Storms, ships, and shovels

A trans-Holocene history of the Gullåkra wetland

Dados Bibliográficos

ID7170409
AutoresMikael Fauvelle (0000-0002-0228-9245, Lund University, autor correspondente), Johan Ling (0000-0002-9355-4699, University of Gothenburg), Magnus Artursson (0000-0002-7316-0780, University of Gothenburg), Per Lagerås (0000-0002-2804-8028, Swedish National Historical Museums, The Archaeologists, Sweden), Richard Potter (University of Gothenburg), Hans Linderson (Lund University), Mats Rundgren (0000-0002-1249-2378, Lund University), Danilo M Campanaro (0000-0001-9962-6879, Lund University), Paulina Blaesild (0000-0003-2724-0189, University of Gothenburg), Staffan Von Arbin (0000-0001-5175-5604, University of Gothenburg), Anne Birgitta Nielsen (0000-0001-7854-353X, NanoLund), Christian Horn (0000-0001-8042-3748, University of Gothenburg)
Ano2025
Volume35
Fascículo9
Páginas952-957
Data de publicação2025-09-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoThe Holocene (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0959-6836 • E-ISSN: 1477-0911
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/09596836251340846
OpenAlexW4410919441
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas7

The Gullåkra wetland is located around 5 km south of the modern city of Lund and around 2.7 km east of the important Iron Age settlement of Uppåkra in Scania, southern Sweden. In the 1840s, a remarkable discovery was made in the wetland: a bronze lur dated to c. 1300 BCE, along with a boat and the bones of a large animal offering. As Bronze Age boats are exceedingly rare, this discovery makes the site highly significant for early Scandinavian maritime history. In 2023, excavations were carried out with the goal of relocating the boat discovered in the 19th century and assessing any additional remains within the wetland. Unfortunately, peat mining in the early 20th century drastically altered the landscape, obscuring its pre-industrial form and limiting further study. Although the boat could not be found, interdisciplinary methods, including dendrochronology, carbon dating, and sediment analysis, enabled the reconstruction of the wetland’s trans-Holocene history. Evidence of significant human and natural events was identified spanning the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, and early modern periods. The investigation underscores the enduring importance of wetlands as sites of human activity and ritual throughout prehistory. While the boat remains elusive, the Gullåkra wetland continues to demonstrate its potential for future discoveries relevant to the early history of southern Sweden. The study also highlights the value of interdisciplinary approaches in reconstructing long-term human and environmental histories

Archaeology · Geography · Holocene · Physical geography · Storm · Storm surge · Wetland · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Ecology · Geology · Oceanography