Hamnar och ”Den gotländska kusten”

Nya perspektiv på Västergarn som hamnmiljö

Abstract

The Gotlandic shore presents unique pathways into understanding organisation and trade within the Baltic Sea during the Late Iron Age and Medieval period. This is due to how it can be studied from several perspectives at once: archaeological, historical and legislative. The many years of excavation and research on Västergarn on the western coast of Gotland have produced novel understandings on this matter. We may now start do understand both Västergarn and the Gotlandic shore at several different scales, although research is far from concluded. Analyses of Västergarn through different sources presents new data and possible interpretations in a maritime setting. The aim of this paper is to discuss some of these and to present our current understanding of the site. Archaeological data from the period 1050–1250 CE produced in the years 2021–2025 shows Västergarn was organised and had a degree of city planning. The town may have been inhabited by people from different geographical regions and with different craft specialities, while thousands of iron boat rivets unearthed at the site shed light on Västergarn as a place closely connected to maritime practices. Utilizing historical sources may produce knowledge of ancient maritime practices at the site.