Department of Urban and Rural Development

On a gravefield (pagan burial ground) in use from the late eleventh to thirteenth century one male and one female individual with dwarfism were buried, only 1 m from each other. They were buried in the same manner and with the same kind of grave goods as the other buried individuals. Medical and osteological investigation reveal spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasia congenita with mild coxa vara. Because this disease is extremely rare, it is very likely that the two dwarves were closely related.

The Early Iron Age in Gamla Uppsala has never been a prominent field of research. The aim of this article is to survey known Early Iron Ages settlements in Gamla Uppsala. Special attention is paid to the agrarian environment and land use, possible changes and reasons for these changes. This is an attempt to find a more comprehensive perspective. The different settlements are characterised. Thereafter, traces of agrarian activity are discussed in terms of the local agrarian environment and its utilisation, manifested by finds of animal bones, macrofossil, traces of activities and other finds. Agrarian remains form the basis of a discussion on the agrarian environment and its use. In Gamla Uppsala, the settlement expansion, established in particular at Bredåker at the onset of the Pre-Roman Iron Age, and correlating in time with a regionally intensified land use and land preparation, can be linked to the so called agro-technical complex of the Early Iron Age. Agrarian activities and land use have manifested themselves by cereal cultivation, mainly barley. Fields would have surrounded the most extensive settlements at Bredåker and Berget, while pastures would have been located outside the cultivated lands. From the Later Pre-Roman Iron Age until the Migration Period there was intense animal husbandry, including winter stabling, hay-making on the lowlands along the marsh meadows of the Samnan valley. During the period, the number of houses per farm, as well as the house dimensions, increases. This is particularly true of the outhouses, even if the number of farms seems to be the same. This can be seen as signs of concentration and rationalisation of the cultivation system. The increase of house size can be indicative of the increased storage capacity of the households, probably due to an agrarian overproduction, brought about by fees and tributes. Finally, the way in which Iron Age settlement should be understood, in terms of social status and hierarchies, is discussed. In my opinion, there are
indications of an adjustment to local natural conditions in terms of land use and agrarian systems. The settlement location can be said to reflect the right of disposition of the land, and thus also the power structure. During the Early Roman Iron Age, a new power structure can be discerned, manifested by a new form of settlement in pronounced locations. Probably, these settlements exercised some form of control over other settlements, albeit a local level. Their function could be to collect tax and redistribute goods, but they also had an agrarian production of their own. During the Late Roman Iron Age, even more extravagant topographical locations were chosen for settlement, and the buildings grew larger and were constructed in different ways. The function of this kind of farmstead might be to redistribute produce, but cult practices cannot be ruled out. During the Migration Period, the farmsteads of the central settlement might have increased in size. Later on, a craft centre was established in the area between Gamla Uppsala School and the parish church. Around the same time, the eastern and western mounds were erected.

In 2003 a bronze foundry from the Late Bronze Age and an extensive settlement from the Early Iron Age were excavated. The settlements were found in arable land just north of the city of Uppsala, on the low lying plains above the stream Samnan. The land had during historical times belonged to the villages of Bredåker and Gamla Uppsala. This excavation - along with several others – has given new and deeper knowledge about the residence, settlement and activities. The settlement can at the earliest be traced from the Early Bronze Age, change appearance and structure over time, reflecting greater societal changes during the Early Iron Age.

A heap of fire-cracked stones and an adjacent terrace, both dating from the Late Bronze Age, have been investigated at Gamla Uppsala. The site also included settlement traces dating from the Early Bronze Age, preceding the features mentioned above. The dating sequence places the remains on the site in the Middle Bronze Age, a younger stage, which in Gamla Uppsala is usually linked to settlement and crafts. Both spatially and chronologically, the investigated remains can be linked to two other heaps of fire-cracked stones, a grave and a settlement nearby. These probably formed the core of a large area of habitation facing south towards an open bay, which was located where the present-day Fyrisån River traverses modern Uppsala. Previously known Bronze Age sites in the area are located in the Samnan River Basin 1-2 km to the north. Both mound and terrace seem to have functioned as deposits for household waste. The terrace displayed traces that can be linked to bronze casting. This, along with marked animal bone deposits adds a dimension to the terrace beyond the household level. The recovered finds from the site suggests a pars pro toto quality, in that only parts or fragments of artefacts or animals were deposited. This, to some extent, is also true about the scarce pieces of burnt grain. The number of known Bronze Age sites in Gamla Uppsala has increased in the last ten years, providing a picture of the era that until now has hardly been distinguishable. In chronological terms, the entire Bronze Age is represented in the area, and several sites have varying traces of metal craft in the form of bronze casting.