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A sense of place at a fen

Berggren, Åsa LU orcid (2014) In Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung 4. p.227-234
Abstract
This paper will focus on a sense of place in prehistory. The chapter argues for the importance of the sensuous experiences of places, and in this case natural places, in the creation of memory and shared conceptions of place and landscape. Natural places played important roles in the process of creating the societal order in prehistory and in this respect can be considered similar to monuments in defining a sense of place. Here a fen in Malmö in Sweden is discussed, where artefacts were deposited during a period that includes most of the Neolithic period.The topography, the varying vegetation, the water table, as well as the deposited artefacts, created spatial structures that were experienced through the senses by those who moved around... (More)
This paper will focus on a sense of place in prehistory. The chapter argues for the importance of the sensuous experiences of places, and in this case natural places, in the creation of memory and shared conceptions of place and landscape. Natural places played important roles in the process of creating the societal order in prehistory and in this respect can be considered similar to monuments in defining a sense of place. Here a fen in Malmö in Sweden is discussed, where artefacts were deposited during a period that includes most of the Neolithic period.The topography, the varying vegetation, the water table, as well as the deposited artefacts, created spatial structures that were experienced through the senses by those who moved around this place and performed the acts of deposition. These experiences resulted in a differentiation of this place from the surroundings, which in many cases acted as a ritualization strategy for the acts that took place there. This gave the place a special significance in the
landscape. The fact that this was a recurring practice at the fen, also underlines the historic significance of the place. The sensuous experiences of the acts, the place and the objects also created relations between people, and as such, a social organization. Variations in the social identities that were created at the fen during the course of the Neolithic are discussed in connection to the surrounding society. It seems the fen was mainly used by those that were not a part of the competition for the highest status in society, i.e. the elite, but rather a social stratum of society less likely to have, and dispose of, prestige objects. This part of society did not consist of a grey mass of people but rather a complex web of social relations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
host publication
Landscapes, Histories and Societies in the Northern European Neolithic
series title
Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung
editor
Furholt, Martin ; Hinz, Martin ; Mischka, Doris ; Noble, Gordon and Olausson, Deborah
volume
4
pages
227 - 234
publisher
Habelt Verlag
ISBN
9783774938823
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d5be49f0-352c-4de4-810c-7bb4f301f83b
alternative location
https://www.monument.ufg.uni-kiel.de/fileadmin/projekte/common/fmsd4/FMSD_04.pdf#page=224
date added to LUP
2024-02-01 13:38:37
date last changed
2024-03-21 03:00:03
@inbook{d5be49f0-352c-4de4-810c-7bb4f301f83b,
  abstract     = {{This paper will focus on a sense of place in prehistory. The chapter argues for the importance of the sensuous experiences of places, and in this case natural places, in the creation of memory and shared conceptions of place and landscape. Natural places played important roles in the process of creating the societal order in prehistory and in this respect can be considered similar to monuments in defining a sense of place. Here a fen in Malmö in Sweden is discussed, where artefacts were deposited during a period that includes most of the Neolithic period.The topography, the varying vegetation, the water table, as well as the deposited artefacts, created spatial structures that were experienced through the senses by those who moved around this place and performed the acts of deposition. These experiences resulted in a differentiation of this place from the surroundings, which in many cases acted as a ritualization strategy for the acts that took place there. This gave the place a special significance in the<br/>landscape. The fact that this was a recurring practice at the fen, also underlines the historic significance of the place. The sensuous experiences of the acts, the place and the objects also created relations between people, and as such, a social organization. Variations in the social identities that were created at the fen during the course of the Neolithic are discussed in connection to the surrounding society. It seems the fen was mainly used by those that were not a part of the competition for the highest status in society, i.e. the elite, but rather a social stratum of society less likely to have, and dispose of, prestige objects. This part of society did not consist of a grey mass of people but rather a complex web of social relations.}},
  author       = {{Berggren, Åsa}},
  booktitle    = {{Landscapes, Histories and Societies in the Northern European Neolithic}},
  editor       = {{Furholt, Martin and Hinz, Martin and Mischka, Doris and Noble, Gordon and Olausson, Deborah}},
  isbn         = {{9783774938823}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{227--234}},
  publisher    = {{Habelt Verlag}},
  series       = {{Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung}},
  title        = {{A sense of place at a fen}},
  url          = {{https://www.monument.ufg.uni-kiel.de/fileadmin/projekte/common/fmsd4/FMSD_04.pdf#page=224}},
  volume       = {{4}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}