Olika men ändå lika. En jämförelsestudie av konstruktioner, gravgods och ritualer mellan svenska och kontinentaleuropeiska kammargravar under folkvandringstiden

Sammanfattning: The aim of this essay is to compare Migration Period chamber tombs from Central and Western Europe with Migration Period chamber tombs from Sweden, with a specific focus on the constructions, grave goods and traceable rituals in each respective geographical area’s tombs. This comparative study also features three examples of Swedish chamber tombs, located in Högom, Lilla Jored and Lilla Sylta, which are discussed in comparison with the continental chamber tombs, as well as the general view on Swedish chamber tombs. The study showcased that both similarities and differences existed between Swedish and continental European chamber tombs during the Migration period, with the similarities outweighing the differences. The closest similarities were within construction, which in both geographical areas was predominantly characterized by timbered tombs, often buried under a stone cairn and an earthen mound, and at times constructed with corner posts. The biggest differences regarding construction included the presence of bed constructions in Swedish chamber tombs, which were much fewer than continental examples. Regarding grave goods, both similarities and differences could be traced. While similarities included the presence of bronze and glass vessels, finely decorated belts, as well as spatha-swords and weaponry collections, a big difference included clasp buttons and animal sacrifices, which weren’t present within continental chamber tombs but often appeared in Swedish tombs. The most notable differences appeared in the ritualistic comparisons. While the positioning of the dead often appeared in an east-western direction on the continent, it was not as frequent in Sweden. A division between a placement of private and public grave goods aren’t as discernable in Swedish chamber tombs either, as it is in European chamber tombs. The biggest difference between continental and Swedish Migration period chamber tombs included the gender of the buried. While deceased of both genders could be buried in chamber tombs in central and Western Europe, the chamber tomb burials were predominantly reserved for men in Migration period Sweden.