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Bortom riksbildningen : människor, landskap och makt i sydöstra Skandinavien

Lihammer, Anna LU (2007) In Lund Studies in Historical Archaeology 7.
Abstract
The formation of the kingdom of Denmark is generally presented as a linear process linking ancient chiefs to the modern nation state of Denmark. This dissertation focuses on the small stories behind this great narrative of Denmark. The purpose is to show that there never was any formation process. Instead, encounters between people in the local landscapes and the Danish kingdom were both considerably later and more complex.



It is argued that present research concerning the formation of Denmark is divided into three main categories: 1. The formation of the Danish kingdom is regarded as a lengthy process beginning in the early Iron Age, 2. The focus is on the idea of a Danish kingdom in the 8th century manifested in a... (More)
The formation of the kingdom of Denmark is generally presented as a linear process linking ancient chiefs to the modern nation state of Denmark. This dissertation focuses on the small stories behind this great narrative of Denmark. The purpose is to show that there never was any formation process. Instead, encounters between people in the local landscapes and the Danish kingdom were both considerably later and more complex.



It is argued that present research concerning the formation of Denmark is divided into three main categories: 1. The formation of the Danish kingdom is regarded as a lengthy process beginning in the early Iron Age, 2. The focus is on the idea of a Danish kingdom in the 8th century manifested in a number of monuments, 3. The formation of the Danish kingdom is considered a Viking Age phenomenon linked to the Jelling dynasty of kings.



Seven major problems are identified in this research, especially evident in the first category: 1. The impact of nationalism. 2. Ethnicity and ethnogenesis. 3. The focus on elites. 4. The focus on men. 5. The term central place. 6. The terms chief and king. 7. The terms kingdom and state.



The dissertation builds on a perspective of landscape archaeology. Landscape can primarily be understood as a socially constructed context. Neither the cultural nor the natural aspect is enough on its own. Monuments of power can be apprehended as claims rather than proofs of power. The effects of such claims depended on the reactions of the people who encountered them. The terms co-power and counter-power are used to describe these reactions analytically. The concepts of a perspective from within and a perspective from without are used to analyse different people's relations to the local landscapes.



Four areas are investigated: eastern Blekinge, the plain around Lund, the valley of the Ätran and Bornholm.



The dissertation arrives at the following conclusions: 1. People in the areas east of Öresund met the Danish kingdom in different ways and considerably later than what is often assumed. 2. There are no processes, only actors and clusters of actions and events. 3. Events must be studied in the perspective of the actor. 4. We must change our vantage points and consider different perspectives and historical narratives. 5. There are no process of formation of kingdoms. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Den danska riksbildningen presenteras vanligen som en linjär process som knyter ihop forntida hövdingar med den moderna nationalstaten. Avhandlingen fokuserar de små berättelserna bortom den stora berättelsen om Danmark.



Avhandlingen argumenterar för att den tidigare forskningen kring den danska riksbildningen kan delas in i tre huvudlinjer: 1. Den danska riksbildningen ses som en långdragen process som börjar under tidig järnålder, 2. Ett danskt rike i 700-talet fokuseras, vilket anses manifesterat i en rad monument, 3. Den danska riksbildningen ses som ett vikingatida fenomen knutet till kungarna i Jellingedynastin.



Sju huvudsakliga problemkomplex i denna... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Den danska riksbildningen presenteras vanligen som en linjär process som knyter ihop forntida hövdingar med den moderna nationalstaten. Avhandlingen fokuserar de små berättelserna bortom den stora berättelsen om Danmark.



Avhandlingen argumenterar för att den tidigare forskningen kring den danska riksbildningen kan delas in i tre huvudlinjer: 1. Den danska riksbildningen ses som en långdragen process som börjar under tidig järnålder, 2. Ett danskt rike i 700-talet fokuseras, vilket anses manifesterat i en rad monument, 3. Den danska riksbildningen ses som ett vikingatida fenomen knutet till kungarna i Jellingedynastin.



Sju huvudsakliga problemkomplex i denna forskning diskuteras: 1. Nationalismens betydelse, 2. Etnicitet och etnogenes, 3. Fokus på eliter, 4. Fokus på män, 5. Begreppet centralplats, 6. Begreppen hövding och kung, 7. Begreppen rike och stat.



Avhandlingen bygger på ett landskapsarkeologiskt perspektiv. Landskap ses primärt som en socialt konstruerad kontext. Varken den naturliga eller den kulturella dimensionen räcker i sig. Maktens monument betraktas som anspråk snarare än bevis på makt. Effekten av sådana anspråk berodde på reaktionerna hos de som mötte dem. Termerna medmakt och motmakt används för att beskriva dessa reaktioner analytiskt. Begreppen inifrånperspektiv och utifrånperspektiv används för att analysera människors relationer till de lokala landskapen.



Fyra områden undersöks i ett landskapsarkeologiskt perspektiv: östra Blekinge, Lundaslätten i Skåne, Ätradalen i Halland, och ön Bornholm.



Avhandlingens slutsatser är att 1. Människor öster om Öresund mötte det danska riket annorlunda och betydligt senare än vad som vanligen antas, 2. Det finns inga processer, bara aktörer och klungor av händelser, 3. Händelser måste studeras i ett aktörsperspektiv, 4. Vi måste ändra våra utgångspunkter och uppmärksamma annorlunda historiska perspektiv och berättelser, 5. Det fanns ingen riksbildningsprocess. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • professor Callmer, Johan, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bornholm, Skåne, Blekinge, Halland, historical archaeology, landscape archaeology, landscape, kingdoms, power, Archaeology, Arkeologi
in
Lund Studies in Historical Archaeology
volume
7
pages
378 pages
publisher
Lund University. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History.
defense location
Kulturens auditorium, Kulturen i Lund, Tegnérsplatsen, Lund
defense date
2007-10-11 10:15:00
ISSN
1653-1183
ISBN
91-89578-06-6
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
0b336362-928b-46e5-aadc-2a7b02c7a887 (old id 548936)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:09:23
date last changed
2019-05-21 19:31:56
@phdthesis{0b336362-928b-46e5-aadc-2a7b02c7a887,
  abstract     = {{The formation of the kingdom of Denmark is generally presented as a linear process linking ancient chiefs to the modern nation state of Denmark. This dissertation focuses on the small stories behind this great narrative of Denmark. The purpose is to show that there never was any formation process. Instead, encounters between people in the local landscapes and the Danish kingdom were both considerably later and more complex.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
It is argued that present research concerning the formation of Denmark is divided into three main categories: 1. The formation of the Danish kingdom is regarded as a lengthy process beginning in the early Iron Age, 2. The focus is on the idea of a Danish kingdom in the 8th century manifested in a number of monuments, 3. The formation of the Danish kingdom is considered a Viking Age phenomenon linked to the Jelling dynasty of kings.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Seven major problems are identified in this research, especially evident in the first category: 1. The impact of nationalism. 2. Ethnicity and ethnogenesis. 3. The focus on elites. 4. The focus on men. 5. The term central place. 6. The terms chief and king. 7. The terms kingdom and state.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The dissertation builds on a perspective of landscape archaeology. Landscape can primarily be understood as a socially constructed context. Neither the cultural nor the natural aspect is enough on its own. Monuments of power can be apprehended as claims rather than proofs of power. The effects of such claims depended on the reactions of the people who encountered them. The terms co-power and counter-power are used to describe these reactions analytically. The concepts of a perspective from within and a perspective from without are used to analyse different people's relations to the local landscapes.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
Four areas are investigated: eastern Blekinge, the plain around Lund, the valley of the Ätran and Bornholm.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The dissertation arrives at the following conclusions: 1. People in the areas east of Öresund met the Danish kingdom in different ways and considerably later than what is often assumed. 2. There are no processes, only actors and clusters of actions and events. 3. Events must be studied in the perspective of the actor. 4. We must change our vantage points and consider different perspectives and historical narratives. 5. There are no process of formation of kingdoms.}},
  author       = {{Lihammer, Anna}},
  isbn         = {{91-89578-06-6}},
  issn         = {{1653-1183}},
  keywords     = {{Bornholm; Skåne; Blekinge; Halland; historical archaeology; landscape archaeology; landscape; kingdoms; power; Archaeology; Arkeologi}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History.}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Studies in Historical Archaeology}},
  title        = {{Bortom riksbildningen : människor, landskap och makt i sydöstra Skandinavien}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}