Jan Storå
Biographic Data
| ID | 90837 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Jan Storå |
| GIVEN NAMES | Jan |
| FAMILY NAME | Storå |
| SIGNATURE | STORÅ J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Stockholm University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6319-7857 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 35 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 230 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 35 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2002 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 9 |
Using ATR-FTIR, analytical colour and mercury for unravelling the cremation ritual of Tyresta viking age burial mound (South-Central Sweden)
The funerary rituals in Viking Age Scandinavia are known by their complexity and diversity including inhumation, boat burials, and cremation. Cremations have been extensively studied macroscopically, but the application of geochemical techniques, although highly informative to investigate cremation in more detail, have not been widely explored yet. In the Viking Age the inclusion of both animals and humans on the funeral pyres makes research chal…
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…
Interdisciplinary analyses of the remains from three gallery graves at Kinnekulle
In this paper, we investigate the Scandinavian Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age of Kinnekulle in southwestern Sweden. The above-mentioned periods in the study area are poorly understood and the archaeological record consists of a few stray finds and a concentration of 20 gallery graves. This study focuses on three of the gallery graves where commingled skeletons from successive burials were recovered. The human remains and the artefacts from t…
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…
Mobility patterns in inland southwestern Sweden during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
In this paper, we investigate population dynamics in the Scandinavian Neolithic and Early Bronze Age in southwestern Sweden. Human mobility patterns in Falbygden were studied by applying strontium isotope analysis combined with archaeological and bioarchaeological data, including mtDNA and sex assessment on a large dataset encompassing 141 individuals from 21 megalithic graves. In combination with other archaeological and anthropological records,…
Splitting bodies – A close-up study of a South Swedish bog deposition from the Pre-Roman Iron Age
A detailed taphonomic study of human and faunal remains recovered in a wetland in Southern Sweden is presented with specific focus on taphonomy, chronology and the possible practices associated with the handling of the remains of humans and animals, especially dogs. The finds from the wetland include remains of seven humans together with 21 dogs and skeletal remains of additionally 21 individuals of red fox, cattle, sheep, horse, red deer, and pi…
The Neolithic Pitted Ware culture foragers were culturally but not genetically influenced by the Battle Axe culture herders
OBJECTIVES: In order to understand contacts between cultural spheres in the third millennium BC, we investigated the impact of a new herder culture, the Battle Axe culture, arriving to Scandinavia on the people of the sub-Neolithic hunter-gatherer Pitted Ware culture. By investigating the genetic make-up of Pitted Ware culture people from two types of burials (typical Pitted Ware culture burials and Battle Axe culture-influenced burials), we coul…
Old bones or early graves? Megalithic burial sequences in southern Sweden based on 14C datings
Megalithic tombs have since long been a focus of debate within the archaeological research field, not least regarding their emergence, use life and the various bursts of building activity in different regions and periods. The aim of this study is to investigate the temporal span of the main burial sequences in the conventional megalithic grave types of southern Sweden, with special focus on the less studied gallery graves. In Scandinavia, megalit…
Dynamic adaptations of the Mesolithic pioneers of Gotland in the Baltic Sea
Mesolithic pioneers reached Gotland around 9200 cal BP and adopted seal-hunting. The subsistence economy was flexible, and the importance of freshwater fish is reflected in the location of settlements and available stable isotope data. Overgrowing lakes provided an important subsistence base, and marine resources were mainly related to raw material needs. The narrower breadth of resources is reflected in the osseous production, where implements w…
Mesolithic deer hunting – Prey choice of red deer (Cervus elaphus) based on age and sex distributions
Sealing economy
Re-enacting the sequence
This contribution seeks to demonstrate how recently developed 3D GIS platforms can help archeologists in relating to the original context legacy data that can be employed to digitally reconstruct the sequence of arbitrary layers as it was observed and then excavated in the end of the nineteenth century. This research has been conducted on the prehistoric cave of Stora Förvar, located on the small island of Stora Karlsö, in South-Eastern Sweden. A…
Viking warrior women? Reassessing Birka chamber grave Bj.581
Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia
Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated from 9,500-6,000 years before present (BP). Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data…
Early Holocene human population events on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea (9200-3800 cal. BP)
The stone cist conundrum
The importance of freshwater fish in Early Holocene subsistence
New insights on cultural dualism and population structure in the Middle Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture on the island of Gotland
Taphonomy, bone surface characteristics and assemblage history
A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study has been to confirm the sex and the affinity of an individual buried in a well-furnished warrior grave (Bj 581) in the Viking Age town of Birka, Sweden. Previously, based on the material and historical records, the male sex has been associated with the gender of the warrior and such was the case with Bj 581. An earlier osteological classification of the individual as female was considered controversial in a…
Different Preparation Techniques - Similar Results? On the Quality of Thin-Ground Sections of Archaeological Bone
Palaeohistology as a valuable diagnostic instrument is dependent on the production of high-quality thin-ground sections from dry bone. The objective of this study was to consider technical differences and assess the qualitative outcomes of five techniques for preparing thin-ground sections from dry archaeological bone. Established techniques with long follow-up times and excellently documented results were compared with simpler and cheaper time-s…
Genomic Diversity and Admixture Differs for Stone-Age Scandinavian Foragers and Farmers
Hunters and Farmers The Neolithic period in Europe saw the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming. Previous genetic analyses have suggested that hunter-gatherers were replaced by immigrant farmers. Skoglund et al. (p. 747 , published online 24 April) sequenced one Mesolithic and nine Neolithic Swedish individuals to examine the transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers. Substantial genetic differentiation was observed between hu…
An Arctic seal in temperate waters
The ringed seal ( Pusa hispida) is an early immigrant in the Baltic Basin and has since its arrival experienced substantial changes in the climate, salinity and productivity of the Basin. In this paper, we discuss the dispersal and distribution of the ringed seal during different stages of the Baltic Sea in relation to past and ongoing environmental changes. Subfossil ringed seal remains around the Baltic Sea and the Danish Straits were radiocarb…
Accurate sex identification of ancient human remains using DNA shotgun sequencing
Reading bones
This is a study of hunters and seals in the Stone Age in the Baltic. The ambition has been to develop and utilize methods for osteological analyses of archaeological seal bones. The main aims of th ...
Accurate sex identification of ancient human remains using DNA shotgun sequencing
Dietary patterns and social structures in medieval Sigtuna, Sweden, as reflected in stable isotope values in human skeletal remains
A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study has been to confirm the sex and the affinity of an individual buried in a well-furnished warrior grave (Bj 581) in the Viking Age town of Birka, Sweden. Previously, based on the material and historical records, the male sex has been associated with the gender of the warrior and such was the case with Bj 581. An earlier osteological classification of the individual as female was considered controversial in a…
Mobility patterns in inland southwestern Sweden during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age
In this paper, we investigate population dynamics in the Scandinavian Neolithic and Early Bronze Age in southwestern Sweden. Human mobility patterns in Falbygden were studied by applying strontium isotope analysis combined with archaeological and bioarchaeological data, including mtDNA and sex assessment on a large dataset encompassing 141 individuals from 21 megalithic graves. In combination with other archaeological and anthropological records,…
Re-enacting the sequence
This contribution seeks to demonstrate how recently developed 3D GIS platforms can help archeologists in relating to the original context legacy data that can be employed to digitally reconstruct the sequence of arbitrary layers as it was observed and then excavated in the end of the nineteenth century. This research has been conducted on the prehistoric cave of Stora Förvar, located on the small island of Stora Karlsö, in South-Eastern Sweden. A…
Viking warrior women? Reassessing Birka chamber grave Bj.581
Osteometric and molecular sexing of cattle metapodia
Old bones or early graves? Megalithic burial sequences in southern Sweden based on 14C datings
Megalithic tombs have since long been a focus of debate within the archaeological research field, not least regarding their emergence, use life and the various bursts of building activity in different regions and periods. The aim of this study is to investigate the temporal span of the main burial sequences in the conventional megalithic grave types of southern Sweden, with special focus on the less studied gallery graves. In Scandinavia, megalit…
An Arctic seal in temperate waters
The ringed seal ( Pusa hispida) is an early immigrant in the Baltic Basin and has since its arrival experienced substantial changes in the climate, salinity and productivity of the Basin. In this paper, we discuss the dispersal and distribution of the ringed seal during different stages of the Baltic Sea in relation to past and ongoing environmental changes. Subfossil ringed seal remains around the Baltic Sea and the Danish Straits were radiocarb…
The Jettböle middle Neolithic site on the Åland Islands – human remains, ancient DNA and pottery
The article focuses on problems in making generalizations about the character of Stone Age sites and the difficulties of separating sacred and secular remains. Like many other Pitted Ware sites, the middle Neolithic site of Jettböle on the Åland Islands has been characterized as a settlement site despite finds of a ritual character. This study investigates the spatial relationships and depositional patterns of different find categories, with a sp…
Stone Age exploitation of birds on the island of Gotland, Baltic Sea
We have conducted a detailed taphonomic study of the avifauna of the Pitted Ware culture site of Ajvide on the Island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, in order to investigate the fowling patterns and the taphonomic history of the bird remains. We have investigated cultural as well as natural modifications on the bird bones, fragmentation and fracture patterns, and performed a systematic surface modification study. No specific area for the deposition…
Taphonomy, bone surface characteristics and assemblage history
The Neolithic Pitted Ware culture foragers were culturally but not genetically influenced by the Battle Axe culture herders
OBJECTIVES: In order to understand contacts between cultural spheres in the third millennium BC, we investigated the impact of a new herder culture, the Battle Axe culture, arriving to Scandinavia on the people of the sub-Neolithic hunter-gatherer Pitted Ware culture. By investigating the genetic make-up of Pitted Ware culture people from two types of burials (typical Pitted Ware culture burials and Battle Axe culture-influenced burials), we coul…
Mesolithic deer hunting – Prey choice of red deer (Cervus elaphus) based on age and sex distributions
The importance of freshwater fish in Early Holocene subsistence
New insights on cultural dualism and population structure in the Middle Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture on the island of Gotland
Dynamic adaptations of the Mesolithic pioneers of Gotland in the Baltic Sea
Mesolithic pioneers reached Gotland around 9200 cal BP and adopted seal-hunting. The subsistence economy was flexible, and the importance of freshwater fish is reflected in the location of settlements and available stable isotope data. Overgrowing lakes provided an important subsistence base, and marine resources were mainly related to raw material needs. The narrower breadth of resources is reflected in the osseous production, where implements w…
The stone cist conundrum
Huts and deposition of refuse at Fräkenrönningen, a Neolithic coastal dwelling site in Eastern Middle Sweden
The present detailed taphonomic study deals with faunal remains from the Middle Neolithic site of Fräkenrönningen, located in Eastern Middle Sweden. Archaeological excavations in 1993 revealed the remnants of eight hut‐structures and several different features spread over approximately 1500 m 2 . Large amounts of pottery and stone artefacts were recovered together with approximately 14.6 kg of burnt faunal remains. Our specific aim was to examine…
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…
Sealing economy
Different Preparation Techniques - Similar Results? On the Quality of Thin-Ground Sections of Archaeological Bone
Palaeohistology as a valuable diagnostic instrument is dependent on the production of high-quality thin-ground sections from dry bone. The objective of this study was to consider technical differences and assess the qualitative outcomes of five techniques for preparing thin-ground sections from dry archaeological bone. Established techniques with long follow-up times and excellently documented results were compared with simpler and cheaper time-s…
The Jettbole Middle Neolithic Site on the Aland Islands -- Human Remains, Ancient dna and Pottery
The article focuses on problems in making generalizations about the character of Stone Age sites and the difficulties of separating sacred and secular remains. Like many other Pitted Ware sites, the middle Neolithic site of Jettböle on the Åland Islands has been characterized as a settlement site despite finds of a ritual character. This study investigates the spatial relationships and depositional patterns of different find categories, with a sp…
Neolithic seal exploitation on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea on the basis of epiphyseal fusion data and metric studies
The exploitation of marine resources was of central importance in the subsistence economy on the Åland Islands during the Stone Age. In this study four faunal assemblages from archaeological sites which date to approximately 3300–1800 cal BC are discussed. On all sites seals clearly dominate the mammal fauna with the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) as the most common species followed by the ringed seal (Phoca hispida). Epiphyseal fusion data and m…
Neolithic seal exploitation on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea on the basis of epiphyseal fusion data and metric studies
The exploitation of marine resources was of central importance in the subsistence economy on the Åland Islands during the Stone Age. In this study four faunal assemblages from archaeological sites which date to approximately 3300–1800 cal BC are discussed. On all sites seals clearly dominate the mammal fauna with the harp seal ( Phoca groenlandica ) as the most common species followed by the ringed seal ( Phoca hispida ). Epiphyseal fusion data a…
The Jettbole Middle Neolithic Site on the Aland Islands -- Human Remains, Ancient dna and Pottery
The article focuses on problems in making generalizations about the character of Stone Age sites and the difficulties of separating sacred and secular remains. Like many other Pitted Ware sites, the middle Neolithic site of Jettböle on the Åland Islands has been characterized as a settlement site despite finds of a ritual character. This study investigates the spatial relationships and depositional patterns of different find categories, with a sp…
The Jettböle middle Neolithic site on the Åland Islands – human remains, ancient DNA and pottery
The article focuses on problems in making generalizations about the character of Stone Age sites and the difficulties of separating sacred and secular remains. Like many other Pitted Ware sites, the middle Neolithic site of Jettböle on the Åland Islands has been characterized as a settlement site despite finds of a ritual character. This study investigates the spatial relationships and depositional patterns of different find categories, with a sp…
Stone Age exploitation of birds on the island of Gotland, Baltic Sea
We have conducted a detailed taphonomic study of the avifauna of the Pitted Ware culture site of Ajvide on the Island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, in order to investigate the fowling patterns and the taphonomic history of the bird remains. We have investigated cultural as well as natural modifications on the bird bones, fragmentation and fracture patterns, and performed a systematic surface modification study. No specific area for the deposition…
Ancient DNA Reveals Lack of Continuity between Neolithic Hunter-Gatherers and Contemporary Scandinavians
Dietary patterns and social structures in medieval Sigtuna, Sweden, as reflected in stable isotope values in human skeletal remains
Huts and deposition of refuse at Fräkenrönningen, a Neolithic coastal dwelling site in Eastern Middle Sweden
The present detailed taphonomic study deals with faunal remains from the Middle Neolithic site of Fräkenrönningen, located in Eastern Middle Sweden. Archaeological excavations in 1993 revealed the remnants of eight hut‐structures and several different features spread over approximately 1500 m 2 . Large amounts of pottery and stone artefacts were recovered together with approximately 14.6 kg of burnt faunal remains. Our specific aim was to examine…
Osteometric and molecular sexing of cattle metapodia
Origins and Genetic Legacy of Neolithic Farmers and Hunter-Gatherers in Europe
Farmer Displaced European Hunters Our understanding of prehistoric demography and human evolution has been improved by analysis of ancient DNA. Skoglund et al. (p. 466) describe the retrieval and analysis of genomic DNA from ancient (~5000-year-old) northern European Neolithic individuals within modern Sweden. These include three hunter-gatherers from the Pitted Ware Culture horizon and one farmer ascribed to the Mid-Neolithic North-Central TRB c…
Accurate sex identification of ancient human remains using DNA shotgun sequencing
Genomic Diversity and Admixture Differs for Stone-Age Scandinavian Foragers and Farmers
Hunters and Farmers The Neolithic period in Europe saw the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming. Previous genetic analyses have suggested that hunter-gatherers were replaced by immigrant farmers. Skoglund et al. (p. 747 , published online 24 April) sequenced one Mesolithic and nine Neolithic Swedish individuals to examine the transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers. Substantial genetic differentiation was observed between hu…
An Arctic seal in temperate waters
The ringed seal ( Pusa hispida) is an early immigrant in the Baltic Basin and has since its arrival experienced substantial changes in the climate, salinity and productivity of the Basin. In this paper, we discuss the dispersal and distribution of the ringed seal during different stages of the Baltic Sea in relation to past and ongoing environmental changes. Subfossil ringed seal remains around the Baltic Sea and the Danish Straits were radiocarb…
Different Preparation Techniques - Similar Results? On the Quality of Thin-Ground Sections of Archaeological Bone
Palaeohistology as a valuable diagnostic instrument is dependent on the production of high-quality thin-ground sections from dry bone. The objective of this study was to consider technical differences and assess the qualitative outcomes of five techniques for preparing thin-ground sections from dry archaeological bone. Established techniques with long follow-up times and excellently documented results were compared with simpler and cheaper time-s…
The importance of freshwater fish in Early Holocene subsistence
New insights on cultural dualism and population structure in the Middle Neolithic Funnel Beaker culture on the island of Gotland
Taphonomy, bone surface characteristics and assemblage history
A female Viking warrior confirmed by genomics
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study has been to confirm the sex and the affinity of an individual buried in a well-furnished warrior grave (Bj 581) in the Viking Age town of Birka, Sweden. Previously, based on the material and historical records, the male sex has been associated with the gender of the warrior and such was the case with Bj 581. An earlier osteological classification of the individual as female was considered controversial in a…
Population genomics of Mesolithic Scandinavia
Scandinavia was one of the last geographic areas in Europe to become habitable for humans after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, the routes and genetic composition of these postglacial migrants remain unclear. We sequenced the genomes, up to 57× coverage, of seven hunter-gatherers excavated across Scandinavia and dated from 9,500-6,000 years before present (BP). Surprisingly, among the Scandinavian Mesolithic individuals, the genetic data…
Early Holocene human population events on the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea (9200-3800 cal. BP)
The stone cist conundrum
Mesolithic deer hunting – Prey choice of red deer (Cervus elaphus) based on age and sex distributions
Sealing economy
Re-enacting the sequence
This contribution seeks to demonstrate how recently developed 3D GIS platforms can help archeologists in relating to the original context legacy data that can be employed to digitally reconstruct the sequence of arbitrary layers as it was observed and then excavated in the end of the nineteenth century. This research has been conducted on the prehistoric cave of Stora Förvar, located on the small island of Stora Karlsö, in South-Eastern Sweden. A…
Viking warrior women? Reassessing Birka chamber grave Bj.581
Archaeology (28 works) · Geography (28 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (25 works) · Biology (17 works) · Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies (15 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (14 works) · Forensic and Genetic Research (13 works) · History (11 works) · Demography (9 works) · Ecology (9 works)