Torbjörn Ahlström
Biographic Data
| ID | 73660 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Torbjörn Ahlström |
| GIVEN NAMES | Torbjörn |
| FAMILY NAME | Ahlström |
| SIGNATURE | AHLSTRÖM T |
| AFFILIATIONS | Lund University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7468-5979 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 118 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 20 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1997 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
Related in Death? Further Insights on the Curious Case of Bishop Peder Winstrup and His Grandchild’s Burial
In 2021, we published the results of genomic analyses carried out on the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, and the mummified remains of a 5–6-month-old fetus discovered in the same burial. We concluded that the two individuals were second-degree relatives and explored the genealogy of Peder Winstrup to further understand the possible relation between them. Through this analysis, we found that the boy was most probably Winstrup’s grandson and…
New Research Project
Diachronic forager mobility
Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fisher-gathering societies Norje Sunnansund (Maglemose), Skateholm (Ertebølle) and Västerbjers (Pitted Ware Culture) were analysed with laser ablation to produce data on both individual movement patterns and societal mobility trends. The analyses of teeth from both Skateholm and Västerbjers displayed homogeneous ratios and corresponding mobility patterns, …
Assessing laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as a tool to study archaeological and modern human mobility through strontium isotope analyses of tooth enamel
To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological teeth, the strontium isotope ratios on 28 human teeth from three separate Early-Mid Holocene, Swedish, foraging contexts (Norje Sunnansund, Skateholm and Västerbjers) were analysed through laser ablation. The teeth/individuals have previously been analysed using traditional bulk sampled thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. To validate the conclusions r…
Mobile or stationary? An analysis of strontium and carbon isotopes from Västerbjers, Gotland, Sweden
The nature of the Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture (PWC) has been debated in Scandinavian archaeology since the beginning of the 20th century. This material culture post-dates the inception of an agro-pastoral Neolithic economy in the region (TRB) but demonstrate a semi-foraging lifeway. The PWC is considered elusive in the sense that the economy has been interpreted as either based on maritime foraging (isotope analysis), or a mixed-Neolithic econo…
Related in death? A curious case of a foetus hidden in bishop Peder Winstrup’s coffin in Lund, Sweden
When the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, died in 1679 he was laid to rest in a family crypt in Lund Cathedral alongside his wife. Following a restoration of the Cathedral in the late 19th century, Peder Winstrup’s coffin was moved to the crypt, as the family grave was dismantled. In 2012, a decision was made to move his remains to a different location presenting scientists with an opportunity to investigate bishop’s mummified remains. Unex…
Fish and resilience among Early Holocene foragers of southern Scandinavia
Population genomics of Bronze Age Eurasia
The Bronze Age of Eurasia (around 3000–1000 BC) was a period of major cultural changes. However, there is debate about whether these changes resulted from the circulation of ideas or from human migrations, potentially also facilitating the spread of languages and certain phenotypic traits. We investigated this by using new, improved methods to sequence low-coverage genomes from 101 ancient humans from across Eurasia. We show that the Bronze Age w…
Interdisciplinary archaeological prospection, excavation and 3D documentation exemplified through the investigation of a burial at the Iron Age settlement site of Uppåkra in Sweden
This paper presents the archaeological prospection, excavation and digital three‐dimensional documentation of a previously unknown neolithic grave, presumably late neolithic, at the outstanding Iron Age site of Uppåkra in southern Sweden, and exemplifies a multidisciplinary approach to modern archaeological fieldwork. In the framework of a large‐scale archaeological prospection pilot study conducted at the archaeological site of Uppåkra using rem…
Iron Age migration on the island of Öland
Variations in Diet and Stature
From the early 19 th century to the late 20 th century, the mean stature of Swedish conscripts increased from 167 to 177 cm. Based on osteological data, estimated statures of medieval skeletal populations indicate that mean stature of males had decreased from an average 173 cm during the medieval period, to 165 cm at the mid 19 th century. This change with respect to stature could possibly be linked to the change in diet. Based on the skeletal ma…
Patterns of violence‐related skull trauma in neolithic southern scandinavia
This article examines evidence for violence as reflected in skull injuries in 378 individuals from Neolithic Denmark and Sweden (3,900–1,700 BC). It is the first large‐scale crossregional study of skull trauma in southern Scandinavia, documenting skeletal evidence of violence at a population level. We also investigate the widely assumed hypothesis that Neolithic violence is male‐dominated and results in primarily male injuries and fatalities. Con…
Life-history theory, past human populations and climatic perturbations
A sensitivity and elasticity analysis is performed on historical life-tables, that of Swedish females from 1751-1755 and 1966-1970, i.e. during and after the Little Ice Age. Coupled with life-history theory, this approach supplies us with some ideas on how stature can be understood as a proxy for conditions during the intrauterine growth, important if we aspire to calibrate proposed climatic perturbations and their effect on past societies. Matri…
Osteoarthritis and activity-an analysis of the relationship between eburnation, Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM) and age in two Neolithic hunter-gatherer populations from Gotland, Sweden
The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) as an indicator of physical activity was explored in two Middle Neolithic samples from Gotland (c. 3400-2300 BC) in the Baltic Sea: Ajvide (n = 46) and Västerbjers (n = 32). The difficulty in diagnosing OA is recognised and only eburnation was used as a definite criterion for OA. The relationship between eburnation lesions and Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM) was investigated particularly in relation to a…
Megaliths and mobility in south-western Sweden. Investigating relationships between a local society and its neighbours using strontium isotopes
Kvinnan från Österöd
In this paper we describe the find of an early Mesolithic skeleton from Österöd, Bro parish, in central Bohuslän. The skeleton was originally found in 1903 by diggers in a shell bank, but was only recovered in 1933 by Johan Alin. In 2007, 14C analysis of a tooth produced the date 9025±65 BP uncalibrated, making the skeleton one of the oldest known from Scandinavia. Osteological determinations show that the bones are from a woman of old age, at le…
Abstracts of AAPA poster and podium presentations
Abstracts of AAPA Poster and Podium Presentations
Abstracts of AAPA poster and podium presentations
Osteology, DNA and Sex Identification
Sex identifications are crucial for the understanding of the societies we study. To understand an ancient society we need to have some picture of the roles played by males and females in the society. This knowledge has often been produced by morphological sex identifications in connection with grave goods and burial finds. However, if a morphological sex identification is to be fully trusted, the human remains need to be fairly well preserved. Th…
Osteoarthritis and activity-an analysis of the relationship between eburnation, Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM) and age in two Neolithic hunter-gatherer populations from Gotland, Sweden
The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) as an indicator of physical activity was explored in two Middle Neolithic samples from Gotland (c. 3400-2300 BC) in the Baltic Sea: Ajvide (n = 46) and Västerbjers (n = 32). The difficulty in diagnosing OA is recognised and only eburnation was used as a definite criterion for OA. The relationship between eburnation lesions and Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM) was investigated particularly in relation to a…
Iron Age migration on the island of Öland
Patterns of violence‐related skull trauma in neolithic southern scandinavia
This article examines evidence for violence as reflected in skull injuries in 378 individuals from Neolithic Denmark and Sweden (3,900–1,700 BC). It is the first large‐scale crossregional study of skull trauma in southern Scandinavia, documenting skeletal evidence of violence at a population level. We also investigate the widely assumed hypothesis that Neolithic violence is male‐dominated and results in primarily male injuries and fatalities. Con…
Assessing laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as a tool to study archaeological and modern human mobility through strontium isotope analyses of tooth enamel
To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological teeth, the strontium isotope ratios on 28 human teeth from three separate Early-Mid Holocene, Swedish, foraging contexts (Norje Sunnansund, Skateholm and Västerbjers) were analysed through laser ablation. The teeth/individuals have previously been analysed using traditional bulk sampled thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. To validate the conclusions r…
Fish and resilience among Early Holocene foragers of southern Scandinavia
Diachronic forager mobility
Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fisher-gathering societies Norje Sunnansund (Maglemose), Skateholm (Ertebølle) and Västerbjers (Pitted Ware Culture) were analysed with laser ablation to produce data on both individual movement patterns and societal mobility trends. The analyses of teeth from both Skateholm and Västerbjers displayed homogeneous ratios and corresponding mobility patterns, …
Interdisciplinary archaeological prospection, excavation and 3D documentation exemplified through the investigation of a burial at the Iron Age settlement site of Uppåkra in Sweden
This paper presents the archaeological prospection, excavation and digital three‐dimensional documentation of a previously unknown neolithic grave, presumably late neolithic, at the outstanding Iron Age site of Uppåkra in southern Sweden, and exemplifies a multidisciplinary approach to modern archaeological fieldwork. In the framework of a large‐scale archaeological prospection pilot study conducted at the archaeological site of Uppåkra using rem…
Variations in Diet and Stature
From the early 19 th century to the late 20 th century, the mean stature of Swedish conscripts increased from 167 to 177 cm. Based on osteological data, estimated statures of medieval skeletal populations indicate that mean stature of males had decreased from an average 173 cm during the medieval period, to 165 cm at the mid 19 th century. This change with respect to stature could possibly be linked to the change in diet. Based on the skeletal ma…
Mobile or stationary? An analysis of strontium and carbon isotopes from Västerbjers, Gotland, Sweden
The nature of the Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture (PWC) has been debated in Scandinavian archaeology since the beginning of the 20th century. This material culture post-dates the inception of an agro-pastoral Neolithic economy in the region (TRB) but demonstrate a semi-foraging lifeway. The PWC is considered elusive in the sense that the economy has been interpreted as either based on maritime foraging (isotope analysis), or a mixed-Neolithic econo…
Kvinnan från Österöd
In this paper we describe the find of an early Mesolithic skeleton from Österöd, Bro parish, in central Bohuslän. The skeleton was originally found in 1903 by diggers in a shell bank, but was only recovered in 1933 by Johan Alin. In 2007, 14C analysis of a tooth produced the date 9025±65 BP uncalibrated, making the skeleton one of the oldest known from Scandinavia. Osteological determinations show that the bones are from a woman of old age, at le…
Abstracts of AAPA Poster and Podium Presentations
Life-history theory, past human populations and climatic perturbations
A sensitivity and elasticity analysis is performed on historical life-tables, that of Swedish females from 1751-1755 and 1966-1970, i.e. during and after the Little Ice Age. Coupled with life-history theory, this approach supplies us with some ideas on how stature can be understood as a proxy for conditions during the intrauterine growth, important if we aspire to calibrate proposed climatic perturbations and their effect on past societies. Matri…
Related in death? A curious case of a foetus hidden in bishop Peder Winstrup’s coffin in Lund, Sweden
When the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, died in 1679 he was laid to rest in a family crypt in Lund Cathedral alongside his wife. Following a restoration of the Cathedral in the late 19th century, Peder Winstrup’s coffin was moved to the crypt, as the family grave was dismantled. In 2012, a decision was made to move his remains to a different location presenting scientists with an opportunity to investigate bishop’s mummified remains. Unex…
Abstracts of AAPA poster and podium presentations
Osteology, DNA and Sex Identification
Sex identifications are crucial for the understanding of the societies we study. To understand an ancient society we need to have some picture of the roles played by males and females in the society. This knowledge has often been produced by morphological sex identifications in connection with grave goods and burial finds. However, if a morphological sex identification is to be fully trusted, the human remains need to be fairly well preserved. Th…
Abstracts of AAPA poster and podium presentations
Abstracts of AAPA Poster and Podium Presentations
Abstracts of AAPA poster and podium presentations
Megaliths and mobility in south-western Sweden. Investigating relationships between a local society and its neighbours using strontium isotopes
Kvinnan från Österöd
In this paper we describe the find of an early Mesolithic skeleton from Österöd, Bro parish, in central Bohuslän. The skeleton was originally found in 1903 by diggers in a shell bank, but was only recovered in 1933 by Johan Alin. In 2007, 14C analysis of a tooth produced the date 9025±65 BP uncalibrated, making the skeleton one of the oldest known from Scandinavia. Osteological determinations show that the bones are from a woman of old age, at le…
Life-history theory, past human populations and climatic perturbations
A sensitivity and elasticity analysis is performed on historical life-tables, that of Swedish females from 1751-1755 and 1966-1970, i.e. during and after the Little Ice Age. Coupled with life-history theory, this approach supplies us with some ideas on how stature can be understood as a proxy for conditions during the intrauterine growth, important if we aspire to calibrate proposed climatic perturbations and their effect on past societies. Matri…
Osteoarthritis and activity-an analysis of the relationship between eburnation, Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM) and age in two Neolithic hunter-gatherer populations from Gotland, Sweden
The occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA) as an indicator of physical activity was explored in two Middle Neolithic samples from Gotland (c. 3400-2300 BC) in the Baltic Sea: Ajvide (n = 46) and Västerbjers (n = 32). The difficulty in diagnosing OA is recognised and only eburnation was used as a definite criterion for OA. The relationship between eburnation lesions and Musculoskeletal Stress Markers (MSM) was investigated particularly in relation to a…
Patterns of violence‐related skull trauma in neolithic southern scandinavia
This article examines evidence for violence as reflected in skull injuries in 378 individuals from Neolithic Denmark and Sweden (3,900–1,700 BC). It is the first large‐scale crossregional study of skull trauma in southern Scandinavia, documenting skeletal evidence of violence at a population level. We also investigate the widely assumed hypothesis that Neolithic violence is male‐dominated and results in primarily male injuries and fatalities. Con…
Variations in Diet and Stature
From the early 19 th century to the late 20 th century, the mean stature of Swedish conscripts increased from 167 to 177 cm. Based on osteological data, estimated statures of medieval skeletal populations indicate that mean stature of males had decreased from an average 173 cm during the medieval period, to 165 cm at the mid 19 th century. This change with respect to stature could possibly be linked to the change in diet. Based on the skeletal ma…
Population genomics of Bronze Age Eurasia
The Bronze Age of Eurasia (around 3000–1000 BC) was a period of major cultural changes. However, there is debate about whether these changes resulted from the circulation of ideas or from human migrations, potentially also facilitating the spread of languages and certain phenotypic traits. We investigated this by using new, improved methods to sequence low-coverage genomes from 101 ancient humans from across Eurasia. We show that the Bronze Age w…
Interdisciplinary archaeological prospection, excavation and 3D documentation exemplified through the investigation of a burial at the Iron Age settlement site of Uppåkra in Sweden
This paper presents the archaeological prospection, excavation and digital three‐dimensional documentation of a previously unknown neolithic grave, presumably late neolithic, at the outstanding Iron Age site of Uppåkra in southern Sweden, and exemplifies a multidisciplinary approach to modern archaeological fieldwork. In the framework of a large‐scale archaeological prospection pilot study conducted at the archaeological site of Uppåkra using rem…
Iron Age migration on the island of Öland
Fish and resilience among Early Holocene foragers of southern Scandinavia
Mobile or stationary? An analysis of strontium and carbon isotopes from Västerbjers, Gotland, Sweden
The nature of the Neolithic Pitted Ware Culture (PWC) has been debated in Scandinavian archaeology since the beginning of the 20th century. This material culture post-dates the inception of an agro-pastoral Neolithic economy in the region (TRB) but demonstrate a semi-foraging lifeway. The PWC is considered elusive in the sense that the economy has been interpreted as either based on maritime foraging (isotope analysis), or a mixed-Neolithic econo…
Related in death? A curious case of a foetus hidden in bishop Peder Winstrup’s coffin in Lund, Sweden
When the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, died in 1679 he was laid to rest in a family crypt in Lund Cathedral alongside his wife. Following a restoration of the Cathedral in the late 19th century, Peder Winstrup’s coffin was moved to the crypt, as the family grave was dismantled. In 2012, a decision was made to move his remains to a different location presenting scientists with an opportunity to investigate bishop’s mummified remains. Unex…
Diachronic forager mobility
Strontium isotope ratios in human teeth from the three Swedish prehistoric Stone Age hunter-fisher-gathering societies Norje Sunnansund (Maglemose), Skateholm (Ertebølle) and Västerbjers (Pitted Ware Culture) were analysed with laser ablation to produce data on both individual movement patterns and societal mobility trends. The analyses of teeth from both Skateholm and Västerbjers displayed homogeneous ratios and corresponding mobility patterns, …
Assessing laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as a tool to study archaeological and modern human mobility through strontium isotope analyses of tooth enamel
To evaluate the possibility of obtaining detailed individual mobility data from archaeological teeth, the strontium isotope ratios on 28 human teeth from three separate Early-Mid Holocene, Swedish, foraging contexts (Norje Sunnansund, Skateholm and Västerbjers) were analysed through laser ablation. The teeth/individuals have previously been analysed using traditional bulk sampled thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. To validate the conclusions r…
Related in Death? Further Insights on the Curious Case of Bishop Peder Winstrup and His Grandchild’s Burial
In 2021, we published the results of genomic analyses carried out on the famous bishop of Lund, Peder Winstrup, and the mummified remains of a 5–6-month-old fetus discovered in the same burial. We concluded that the two individuals were second-degree relatives and explored the genealogy of Peder Winstrup to further understand the possible relation between them. Through this analysis, we found that the boy was most probably Winstrup’s grandson and…
New Research Project
Geography (15 works) · Archaeology (11 works) · Demography (10 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (9 works) · Biology (9 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (8 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Population (7 works) · Demography (5 works) · Ecology (5 works)