The ship as symbol in the prehistory of Scandinavia and Southeast Asia

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3919178
AutoresC Ballard (0000-0002-8455-6908), Richard Bradley (0000-0003-3513-5661), Lise Nordenborg Myhre, Meredith Wilson (0000-0003-2305-2033), Wilson Meredith
Año2004
Volumen35
Número3
Páginas385-403
Fecha de publicación2004-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWorld Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0043-8243 • E-ISSN: 1470-1375
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/0043824042000185784
OpenAlexW2162649353
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas44
Referencias citadas16

The ship is the dominant element in the visual culture of the South Scandinavian Bronze Age, appearing in several different media, including rock carvings, decorated metalwork and above-ground monuments. Discussion has divided between those scholars who interpret this imagery in terms of long-distance exchange networks and those who emphasize its more local significance, including its deployment in mortuary ritual. A strikingly similar system is identified in Southeast Asia and part of Melanesia and can be interpreted through archaeological and ethnographic sources, but in this case there is no need to distinguish between 'practical' and 'symbolic' interpretations of the depictions of ships. This paper summarizes the evidence from this region and suggests that it can offer a fruitful source of comparison for archaeologists working in northern Europe

Ancient history · Archaeology · Ethnography · Ethnology · Geography · Linguistics · Prehistory · Rock art · Sociology · Southeast asia · Symbol (formal · Anthropology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · History · Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies