Ringspännen/hästskoformade spännen, gåvogivning och kontakterna mellan Mälarområdet och sydvästra Finland under vikingatid

Författare

Ingrid Gustin

Summary, in English

The article deals with the contacts between the Mälaren region, Sweden, and south western Finland during the Viking Age. The material studied is pegged penannular brooches, an artefact with a core area in Finland. Earlier, these brooches when found outside Finland, have been interpreted as representing weapon bearing migrated Finnish men. Since the material from the Mälaren region does not support this idea an alternative hypothesis is launched. In the article it is argued that some of pegged penannular brooches found in the Mälaren region might have been gifts. Giftgiving and was an important instrument during this time when it came to establishing social contracts and alliances. It is also argued that it was profitable for parts of the elit in the Mälaren region to form alliances with groups in South western Finland. The elite in Finalnd were not only middle men when it came to fur trade, they also had knowledge of regions further east leading to the trade routes that connected northern Europe with the Caliphate .

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