Approaches towards analysing and mapping greater quantities of provenanced material – background, method, potential and challenges from a southern Scandinavian research project

Abstract

Handling, mapping, and analysing large quantities of fuzzy data is a challenge. Scientifically determined provenances of raw materials in archaeologically retrieved finds are generally not very specific but point to smaller or larger regions of origin. When a dataset comprises several hundred probable and approximate geographical records representing a vast number of partly overlapping regions of provenance, it is difficult to comprehend the dataset and even harder to analyse and illustrate the results. This article presents data models and methods to solve this challenge using a dataset of approximately 1,800 scientifically determined provenances of raw materials from archaeological finds retrieved within southern Scandinavia, primarily from 200– 1200 CE. The materials are often everyday durables, such as iron, wood, and ceramics. The aim is to find new methods to gain insight into resource flows from, into and within geographical areas through quantitative GIS analysis of the scientifically determined provenances.