Iron in the Nordic Bronze Age and Early Pre-Roman Iron Age – Visibility, Colour Contrasts and Celestial Associations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6094560 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anna Sörman (0000-0003-3796-7066, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. LARA, Laboratoire de recherche ARchéologie et Architectures/UMR 6566 CReAAH - Chemin la Censive du Tertre BP 81227, France., corresponding author), Karin Ojala (0000-0002-6694-8828, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.) |
| Year | 2022 |
| Volume | 55 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 107-139 |
| Publication date | 2022-07-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Norwegian Archaeological Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0029-3652 • E-ISSN: 1502-7678 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00293652.2022.2068157 |
| OpenAlex | W4282598940 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 26 |
This paper explores the use of iron in the Late Bronze Age and the earliest Iron Age (c. 1100-300 BC) in south-eastern Sweden, with a focus on the final Bronze Age and Pre-Roman Iron Age I. The aim is to study how early iron was used, valued and perceived, particularly in relation to pre-existing bronze and gold. Choosing iron for certain object types, such as dress attributes and arm rings, and in key symbols, notably the spiral, suggests an appreciation for its metallic shine and colour in contrast to bronze. This silvery lustre was in some cases exploited intentionally, and may sometimes have been associated with the moon in a celestial mythology. The lunar connection might have been accentuated by the origin of iron from bodies of water, which were surrounded by strong beliefs and were often the focus of sacrificial depositions in this period. The qualities sought after in iron during the Bronze Age-Iron Age transition were in some ways different from those appreciated later in Iron Age and historical times. It is necessary to further consider early iron in its contemporary setting without comparison to the 'successful' adaptation in the late Pre-Roman Iron Age onwards
Age groups · Ancient history · Archaeology · Bronze · Bronze Age · Iron Age · Lustre (file system) · Sociology · Demography · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Linguistics and language evolution
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |