I stensmedernas landskap : En rumslig analys av de bifaciala pilspetsarna från Dalarna

Sammanfattning: A spatial analysis of the bifacial arrowheads from the Swedish county of Dalarna, located in the inland area of middle Sweden, is presented in this thesis. The study aims to understand how the arrowheads relate to land use and mobility in the landscape. Produced to be mobile and portable, arrows are of sorts synonymous with movement and mobility. Side by side with an exploration of mobility, the activities in the landscape surrounding the arrowheads are investigated with the concept of taskscape. Bifacial arrowheads are found all over Sweden, and in the northern parts they were used most extensively during the Early Metal Age (2000 BC–1 BC). The raw materials used for producing the arrowheads in Dalarna are various local stone materials, but the raw materials have also been spread over long distances, which indicate high mobility or an established contact network. Waterways and ridges in the landscape are suggested as possible communication routes. The bifacial arrowheads are found on different types of dwellings in the landscape, many of them on sites with a mixed chronology. The area by the lake Venjan stands out with its numerous workshop sites, which have a large material of points in red quartzite sandstone, indicating that specialization has taken place. In other parts of Dalarna, the arrowheads are understood as part of a standard toolkit. The study shows the possibilities to analyze archaeological material in the Swedish inland forest areas, which archaeological sites and material needs to be further investigated.