link up with the Carpathian Basin, does not seem to derive from ore sources in this area. Similarly, previous theories about large-scale importation of copper from Mitterberg needs to be revised, following the results of this project. Earlier interpretations where Spain and Sardinia appeared as prominent producers of copper to Scandinavia have been refined and revised, with new reference data from the Italian Alps.
While Scandinavia got copper from various regions during the Bronze Age, we see some patterns of more general relevance. During the Nordic Early Bronze Age, until c. 1600 BC, copper from a number of different ore sources was utilized, with regional differences within Scandinavia. Prominent copper suppliers were mines in the UK, Slovakia and Austria. Around c. 1500 a marked shift is seen, and copper from the Italian Alps becomes dominant in all areas of investigation.
Important insights have been gained regarding the access to high quality reference data, which is of definite significance for drawing valid conclusions. This must be followed up by the creation of a common database. In collaboration with Prof. Artioli at Università di Padova, the project will contribute to financing an open access database.
New research issues generated by the project
The new results regarding provenance have implied that for some phases we have partly revised the interpretations regarding routes and metal networks that were previously suggested. Furthermore, the new results pointing to the fact that Scandinavia may have received copper from the Italian Alps opens up new questions about the connection to central Europe during the Bronze Age. For example, the amber routes that already Oscar Montelius pointed out are likely to be interesting to review again; not least given that Baltic amber is found in Bronze Age contexts in several places in the Italian Alps.
Traditionally, it has been considered that the Scandinavians were rather passive recipients of copper. We have tried to modify this, partly through new theories about how society has been organized in Scandinavia and which points to the societies actively investing in long-distance trade by building and crewing boats.
The contacts with the Atlantic Europe have continued to be investigated; the Iberian connection previously suggested for the earlier phases does, however, not now seem as strong. It is mainly during Late Bronze Age that copper in a few items can be related to the Iberian Peninsula; issues we are working on in cooperation with international research teams.
The results have also been able to raise issues regarding differences and similarities between different parts of Scandinavia regarding the routes of copper imports. Copper from the British Isles, for example, is observed in Danish artefacts dated to 1600-1500 BC, but not in Swedish. In addition, copper from the Italian Alps occurs earlier in the Swedish and Norwegian objects than in the Danish. These differences within Scandinavia generate additional issues regarding exchange, interaction and mobility.
Additional new issues concern the other important raw material - tin. New problems put forward by the project are in what way tin and its provenance can influence interpretations of paths and networks.
One spin-off of the project's results is that it has strongly contributed to initiating the debate on the origin of the copper in Scandinavia, and applicable methods. Several international researchers have been inspired by our results and launched new projects.
The international dimensions of the project
In order to improve the possibilities of finding the ore sources, or corresponding signatures in contemporary objects, the project has actively initiated collaborations with international research groups. Hence, new reference data have become accessible and in cases where important areas lacked data, additional analyses have been made within the project. The latter includes typologically and chronologically relevant objects (eg from Spain, Germany, Hungary, Ireland) as well as ingots and ores.
Significant cooperation has taken place with the following people, institutions and projects:
Prof. Dr. Vicze Magdolna at the Matrica Múzeum és Régészeti Park, Százhalombatta and Dr. Gábor Tarbay at the National museum in Budapest. The collaboration has included analyzes of bronze objects from various archaeological contexts by the town of Százhalombatta in Hungary. The results show great differences between these and the corresponding Scandinavian objects.
The ALBIMEH project, a cooperation of Dr. Xose-Lois Armada (UCL, University College London), Prof. Marcos Martinón-Torres (UCL) and Prof. Ignacio Montero Ruiz (Institute of History – CSIC, Madrid). In collaboration with this project, analyzes of six Spanish objects and ingots have been included.
The research group in Mannheim, at the Curt-Engelhorn-Zentrum Archäometrie, led by Prof. Ernst Pernicka. With this group, we have discussed analytical results, reference data and future collaborations in order to provenance tin by using tin isotopes – a method that is now under development in this research group.
Prof. Dr. Rüdiger Krause at the Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften, Vor- und Frühgeschichte in Frankfurt (Main) who have sampled and collaborated on German swords from the Munich area.
Prof. William O’Brien of the Department of Archeology, Cork University College who provided reference data and new items from Cork and copper ore from Derrycahoon for analysis, and not least contributed to the interpretation.
Dr. Alan Williams, the Department of Archeology, the University of Liverpool, has shared unpublished new data but also valuable views on our interpretations, not least with regard to trace elements from the copper ores in Great Orme in Wales.
The most extensive collaboration the project has initiated is with a research group led by Prof. Gilberto Artioli at Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università di Padova in Italy. Prof. Artioli has made new reference data accessible for our project and has contributed to the interpretation of the Scandinavian data-set. This collaboration has also resulted in the clear relation to ore sources in the Italian Alps.
Dissemination of results to other researchers and groups outside the scientific community
Members of the project have participated in a range of international and national conferences and workshops with focus on the integration of scientific methods in archaeology:
• Mobility in the Bronze Age, Schwerin, March 2015
• Metals and Society, Sevilla, May 2015
• Archaeometallurgy in Europe, Madrid, June 2015
• Nordic Bronze Age symposium, Gothenburg, June 2015
• EAA, Glasgow, September 2015
• Västsvensk arkeologidag, Gothenburg, February 2016
• McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, March 2016
• Trade Before Civilization, Gothenburg, May 2016
• The Prehistoric Society Europe Conference, Southampton, June 2017
• Bronze Age symposium, Oslo, June 2017
• The Atlantic Connection, Gothenburg, November 2017
• Museiarkeologiska branschorganisationens årsmöte, Halmstad, November 2017
• Arkeologi och konservering, Gothenburg, March 2018
• EAA, Barcelona, September 2018
• Archaeometallurgy in Bronze Age, Århus, September 2018
Preliminary results of the analyses have continuously been reported to the museums responsible for the sampled objects. On some occasions, project results have been presented in exhibitions for a wider audience:
• Vitlycke museum, Västarvet: Bilder – Bronser – Berättelser
• Såguddens Museum, Arvika: Bronsålder
• Österlens museum, Simrishamn: BronzeTech - en digital presentation om handel och resor från Östersjön till Nordsjön under bronsåldern
Project results have also been disseminated in popular science articles (Populär Arkeologi 2018) and on national TV (SVT series: ”De första Svenskarna, del 2”, 2019).