Saami Archaeology in Sweden 1985-1990—An Overview

Abstract

A short discussion of Saami archaeology, its history and definition is given, as well as the author's own demarcation of the subject. The period which is treated is 1985-1990. A brief comparison of the Nordic literature shows clear differences between the topical focus of the Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish literature. Two main themes are considered as important and dominant in the Swedish articles: ethnicity and settlement history and pattern. It is suggested that the advance in the knowledge about Saami settlement during the Iron Age in the interior of northern Norrland is an important one. The discussion of Saami ethnicity is focuses mainly on the question of the population inhabiting southern Norrland during the Iron Age. There are suggestions that it is either a Saami or a Germanic population. In order to better distinguish between these two interpretations, increased knowledge about the settlement of the area during the Iron Age is badly needed.