Excavations at Helgö II: Report for 1957-1959

Description

It is not without a certain relief as well as pleasure that the second part of 'Excavations at Helgö' is now presented to the public. There is relief because with its publication a considerable part of the find material becomes available to scholars, and there is pleasure because the material presented in this volume is such that it will produce its effect by its very mass and not only through sensations in the form of Buddha figures and bishops’ croziers. Even without learned explanations the mere weight of the rich and many-faceted material now put forward should convey conviction that Helgö is a place to be reckoned with in the cultural history of Sweden. The material presented in this volume covers the excavation seasons 1957-59 and constitutes an account of building Foundations III and IV with surrounding constructions. In broad outline the account follows the scheme worked out for Part I, but some simplification has been undertaken with a view to making the presentation more easily comprehensible to the reader. List of plates vii List of text illustrations xiii Preface / Wilhelm Holmqvist 1 Chapter 1. Building Foundation III / Wilhelm Holmqvist 3 Chapter 2. Special Descriptions. Foundation III / Agneta Lundström 20 Chapter 3. Building Foundation IV / Wilhelm Holmqvist 37 Chapter 4. Catalogue 59 Gold / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 59 Silver / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 59 Bronze / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 60 Iron / Agneta Lundström and Birgitta von Heland 70 Beads / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 133 Amber / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 136 Glass / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 136 Horn and bone / Inga Lindeberg 139 Birch bark boxes / Inga Lindeberg 140 Resin / Inga Lindeberg 141 Bread / Inga Lindeberg 141 Pottery / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 143 Clay / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 212 Smeltings and slags / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 213 Stone / Agneta Lundström and Inga Lindeberg 230 Chapter 5. Summaries concerning glass and pottery from the central building complex Glass / Wilhelm Holmqvist 242 Pottery / Birgit Arrhenius 260 Plates 1-62 Plans and profiles 63-79 Explanation of signs: opposite Pl. 63