another museum done!
Aug. 9th, 2023 06:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kareinaI just finished the chapter section for the steatite items I got to see and handle myself, in 2019, during my visit to the Arjeplog Silver Museum. That trip was a highlight of this research--there is something super cool about standing in a museum back room, actually touching the artefacts myself!
Some of the items I saw that day are in this pretty photo from the Norrbotten Museums web page:
If you want to see all 20 objects I saw, you can click the links to see the thesis figures:
the pot handles
the pots
the spindle whorls
the Bronze Age casting moulds
Here are the accompanying figure captions:
3.2.1 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: handles
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the nine which are handles (or pot legs?). There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, and a superimposed square to show where in the province the main map is located. The smaller map, inset to the upper right of the main map, shows a closeup of the Arjeplog area, with a square on the main map showing the location of the smaller map. The red triangles show the find locations for the Bronze Age artefacts, and the blue for the ones interpreted as Viking Age. The question mark symbol, which is located at the Silvermuseet, represents those artefacts for which no find location was recorded, so it could have been anywhere in the region. A. ASM-480-1 is a pale greenish grey handle with a faintly etched V-shaped lines. It is 130 mm long and tapers from a width of 40 x 45 mm at the base to 20 x 25 mm at the point. B. ASM-5407 is a pale greenish grey handle, decorated with a central line bisecting a nested pair of V-shaped lines. It is 145 mm long and tapers from a width of 50 x 46 to 25 x 28 at the base. C. ASM-3974 is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with three nested V-shaped groves, and accompanying boundary outlines around what is left of the pot or scoop to which it had been attached. It is 110 mm long and tapers from 40 x 29 mm at the base to 25 x 18 mm at the point. The pot fragment still attached to the base measures 70 x 50 mm and is 8 mm thick. D. ASM-6123 is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with three nested V-shaped lines bisected by a central line. It is 120 mm long and tapers from 40 x 30 mm wide at the base to 13 x 13 mm at the point. E. ASM-O.M. is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with a pair of nested, deeply engraved V-shaped lines. It is 110 mm long, and tapers from 35 x 30 mm wide at the base to 24 x 20mm at the point. F. ASM-775 is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with several faintly etched lines that are more or less parallel with one another. The handle is cracked in multiple locations along its length (perhaps it was broken and glued back together?). It is 170 mm long, and tapers from 45 x 30 at the base to 27 x 26 at the point. G. ASM-7614 is a pale greenish grey handle, decorated by a pair of parallel lines running along its length. It tapers from a width of 50 x 30 at the base to 26 x 20 at the point. The fragment of pot or scoop to which it is still attached measures 80 x 40 mm and is 10 mm thick. H. ASM-479-2 A pale greenish grey pot handle decorated with a pair of nested V-shaped groves engraved in it. The handle is 110 mm long, and tapers in width from 44 to 15 mm from base to point, and in depth from 25 to 12 mm from base to point. There is a fragment of the pot itself still attached at the base of the handle, which measures 60 x 55 mm, and is ~10 mm thick. I. ASM-479-3 A whitish green pot handle with fain etched groves, in a criss-cross pattern. It is 95 mm long and has only a slight taper, ranging from 50 mm wide, 33 mm deep at the base, and 45 x 33 at the end, which is a broken surface. The fragment of pot still attached to the base of the handle is 85 x 40 x 10 mm.
3.2.2 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: pots
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the five which are pot/bowl/vessels or fragments thereof). There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, and a superimposed square to show where in the province the map is located. Symbol colours as in Figure 3.2.1. A. ASM-476 is a pale greenish grey round bowl or pot bottom. Its rim is damaged, and it was likely once deeper 125 mm in diameter and 55 mm tall. B. ASM-477 is tiny, pale greenish grey bowl, measuring only 26 mm tall, with a diameter of 42, a depth of approximately 20 mm deep, and a rim thickness 4 to 6 mm. C. ASM-8144 is a pale greenish grey bowl fragment, 9 mm tall. It measures 12 mm from point to rim along the path of what must have once been the radius, measuring along the curve of the rim it is 95 mm, and the rim itself is 10 mm thick. D. ASM-480-2 a blackened pot fragment measuring 130 mm along the rim. This item has a bit of copper riveted to it (as a repair at some point?). E. ASM-479-1 is a pale greenish grey pot bottom, the underside of which is blackened 170 x 135 mm.
3.2.3 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: spindle whorls
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the four which are spindle whorls. There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, with a superimposed square to show where in the province the map is located. Symbol colours as in Figure 3.2.1. A. ASM-498 is a pale whiteish grey flat spindle whorl with a 40 mm diameter, 10 mm thick, and a hole ~10 mm wide. B. ASM-Gallaure is pale greenish grey spindle whorl with one flat side, the other half rounded. It is 40 mm in diameter, 15 mm tall, and the hole is 10 mm in diameter. C. ASM-5164 is a pale greenish grey flat spindle whorl with a 50 mm diameter, 14 mm thick, and the hole is 13 mm. D. ASM-5405 is a pale greenish grey asymmetrical spindle whorl, with rounded edges. It measures 27 x 30 mm wide, is 12 mm thick and has a 10 mm wide hole.
3.2.4 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: casting moulds
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the two which are casting moulds. There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, with a superimposed square to show where in the province the map is located. Symbol colours as in Figure 3.2.1. A. ASM-K.M.28496 is a pinkish orange Bronze age casting mould for a knife, in two parts. B. ASM-Gjutform-1 is to pieces of a white stone casting mould, for a “holkyxa”, or celt axe of the Ananino type. While it is identified as steatite on the museum display card, it could be a micaceous schist.
edited to add: one (and only one) of the steatite items at this museum was collected by Ingela, my contact there. So after I posted this it occured to me to go check the cool web page with maps one can click to learn about archaeology there, to see if there is anything posted for where she found that spindle whorl (the one called "ASM-Gallaure"), and found this one nearby. (like within a half a km of the coordinates in my spreadsheet), which lists as a reference a 1993 report she wrote. Searching google didn't get me that report (though I found some others that look interesting), so I have now sent her a follow-up email, in Swedish this time, and asked if she has a copy of that report in pdf, and if she had published anything that would include that spindle whorl, or any other steatite objects
I will spend the rest of the week writing up as many other museum collections as I can, and will probably switch back to the literature review chapter next week. It is starting to feel like I will actually finish this...
Some of the items I saw that day are in this pretty photo from the Norrbotten Museums web page:
If you want to see all 20 objects I saw, you can click the links to see the thesis figures:
the pot handles
the pots
the spindle whorls
the Bronze Age casting moulds
Here are the accompanying figure captions:
3.2.1 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: handles
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the nine which are handles (or pot legs?). There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, and a superimposed square to show where in the province the main map is located. The smaller map, inset to the upper right of the main map, shows a closeup of the Arjeplog area, with a square on the main map showing the location of the smaller map. The red triangles show the find locations for the Bronze Age artefacts, and the blue for the ones interpreted as Viking Age. The question mark symbol, which is located at the Silvermuseet, represents those artefacts for which no find location was recorded, so it could have been anywhere in the region. A. ASM-480-1 is a pale greenish grey handle with a faintly etched V-shaped lines. It is 130 mm long and tapers from a width of 40 x 45 mm at the base to 20 x 25 mm at the point. B. ASM-5407 is a pale greenish grey handle, decorated with a central line bisecting a nested pair of V-shaped lines. It is 145 mm long and tapers from a width of 50 x 46 to 25 x 28 at the base. C. ASM-3974 is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with three nested V-shaped groves, and accompanying boundary outlines around what is left of the pot or scoop to which it had been attached. It is 110 mm long and tapers from 40 x 29 mm at the base to 25 x 18 mm at the point. The pot fragment still attached to the base measures 70 x 50 mm and is 8 mm thick. D. ASM-6123 is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with three nested V-shaped lines bisected by a central line. It is 120 mm long and tapers from 40 x 30 mm wide at the base to 13 x 13 mm at the point. E. ASM-O.M. is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with a pair of nested, deeply engraved V-shaped lines. It is 110 mm long, and tapers from 35 x 30 mm wide at the base to 24 x 20mm at the point. F. ASM-775 is a pale greenish grey handle decorated with several faintly etched lines that are more or less parallel with one another. The handle is cracked in multiple locations along its length (perhaps it was broken and glued back together?). It is 170 mm long, and tapers from 45 x 30 at the base to 27 x 26 at the point. G. ASM-7614 is a pale greenish grey handle, decorated by a pair of parallel lines running along its length. It tapers from a width of 50 x 30 at the base to 26 x 20 at the point. The fragment of pot or scoop to which it is still attached measures 80 x 40 mm and is 10 mm thick. H. ASM-479-2 A pale greenish grey pot handle decorated with a pair of nested V-shaped groves engraved in it. The handle is 110 mm long, and tapers in width from 44 to 15 mm from base to point, and in depth from 25 to 12 mm from base to point. There is a fragment of the pot itself still attached at the base of the handle, which measures 60 x 55 mm, and is ~10 mm thick. I. ASM-479-3 A whitish green pot handle with fain etched groves, in a criss-cross pattern. It is 95 mm long and has only a slight taper, ranging from 50 mm wide, 33 mm deep at the base, and 45 x 33 at the end, which is a broken surface. The fragment of pot still attached to the base of the handle is 85 x 40 x 10 mm.
3.2.2 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: pots
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the five which are pot/bowl/vessels or fragments thereof). There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, and a superimposed square to show where in the province the map is located. Symbol colours as in Figure 3.2.1. A. ASM-476 is a pale greenish grey round bowl or pot bottom. Its rim is damaged, and it was likely once deeper 125 mm in diameter and 55 mm tall. B. ASM-477 is tiny, pale greenish grey bowl, measuring only 26 mm tall, with a diameter of 42, a depth of approximately 20 mm deep, and a rim thickness 4 to 6 mm. C. ASM-8144 is a pale greenish grey bowl fragment, 9 mm tall. It measures 12 mm from point to rim along the path of what must have once been the radius, measuring along the curve of the rim it is 95 mm, and the rim itself is 10 mm thick. D. ASM-480-2 a blackened pot fragment measuring 130 mm along the rim. This item has a bit of copper riveted to it (as a repair at some point?). E. ASM-479-1 is a pale greenish grey pot bottom, the underside of which is blackened 170 x 135 mm.
3.2.3 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: spindle whorls
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the four which are spindle whorls. There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, with a superimposed square to show where in the province the map is located. Symbol colours as in Figure 3.2.1. A. ASM-498 is a pale whiteish grey flat spindle whorl with a 40 mm diameter, 10 mm thick, and a hole ~10 mm wide. B. ASM-Gallaure is pale greenish grey spindle whorl with one flat side, the other half rounded. It is 40 mm in diameter, 15 mm tall, and the hole is 10 mm in diameter. C. ASM-5164 is a pale greenish grey flat spindle whorl with a 50 mm diameter, 14 mm thick, and the hole is 13 mm. D. ASM-5405 is a pale greenish grey asymmetrical spindle whorl, with rounded edges. It measures 27 x 30 mm wide, is 12 mm thick and has a 10 mm wide hole.
3.2.4 Arjeplog Silvermuseet steatite artefacts: casting moulds
Map locations for all 20 of the steatite artefacts in the collection at the Arjeplog Silvermuseet, along with photos for the two which are casting moulds. There is a small white outline in the upper left main map corner which shows the shape of the border of the Lappland province, with a superimposed square to show where in the province the map is located. Symbol colours as in Figure 3.2.1. A. ASM-K.M.28496 is a pinkish orange Bronze age casting mould for a knife, in two parts. B. ASM-Gjutform-1 is to pieces of a white stone casting mould, for a “holkyxa”, or celt axe of the Ananino type. While it is identified as steatite on the museum display card, it could be a micaceous schist.
edited to add: one (and only one) of the steatite items at this museum was collected by Ingela, my contact there. So after I posted this it occured to me to go check the cool web page with maps one can click to learn about archaeology there, to see if there is anything posted for where she found that spindle whorl (the one called "ASM-Gallaure"), and found this one nearby. (like within a half a km of the coordinates in my spreadsheet), which lists as a reference a 1993 report she wrote. Searching google didn't get me that report (though I found some others that look interesting), so I have now sent her a follow-up email, in Swedish this time, and asked if she has a copy of that report in pdf, and if she had published anything that would include that spindle whorl, or any other steatite objects
I will spend the rest of the week writing up as many other museum collections as I can, and will probably switch back to the literature review chapter next week. It is starting to feel like I will actually finish this...