Varmt och skont : och iogonfallande modernt : kakelugnar som social konsumtion i det tidigmoderna Sverige

The article presents a research project on stove tiles and tile stoves as archaeological object from the so called baroque period, from the end of 16th to the beginning of the 18th century. Tiles from available archaeological excavations in the four towns of Kalmar, Linkoping, Jonkoping and Norrkoping have been analysed according to identified unique motive-types and their distribution in time and space. A rather unique assemblage of tiles from a complete tile stove in Kalmar is presented and discussed in accordance to the general problems of redepositional processes of material culture in the archaeological stratigraphy. The results indicate that the introduction of the new technology and/or fashion of tile stoves were highly dependent on an innovation centre, mostly a prominent residence, in the towns. The rather uneven distribution between, as well as in, the towns is discussed. The conclusion is that in the study of the profound changes in building and domestic culture during the period, more attention has to be paid to the changes on the single plots and in the single households.

ABSTRACT From the early 19 th century to the late 20 th century, the mean stature of Swedish conscripts increased from 167 to 177 cm. Based on osteological data, estimated statures of medieval skeletal populations indicate that mean stature of males had decreased from an average 173 cm during the medieval period, to 165 cm at the mid 19 th century. This change with respect to stature could possibly be linked to the change in diet. Based on the skeletal material unearthed from Linköping, Sweden, we explored the possible association between a changing diet and a decreasing stature. We compared the medieval sample (1100–1300 AD) to a sample dated 1780–1810 AD. A significant multiple regression analysis demonstrates that both sex and chronology explain the variation seen in femur length, but not stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen. The Bayesian mixing model with uninformative priors suggests that pike is dominating in both the medieval and historical samples, followed by pig, cattle, cod and herring. Using an informative prior based on the consumption from the 16 th century Swedish warship Lindormen did not alter the consumption pattern shown by the inhabitants of Linköping. As our results do not suggest a major shift in diet, as well as pointing out lacustrine fish as well as pig as more important to the protein in the diet than cattle, it deviates from what is inferred based on historical records. We conclude that the diet in a town cannot be generalized from the consumption of a ship and probably not from institutions either. These contexts have dominated the reconstructions of 19 th century diet in Sweden based on historical records. However, there is also the possibility that the two isotopes employed are not sufficiently delicate to detect such dietary changes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Cathedral chapter of Linkoping was founded in the 1230s, and developed over the rest of the Middle Ages to become one of the main religious institutions in Medieval Sweden. From the beginning, many rural parish churches became part of the growing chapter, especially from the earliest period. The churches were donated to a special prebenda, an institution including an altar in the cathedral, a canon who became a member of the chapter and an economic base, which could include farms or a larger estate and in some cases also a rural parish church. The development of the chapter followed different lines, with chronological differences according to the social levels of the donors, the character of the donation and economic differ, ences. The sources mirroring this fascinating period are manifold: written documents giving a detailed picture of the donations and the donors, and the churches as a living piece of material culture with their many architectural details. The intention of the planned project, dealing with the churches and the cathedral chapter, is to try to view the churches as material culture in the rural society, reflecting the intentions and strategies of different agents. Although the churches in the county of Ostergotland, southern Sweden, have been subject to previous research, the picture still lacks a systematic approach. This is important when discussing the features and variation of the Romanesque churches, and their changes during the early Gothic period. An investigation area in the middle of Ostergotland the Medieval deanery of Linkoping (fig. 3), has been selected. In' formation about the churches has been collected, and is presented here with some basic features - i.e. early grave slabs with runic inscriptions indicating the presence of a wooden church in the 11th century; stone churches; churches with towers indicating an aristocratic back-ground; towers with an emporium balcony; stone decorations. Four groups of churches are discerned: type A, aristocratic continuity, churchsite indicated by early grave monument succeeded by a stone church with tower; type B, early aristocratic discontinuity, an early church-site indicated by grave monument but not succeeded by a stone church with tower; type C, late aristocratic discontinuity, no early grave monument but a later stone church with tower; type D, a non-aristocratic milieu, no grave monument and no church with tower. The situation in the investigation area with regard to these types indicates that aristocratic church-sites were few in the 11th century. These places were however succeeded and even reinforced in 1100-1150 by stone churches with towers (type A). Discontinuity of aristocratic church-sites was extremely rare, with no example of an early church-site failing to be succeeded by a church with tower (type B). Just outside the investigation area, there is however such an example. At the same time there was a complement of new aristocratic church-sites, with churches with towers but no known predecessor (type C). Most of these churches seems to have been later (1150-1200 or even later) and less elaborate. Finally, the group of stone churches with no aristocratic features (type D), without towers etc., may have been built over a longer period. Anyhow, almost all of the churches in the area were built in stone.