Understanding Bronze Age life : Pryssgården (LBA) in Sweden from an artisanal perspective

Pryssgården in Norrköping is one of the larger ancient settlements in Sweden. People lived and worked here during the Stone Age and live and work here still. In this survey, the area and the archaeological questions surrounding it will be examined and discussed from an artisanal perspective. By re-examining the material from the excavations in Pryssgården from the perspective of artisanal expertise, new questions are both asked and answered. The investigation focuses primarily on the extensive ceramic material, and thus, the people crafting the clay. Foreword 11 Pryssgården in Östergötland – People Lived Here 13 Pryssgården and Archaeology 15 Pryssgården and the Crafting 18 Method and Analysis 21 Method of Artisanal Interpretation 21 Artisanal Interpretation 22 Description of the Method 23 The Three Skill Levels 24 Artisanal Interpretation of Ceramics 25 Material Description and Evaluation of Literature 25 Artisanal Skill at Pryssgården 27 Artisanal Interpretation of Pryssgården’s Ceramics 29 Previous Research 29 Implementation and Selection 29 Presentation of the Results 31 Ceramic Crafts at Pryssgården 35 Anomalies 36 Special Finds That Indicate the Unique in a Common Place 37 The Pryssgården Figurine – a Woman Without a Face 37 From Figurine to Tuyère – Practical Use for an Animal-Shaped Blast Nozzle 39 Artisanal Interpretation of Find 5918, the Pryssgården Figurine 39 How Was the Tuyère Made? An Artisanal Analysis of Tubular Objects 43 From Tuyère to Tuyère? ESS Object 4 50 How Does the Reconstruction Work in Practice? 53 Reconstruction 56 The Result of Using the Reconstructions of Find 5918 from Pryssgården 56 Skilful Child Ceramists – or a Particular Individual 59 How Was Vessel Find 5889 Made? 60 Vessel Find 5889 60 Comparison of Fingerpad Prints, preliminary Study of the Age of the Ceramic Artisan 63 Comments on Craft Interpretation 66 Three Bowls – Original and Imitations 70 Analysis of Crafting 71 Copies and Attempts 73 Black Vessels at Pryssgården – the Beginning of a New Tradition? 76 The Oldest Swedish 'Sortepotte'? 80 Ceramics with Traces of Textiles and Technical Ceramics 80 Use and Reuse of Textiles 82 Summary of the Analysis Results and Discussion of the Ceramic Material in the Pryssgården Settlement 82 Living in a Craft Environment – Placement of Buildings and Places for Crafting in Pryssgården 85 Presentation of the Farmstead 89 The Farm 89 Pits at Pryssgården 91 The Farmhouse and Outbuildings 91 Crafting Pits in the Farmstead 93 Taphonomic Discussion of Ceramics 99 A Possible Work Area for Bronze Working 103 Three Bronze-Age Buildings in Pryssgården – Analysis and Reconstruction from an Artisanal Perspective 106 Outbuildings and Functions in the Late Bronze Age – Three Examples of Reevaluation of the Building Remains from a Craft Perspective 107 A Step-By-Step Reconstruction of the Drying House for Ceramics – Building 256 in Area E 109 Outbuilding 256 Interpreted as a Drying House for Ceramics 109 Step-By-Step Reconstruction of the Storage Structure 255 in Area E 116 Step-By-Step Reconstruction of the Ceramic Workshop 152 in Area G 117 Final Discussion and Conclusions 121 The Little Picture – the Home and the Crafts 122 Living at Pryssgården as an Active Person 123 The Settlement 123 Food and Vessels 125 The Big Picture – Petroglyphs, Mobility and Transit Places 129 Concluding Thoughts 135 Acknowledgements 137 Research Loan 138 Bibliography 139 Appendix 145 I The Path of the Clay 145 I:I Clay Beds 145 I:II Weathering the Clay 146 I:III Preparing the Basic Claybody 147 I:IV Maturing the Clay 148 I:V Dividing and Storing the Clay 148 II Preparing the Clay for Special Purposes 149 III Clay Ready for Forming 149 III:I Paddle and Anvil 150 Glossary 153