Kjetil Loftsgarden

• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020). Mass Production and Mountain Marketplaces in Norway in the Viking and Middle Ages. Medieval Archaeology.  ISSN 0076-6097. . doi: 10.1080/00766097.2020.1754662 Full text in Research Archive. Show summary

  As hubs in stable economic networks the mountain marketplaces are seen as integral to the increase and eventual mass production of iron in the Viking and Middle Ages. The amounts of iron produced in this period exceeded local, regional and national demands, and iron constituted a valuable commodity from the inlands of Norway and Sweden. This paper shows a dynamic trade network – one that was adaptable to trade patterns and surplus production. The marketplaces enabled an inland population to obtain the products they needed or wanted and the populous communities along the coast – the medieval towns, the royal and ecclesiastical elites – access to the resources and commodities from the hinterland via trade networks flowing through these marketplaces. This integration of the inland resources in the domestic and international economy can be considered as part of a functioning market economy in the western Scandinavian inland from the Late Viking Age.

• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). Ferd og frakt over fjell og vidde. Primitive tider.  ISSN 1501-0430.  21, s 7- 23 . doi: 10.5617/pt.7555 Full text in Research Archive. Show summary

  This study demonstrates how routes over mountain plateaus and passes connected farms, hamlets and regions. The routes enabled wide social and economic networks and were a prerequisite for regional surplus production in the Norwegian inland areas from the Viking Age. Iron, furs, skins and antlers were among the important commodities for farmers in the mountain and valley regions. These resources were exchanged for goods from the coastal areas, and it is likely that the purpose for much of the traffic over the mountains was trade. Medieval law texts and later historical sources indicate that the bulk of the traffic over mountains took place during the summer. The commodities were transported on packhorses or by foot. Using archaeological sites and findings, as well as place-names and historical sources, I have mapped the main mountain trails in South Norway. The historical significance of these communication routes are indicated by large burial sites, some consisting of hundreds of burial mounds, at the foot of several mountain crossings. These sites are testament to the great importance and value of communication and transportation across mountains passes – and its control – well before the extensive regional surplus production from the last half the Viking Age.

• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). The prime movers of iron production in the Norwegian Viking and Middle Ages. Fornvännen.  ISSN 0015-7813.  2019(2), s 75- 87 Show summary

  The thousands of iron production sites scattered across the mountain and valley regions of Norway are testament to a massive surplus production from the latter half of the Viking Age throughout the High Middle Ages. Archaeological and historical sources indicate that this production was carried out by singular farms. Still, the amount of iron produced surpassed both local and regional demands and constituted a regional and interregional commodity in the period 950–1300 AD. The point of departure in exploring the organisation of iron production, and the subsequent trade, is the spatial distribution of various types of iron bars. The regional differentiation in iron bars may reflect differences in trade and economic sophistication. The smaller and standardised axe-like bars indicate that the trade in Valdres, Hallingdal, and Østerdalen had a layer of professionalism and a relatively more hierarchical social and economic organisation. In contrast the larger, less standardised split blooms points to Numedal, Telemark, and Setesdal as less economically and socially differentiated, with less professionalism and homogeneity. This study shows how farmers in marginal agricultural areas could provide a surplus of iron and is important in furthering our understanding of the socio-economic development of Scandinavian Viking and Middle Ages. The substantial production of iron in the inland shows a willingness to risk valuable time and resources. The risk lay on the farmers, but so did the possible gains. The extent of the iron production alone suggests that it was a risk worth taking.

View all works in Cristin

• Bajard, Manon Julietto Andree; Ballo, Eirik Magnus Gottschalk; Støren, Eivind Wilhelm Nagel; Bakke, Jostein; Høeg, Helge Irgens; Loftsgarden, Kjetil; Iversen, Frode; Hufthammer, Anne Karin & Krüger, Kirstin (2020). Record of climate and environmental changes in a dead-ice lake close to Gardermoen told by a 10 000 years old freshwater fish and a Viking King. Show summary

  We studied a six-meter long sediment sequence retrieved from the kettle lake Ljøgottjern, close to Oslo-Gardermoen Airport, to reconstruct environmental and climate changes during the last millennia. The lake is 18 m depth and located at 185 m a.s.l., under the maximum postglacial sea level. The largest burial mound of Northern Europe was built in the mid-6th century on the shore of this lake allegedly for King Rakni and makes this place ideal to study human-environment interactions in a paleo-perspective approach. Using a multi-proxy sedimentological analysis of this record, including 14C dating, paleo-secular variations, XRF and CT scans, and pollen, this study highlights different climate patterns throughout the Holocene. At the bottom of the core, a carbonated sandy-clayey layer with centimetric twigs overlays an organic rich black peaty-type layer, suggesting a continental environment. On top of that, a disturbed clay layer containing fish bones from a freshwater Carpinidae species was found. The fish could have been buried by the massive (70 cm) sandy carbonated deposit covering it. A sharp transition separates a clay cap on top of the deposit and the start of a finely laminated lacustrine sedimentation dated 9.3 ka cal. BP. The massive deposit could be associated to the outburst flood from the glacial lake Nedre Glomsjø dated 10-10.4 ka cal BP (Longva, 1984; Høgaas and Longva, 2016). A major change in the sedimentation occurred around 8 ka cal. BP, with darker sediments and a lower sedimentation rate. This change could be related to a warming climate and stabilization of the catchment by soil and forest development around the lake in the mid-Holocene. The sedimentation rate increased again between 2000 and 3000 years cal. BP as a result of the development of first human activities and major change in the vegetation (Høeg, 1997). We reconstructed temperature changes during the first millennia and compared it to societal dynamics. The period between 300 and 800 years cal. CE is colder than the period 800-1300 years cal. CE. After 1600 years cal. CE, an increase in erosion could be associated to the extension of the population and agriculture in Scandinavia and revealed a chronicle of the major floods in this area. The presence of freshwater fish older than 9,3 ka attests of their early and natural colonization of Scandinavian lakes. The comparison of this record with archaeological data will allow us to discuss socio-environmental dynamics following the deglaciation in the area. References: Smith, A.A. 2010. CO2 stor¬age. Journal of Sciences 32, 10-20. Høeg, H.I., 1997. Pollenanalytiske undersøkelser på Øvre Romerike : Ullensaker og Nannestad, Akershus fylke : Gardermoprosjektet, Varia (Universitetets oldsaksamling : trykt utg.). Universitetets oldsaksamling, Oslo. Høgaas, F., Longva, O., 2016. Mega deposits and erosive features related to the glacial lake Nedre Glomsjø outburst flood, southeastern Norway. Quat. Sci. Rev. 151, 273–291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.09.015 Longva, O., 1984. Romeriksmjelen danna ved ein storflaum på Austlandet for vel 9000 år siden. Norges geologiske undersøkelse, Årsmelding 1984 8–11.

• Bajard, Manon Julietto Andree; Ballo, Eirik Magnus Gottschalk; Støren, Eivind Wilhelm Nagel; Bakke, Jostein; Høeg, Helge Irgens; Loftsgarden, Kjetil; Iversen, Frode & Krüger, Kirstin (2020). Volcanic Eruptions and their Impacts on Climate, Environment, and Viking Society in 500-1250 CE.
• Bajard, Manon Julietto Andree; Ballo, Eirik Magnus Gottschalk; Støren, Eivind Wilhelm Nagel; Bakke, Jostein; Høeg, Helge Irgens; Loftsgarden, Kjetil; Iversen, Frode; Svensen, Henrik & Krüger, Kirstin (2020). Tracing socio-environmental dynamics and climate changes in the period 300-1300 CE in Scandinavia from lake sediments. Show summary

  Understanding large volcanic eruptions impacts on environments and societies is necessary to consider future climate and socio-environmental interactions. Lake sediments can record these dynamics on a continuous long time scale and include at the same time footprints from volcanic eruptions, climate changes and human activities. We analysed the sediments of Lake Ljøgottjern, located southeastern Norway. The largest burial mound of Northern Europe was built in the mid-6th century on the shore of this lake and makes this place an ideal site to study human-environmental interactions throughout the last millennia. Using a multi-proxy analysis of this sedimentary record, including 14C dating, geochemistry, as well as palynological data, we reconstructed temperature and socio-environmental changes in this area between 300 and 1300 CE (Common Era). We associated changes in Ca/Ti ratio with changes in temperature. The period between 300 and 800 CE was colder than the periods 200-300 and 800-1300 CE. Five abrupt cooling events seem to be linked to weakened positive NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) phases, and two of them can also be linked to the two largest volcanic events of the period (i.e. the 536/540 CE double event, and 1257 CE eruption of Samalas). Palynological data indicate a decrease of the human activities and reforestation of the area in the 6th century. This abandonment is consistent with archaeological findings and could be related to the 536/540 cooling event. Very little activities are then recorded between 700 and 850 CE. Agricultural activities start again strongly in the Viking age with increase in temperature.

• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020). Ferd og frakt over fjell og vidde. Forskning.no.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020). How many Vikings were there? The population of Western Scandinavia 400–1000.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020). I vikingtida stod innlandet for ein enorm jernproduksjon. Forskning.no. Show summary

  Til tross for at jernframstillinga var spreidd på tusenvis av jernframstillingsstader, organisert og driven av spesialiserte bønder, vart det framstilt enorme mengder jern i det norske innlandet.

• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020). Skeid og leik. Show summary

  Faste stevne for handel og tevlingar var viktige knutepunkt i dei vide økonomiske og sosiale nettverka som batt saman den spreidde busetnaden i Noreg. Desse kunne vere lokalisert på fjell og hei mellom grender, men dei vart også arrangert i bygdene. Kjelder etter mellomalderen fortell om betydinga av slike stevne. Det er grunn til å anta at slike stader har vore utbreidd også i mellomalderen og tidlegare, for utveksling av varer eller som arena for å etablere og pleie sosiale og politiske nettverk. Det er likevel sparsamt med kjelder, kan stadnamn bidra med å kartlegge og utforske slike stader?

• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020). The population of Western Scandinavia 400–1000 AD.
• Smedsrud, Morten Skipenes & Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2020, 11. februar). Finner tegn til ekte fimbulvinter. [Tidsskrift].  Apollon.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). Frå Samalas til Setesdal – Vekst og fall i innlandets ressursutnytting.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). Hestekamp og handel i vikingtid og middelalder’.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). It's Iron ore it's nothing!.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). Mass production and marketplaces from the late Viking Age.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). Skeid.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). Store og små vestnorske marknadsplassar.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). The demography of the Viking Age or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Big Data.
• Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2019). The production of iron at seasonal settlements in the Norwegian mountains.

View all works in Cristin