1 Citation
This dataset contains information about metal objects and fragments of metal objects from five Swedish hoard finds from the Late Bronze Age. The main purpose of this data collection was to create a basis for a study of fragmented bronze objects in the so-called ‘scrap hoards’ from this period. The research focus in the dataset is on describing the incomplete objects in these depositions, and to determine/estimate to what degree the fragmentation is due to prehistoric actions (broken during the Bronze Age) or if it might be recent. The questions in focus for this study was which object types were fragmented versus not fragmented, and, to what degree the original object type could be recognized from the fragments. This study is presented in a scientific paper in English. This pilot study is part of a larger project run by Anna Sörman, studying the circulation, use and deposition of fragmented bronze objects, based on studies in north-western France and southern Scandinavia.
The dataset gathers information about the contents of these hoards which have previously been published by Andreas Oldeberg (1927, 1928, 1929, 1934), and the images and details about the finds available in the inventory catalogue (online) of the Swedish History Museum. In one case (the Härnevi hoard), the finds have also been studied first-hand by Anna Sörman, in the storage of the Swedish History Museum. As the focus of the project is on the metalwork objects, the few finds of other materials present in some of these hoards (stone, ceramics, organic materials) have not been included in the dataset.
Two source critical factors should be particularly highlighted regarding the quality of the data. Firstly, these hoards, found between years 1853-1926, have all been collected by private individuals. They have been found during agricultural labour and various groundworks. This means that they should not be expected to be complete, as for example small fragments are likely to have been overlooked. Secondly, the information in the dataset is mainly from secondary sources (with Härnevi as the only exception), which means that renewed primary studies of the material – with special focus on breaks and fragments – would probably lead to certain revisions. Finally it should also be pointed out that, in some cases, it has not been possible to evaluate the probable age of the fracture. This might be due to a lack of information in the secondary sources (published articles and inventory catalogue),...