En nyupptäckt halländsk centralplats vid Stafsinge?

Abstract

”A recently discovered central place in Stafsinge?”: In 1998 Hallands länsmuseer and UV Väst carried out extensive excavations on several sites around Falkenberg in Halland. On one of the sites, Stafsinge RAÄ no 116, several prestige objects from the Late Iron Age were found. The objects include a bird shaped brooch, a pin, a weight, pieces of soapstone, several beads and glass pieces from beakers and unworked garnets. The objects could be compared with objects from the famous chieftain’s settlement in Slöinge. The author suggests that a central place is present in Stafsinge too. This is supported by earlier finds of a silver hoard, coins and weapons from the Falkenberg-Stafsinge area. The excavation of a huge farm from the 11th and 12th centuries shows that a manor survived into the Middle Ages. It is argued that manors and central places are much more common during the Late Iron Age than previously believed. The power of the places rested on new military tactics based on the heavy Vendel cavalry.