Worked wood

Otto Frödin’s excavations

During Frödin’s excavations 48 wooden objects were found. Hans Browall was only able to identify 41 of these objects in the collections today. Many of these 41 objects are in very bad condition, not having been adequately conserved after excavation (Browall 2011:353 ff; tabell 194).

Fig. 1. Object number 522411. Wedge, wood. Photo: Ola Myrin, Swedish History Museum

Fig 2. Identified wooden objects from Frödin’s excavations

Fig. 3. Object number 1086515. Oar? Photo: Ola Myrin SHM.

All the other objects are fragmentary and of unidentified function.

Mats P. Malmer’s excavations

Fig. 4. Worked wood from Malmer’s excavations.

Apart from the wooden piles, the assemblage contains only 22 items of worked wood. The log floors found during the excavations have usually been preserved only in the form of wood samples.

Most of the wooden objects are of unknown function. One, (Object number 1211444; find 44 in square x221/y424) from the Eastern Trench, comprises a small bowl, perhaps part of a mug (Swedish kåse) or spoon (Malmer 2002:107). Some six pieces are long, narrow and pointed in one or both ends (Object numbers 1211357, 1211365, 1211395, 1211440, 1281795, 1281833). One of these is described as a possible stake (Object number 1211140) and should perhaps be included in the category entitled piles. Four exhibit holes (Object numbers 1211399, 1211402, 1211439,1281857), although it is difficult to know whether the holes are natural or man-made. Some are described as blades, chips or thin slivers of wood, object numbers 1211377, 1211839, 1281850, 1281868), the remains of working wood. One piece consists of a split log (Object number 1281863) and one of horizontal wood (1284886). These could be the remains of some construction as could the fragment of a stake above.

The wooden objects have been recovered from the Eastern and Trial trenches. None come from the Middle trench and only one comes from the Western trench. The latter is described as a stick and is presently covered by mould (Object number 1285758). It is unsure whether it is worked. Hans Browall (2016) does not include this piece in his presentation of artefacts from the Western trench.

The wood species used to make the piles has been identified by Thomas Bartholin (see pile ledger 1). He also identified the species or genera of the wood samples collected (Eastern trench, Middle trench, Western trench, Trial trench) but only one of these 22 pieces of worked wood has had its wood species determined.

The low frequency of wooden objects from the pile dwelling has already been noted by Hans Browall (2011:353) as far as Otto Frödin’s excavations are concerned. Browall discusses the possible reasons for the scarcity of wooden objects, suggesting either that wooden objects may have been destroyed when the excavations came to a standstill between the years 1920 and 1927 and the site was inadequately covered or that the activities carried out at the pile dwelling did not result in the deposition of wooden objects. As so few wooden objects were also recovered from Mats Malmer’s excavations it must be concluded that wooden objects were either not used in the pile dwelling, that they were removed from the site in prehistory or that they were deposited in such a way (perhaps on the wooden floors, see Browall 2011:353) that they have not been preserved.

Unworked wood

Unworked wood has been extensively used in the constructions of the pile dwelling (Browall 2011, p. 85) but, apart from some of the piles, this material was not recovered or preserved in the collections. However, a few finds of sticks and branches, not worked, are included in the assemblage (see fig. 5).

Fig. 5. Unworked wood from Malmer’s excavations preserved in collections

The following references cited on this page have no web links;

Browall, H. 2011. Alvastra pålbyggnad, 1909-1930 års utgrävningar. Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien. Handlingar. Antikvariska serien 48. Stockholm.

Browall, H., 2016. Alvastra pålbyggnad. 1976–1980 års utgrävningar. Västra schaktet. Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och antikvitets akademien, Handlingar. Antikvariska serien 52. Stockholm.