Social status in the Merovingian and Viking periods in Norway from archaeological and historical sources

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6095352
AutoresBergljot Solberg (University of Bergen, autor de correspondencia)
Año1985
Volumen18
Número1-2
Páginas61-76
Fecha de publicación1985-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaNorwegian Archaeological Review (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0029-3652 • E-ISSN: 1502-7678
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/00293652.1985.9965411
OpenAlexW2047715897
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas1

Generally, the social structure (stratification of the society) in the Merovingian and Viking periods in Norway has been studied by historians using mainly historical and linguistic material. However, prehistoric burials are supposed to reflect the social status of the deceased, and in the present study social status in the Merovingian and Viking periods in western, central and eastern Norway has been examined through 4629 grave finds recorded in the museums’ list—3796 were defined as men's grave finds and 833 as women's. On the basis of the composition of the grave material both the men's and women's graves could be divided into three groups: a large lower group with plain grave material, a small upper group with the richest finds, and an intermediate group. This grouping was supported by studies of the professionally excavated graves from 1956–1978 and indicated three distinctive social groups of free men and women. The grouping of the men's graves on the basis of weapon composition showed only a fair association with the weapon requirements and the social status indicated by the provincial laws from the early Middle Ages. However, studies of 177 precisely dated weapon graves demonstrated a closer association between the requirements of the laws and the weapon composition of the 10th century graves than of those from the 8th and 9th centuries. Accordingly, the grave finds from the Merovingian and Viking periods as well as the historical sources from the early Middle Ages reflect a society with marked differences in social status, the grave finds from the 10th century showing the best correspondence to the provincial laws

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Composition (language) · Ethnology · Geography · Grave goods · Literature · Middle Ages · Prehistory · Social group · Social science · Social status · Social stratification · Sociology · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Demography · Forensic and Genetic Research · Historical and Archaeological Studies · History