Masteruppsatser / Institutionen för historiska studier

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Köpa eller köpas? Åbors motiv för skatteköp under 1700-talet i tre härad
(2025-10-02) Persson, Ulf; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
In year 1701 the Swedish king Charles XII ordered the Royal Chamber of Commerce to sell Crown land to tenants or others who were willing to buy, in order to collect resources to carry on with the Nordic war against Russia and Denmark. However, since tax paid by famers was the main source of stately income this should not be done so that did hurt tenant farmers. Over the 18th century the laws regulating this selling successively became more advantageous to tenants. The research question of this study was what motivated tenants to spend money on buying the land they cultivated even though they still would have to pay the same rent to the crown as owners as they had as tenant. Based on earlier research four potential motives were identified. These were: fear that someone else bought their cultivated land, expectations of economic and/or social advantages as owners, having developed a commercial mind and therefore wanting to own land and following the examples of others. In order to evaluate which of these were at work three different districts in the south of Sweden were selected. These were regarded as reasonably different from each other to allow conclusions about what motives were influencing the decisions of tenants. The differences in the buying processes between the three districts were identified by help of the so called skatteköpsböcker, registers of buyers and land bought and so called jordeböcker, a kind of tax register. The prices that were paid were identified as were the prices on the open land market. Further, the frequencies by which other tenants, the closest neighbors, on the same so called hemman, taxable unit, did buy at the same time. No clear results were found only tendencies. It was expected that the presence of other potential buyers would make tenants more willing to buy. This seems to have been the case in one district. However in another district were many non-tenants bought land, tenant were more reluctant to buy. Maybe, because they did not want to provoke non-tenants to buy. However, as prices went down due to a large inflation over the 18th century many bought “their” land, indicating that some value was given to owning land. It was also found that in a majority of cases neighboring tenants bought at the same time. Something that may indicate that tenants were influencing each other. The suggestion that tenants were motivated by a commercial mind was disregarded since a conceptually simpler understanding was preferred and that there was no clear evidence of differences in degree in commercial activities between different areas.
Förutsättningar för Arkeologisk Förmedling. En Analys av Tillgång, Likvärdighet och Samverkan mellan Uppdragsarkeologi och Grundskolor
(2025-09-19) Blidberg, Martina; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
Conditions for Archaeological Mediation An Analysis of Access, Equity, and Collaboration Between Contract Archaeology and Primary Schools This study examines how contract archaeology companies engage in communication and collaboration with primary schools, and whether access to archaeological knowledge and its mediation is equal and equitable. Previous research indicates that only a small proportion of Swedish schools are reached by mediation work conducted by such companies. This raises questions about how disparities in access arise and what factors influence whether communication reaches its intended audience. A survey was conducted among primary schools and contract archaeology companies in the Västra Götaland region of Sweden to investigate three key aspects: (1) how mediation services aimed at schools are delivered, (2) the extent to which these services reach schools in an equal and consistent manner, and (3) the challenges and obstacles that occur in contact between the two parties. The findings show that companies offer a variety of mediation services to all schools within their operational areas and in proximity to excavation sites, supported by policies promoting equal provision. Yet only a minority of schools have participated in such activities, and even fewer are aware these services exist. While companies present methods designed to secure equal and equitable access, the available data cannot fully confirm that schools experience such access in practice. This raises a critical question: can contract archaeology companies be said to provide archaeological knowledge equally when only a small fraction of their target audience is aware of their services? https://www.kriterium.se/
Från olagligt till mänsklig rättighet. En begreppshistorisk undersökning om hur homosexualitet beskrivs i svenska uppslagsverk 1874-2015
(2025-08-07) Johansson, Kajsa; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
The essay is about the concept of homosexuality in swedish encyclopedias, dictionaries and glossaries. The purpose of the essay is to analyze how this concept has changed over time during the 1800's to 2000’s. The method is inspired by the concept scientist Reinhart Kosellecks two analytical concepts, synchronic analysis and diachronic analysis. The result of the study shows that the word count in the encyclopedias, dictionaries and glossaries progressively increased during the 1900’s and reduced in the 2010’s. The description of homosexuality goes from a conservative and taboo view towards to a more liberal and tolerant one. The discussion deals with different topics associated with the changes of concepts, historical writing and the power of knowledge.
Från olagligt till mänsklig rättighet. En begreppshistorisk undersökning om hur homosexualitet beskrivs i svenska uppslagsverk 1874-2015
(2025-07-30) Johansson, Kajsa; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
The essay is about the concept of homosexuality in swedish encyclopedias, dictionaries and glossaries. The purpose of the essay is to analyze how this concept has changed over time during the 1800's to 2000’s. The method is inspired by the concept scientist Reinhart Kosellecks two analytical concepts, synchronic analysis and diachronic analysis. The result of the study shows that the word count in the encyclopedias, dictionaries and glossaries progressively increased during the 1900’s and reduced in the 2010’s. The description of homosexuality goes from a conservative and taboo view towards to a more liberal and tolerant one. The discussion deals with different topics associated with the changes of concepts, historical writing and the power of knowledge.
Oro, arghet och avbön. Känslokultur och rättskipning i fyra karolinska högmålsrättegångar
(2024-12-16) Larsson Bergh, Karl; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
The aim of this master’s thesis is to cast new light on the social conflicts of the Swedish Empire by examining the emotional practices of peasant protests and their prosecution during the 17th century. Through quantitative and qualitative content analysis of records from three commissions investigating resistance against utskrivningar in 1683, the study explores the emotional practices involved in the peasant resistance and in the state’s prosecution of the insubordinates. The thesis examines how the leaders of the resistance employed mobilising and communicative emotional practices to activate and unite the local peasantry in public demonstrations of dissent. The study shows that, during the trials, the commissioners stigmatized the insubordinate peasants by framing the protests in emotional terms as expressions of anger, contempt, and wickedness. Through the indictments, which involved naming, mobilising, and regulating emotional practices, the thesis argues that the commissioners successfully constrained and subdued the resistance by breaking the horizontal emotional bonds within the peasantry and enforcing the residents’ vertical bonds of loyalty towards the state and the king.
Den ärlige kyrkoherden och den våldsamme drängen. Etablering av trovärdighet och sanning i den tidigmoderna häradsrätten 1687–1704
(2024-12-16) Wahlström, Jakob; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
In this thesis, the establishment of truth in the early modern district court is analyzed through a collection of seven criminal cases from 1687 to 1704. The aim is to understand contemporary notions of truth, credibility, and who was deemed credible. Previous research on historical law and truth has primarily focused on the processes of the court and the structure of judicial work. Additionally, the court's role in society and other cultural phenomena observed in the courtroom have also been subjects of interest in earlier studies. This thesis, however, shifts the focus to the actors in the assembly, including the court itself and the other participants, how they acted, and what made someone credible. The theoretical framework for this study is performativity theory and the concept of the performative power of language. Therefore, a key assumption is that the court functioned as a performative arena where statements had a performative, and thus creative, force utilized by both the participants and the court. To build on research regarding honour and its connection to credibility, the performative theory's method is combined with the concepts of subject position and subject positioning. These concepts refer to the position a person held and how someone was positioned, either by themselves or by others, within the early modern culture of honor. The study is organized by initially analyzing what can be considered physical evidence and its role in court, followed by an analysis of witness testimonies as evidence. Subsequently, the court's work toward the suspects is analyzed, concluding with an analysis of the court's reasoning in the verdicts. Throughout the study, the participants and their involvement in various aspects are also presented. In analyzing the participants' actions in the court, I demonstrate how events were established as crimes and how individuals were positioned in various roles in the courtroom. The court's work and its verdicts established these positions beyond the courtroom as well. Through what I refer to as collective knowledge, the local community exerted power and influence in the court. By analyzing collective knowledge and the court's actions, I show that subject position, and thus subject positioning, played a significant role in determining credibility. Those who deviated or stood alone in their statements found it harder to be believed. Simultaneously, statements from individuals holding credible subject positions were not questioned, meaning that those deemed credible were also perceived as truthful. Thus, one can speak of an absolute view of truth, where statements by credible individuals were unquestioned, but also of a relative view of truth, where something was true relative to who said it.
Akta på mig och tjäna mig troligen. Den baltiska adelns etablering i det svenska riket 1568-1611
(2024-12-16) Jälknäs, Erik; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
This study examines the establishment of the first Baltic German nobility in Sweden in the late 16th century and early 17th century. The main perspective concerns their relationship with the swedish royal family (House of Vasa) and the high nobility (titled nobles, counts and barons). The goal is to understand what services the nobility performed once they arrived in Sweden, if some of them were of greater importance to the authority and what role the fiefs, estates and marriges played in the process of establishment. This attempts to understand the role of clientelism in the patron-client relationship between the Baltic Germans on the one hand and the Swedish authority on the other. The noblemen from Estonia and Livonia mainly entered in the service of Duke Charles of Södermanland, the brother of king John III and uncle of Sigismund. The theoretical framework of the study combines the theory of clientelism with social mobility and social stratification. The Baltic German nobility were an elite in their homelands, but many of those that came into the service of Duke Charles and his family started off in rather modest positions, but later when they had proven their worthe, they climbed in the hierarcy in the duchy and later in the kingdom. Contrary to what previous resarch has claimed, this study showes that the first Baltic Germans rather performed duties at the court, rather than solely in the military. Many of them begun their service as page boys or stable boys and later could become valets to Duke Charles. The more higher ranked noblemen in the service of the Duke had been in his service since the 1570’s and they had roles such as advisor on his councill, governors over smaller parts of the duchy and for example Jakob Koskull who held the role as the forester. When it comes to fiefs and estates these were mainly granted to the noblemen at service in the court of Duke Charles. At first Charles only had within his power to grant fiefs and estates within the duchy, but later as his power grew to include the whole of Sweden with Finland and Estonia. The war with Sigismund in Livonia caused a large number of noble families to flee Livonia, these families were often granted estates in Finland. It seems like Charles mainly grants estates in Sweden to those noblemen he knew through the court service, whilst the others was granted fiefs and estates in Finland. Some of the noblemen in the service of Duke Charles and his family were married into family networks often consisting of swedish or other foreign members of the dukes court. It seems as the nationality or noble rank was not as important as the allegiance to Charles. This study is a part of the the discussion that points out the importance of clientelism and personal bonds in premodern Sweden and Northern Europe, also with regard to migration and integration.
Om stenar kunde spela. Framställningen av musiker och ljudlandskap på Trajanuskolonnen
(2024-11-04) Nitter, David; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
This thesis aims to explore the representations of musicians and soundscapes on the column of Trajan in Rome. While many different parts of the column have been explored thoroughly, the musicians are not such a part. As such, this thesis aims to explore this gap in research as well as explore how the soundscapes have been represented on the column. By sorting and grouping scenes with musicians into different groups, this thesis has been able to find patterns of representation such as musicians being represented in religious scenes more often than in military scenes and the fact that there seem to be some compositional overlap between the different groups in how the musicians are represented. Grounding the thesis in a theoretical approach that uses the presumed audience and their experiences as a guide for how to represent different scenes, it is argued that part of the reason for musicians being more present in religious scenes than in military ones is because the roman audience were more aware of the actual religious soundscapes. As such they would be more able to recognize when religious scenes were represented “wrongly” compared to military scenes. This thesis has provided a start for looking at the musicians on Trajan’s column, as well as on trajanic or monumental art as a whole, as well as what kinds of soundscapes were represented and which soundscapes might have been known by the roman populace.
På kanten. Torparnas markanvändning under 1800-talet i Ormesta och Backa, Örebro län.
(2024-09-13) Hellqvist, Oscar; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
In the middle of the 19th century, approximately 90% of the Swedish population lived in the countryside. A large share were crofters that did not own the land they farmed. Landless crofters are often depicted as a homogeneous group but the amount of land they farmed, varied from area to area and over time. This essay examines the crofters and the crofts, and their land areas and land uses in two small villages outside Örebro, in the province of Närke. The essay is based on solid archival studies of maps, written sources such as house interrogation records and estate records, as well as an archaeological inventory of the area carried out for the essay. The group of people and buildings analyzed is small in numbers but within the group there are large differences in the land areas, land uses and in the estate records that have been analyzed. It is difficult to see clear patterns and explanations for the outcome and the group undoubtedly appears as a very heterogeneous group. The crofters with the largest areas have more than 20 times the area the crofters with the smallest areas have. The highest valued probate is more than 3 times as high as the lowest valued. The result comes from a limited group, in a limited area and in a limited time but there are large variations. What the people have in common is that they are called crofters.
Energikrisen, intet nytt Könsföreställningar och könsroller så som de kommer till uttryck i svenska energisparkampanjen under 1970-talet
(2023-11-20) Ahlstrand, Ida; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
The primary aim of this essay has been twofold. First, to study how gender and gender roles are portrayed in the Swedish energy advertising campaign at the time of the oil crisis, and second, to analyze whether the public’s energy saving, as it can be mapped based on survey responses, shows differences depending on gender. To achieve the aim of this essay, two sources are used: flyers from the energy saving campaign and survey results concerning the public’s energy- saving measures. The material from the energy saving advertisement campaign consists of posters, leaflets, and brochures encouraging the public to live energy efficiently. The survey was conducted in three instances between 1974-1975 at the request of the Swedish government agency, to explore whether the public made use of the energy-saving measures offered by the campaign. Consequently, two methodological approaches have been used to analyze the two vastly different source materials: both image studies and statistical analysis. Image studies is based on the theory that art can be interpreted as an expression of the social reality of in which it was produced. According to historian Peter Burke, advertising can portray an ideal world to the viewer. The campaign has been interpreted as a product of an ideal world, construed by the Energy Savings Committee. The people portrayed in the campaign has therefore been selected by the artist to be representative of a perceived whole – in this case society. The campaign has therefore, in this study, been interpreted as evidence of 1970s perceptions of norms, gender roles and gender structures in Sweden. The statistical analysis involves using the SPSS computer program to process the survey responses and present the results in tabular format. The questionnaire of the survey consists of questions at the ordinal scale level, i.e., a ranking of the question’s response options. There are also questions at the nominal scale level, which means categorization. In this essay, only the gender category has been used – in ordnance with this study’s aim. The previous research shows that a change in the gender structure took place in the 1970s. The women's movement's call for female emancipation and the Swedish government's implementation of the gender equality policy should be discernible in both source materials. To investigate this, the following research question has been formulated: what are the underlying gender perceptions in the energy saving campaign, 1973-1976, and are these reflected in the public exposed to the campaign? The study shows that the hypothesis cannot be confirmed. The conditions are not consistent. The campaign does not reinforce a more developed gender structure or an outdated version. There are elements of both in the campaign. However, most of the material shows an outdated gender structure. The survey responses do not reveal any conclusive gender roles amongst the public. If the survey had included a larger focus group, the results might have conveyed a clearer sense of current gender roles. However, this study shows a perception that men and women adapted equally to the campaign’s message.
Svenskar, västgötar eller vassbölingar? Föreställda gemenskaper bland allmogen under stora nordiska kriget
(2023-10-01) Waldt, Filiph; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
This study examines imagined communities at the grassroots level during the Great Northern War of 1700-1721. A specific district is studied is under investigation: the inland area of Vadsbo district in Skaraborg county. Previous studies has mainly focused on the perspective of the ruling class which makes the subject relatively unexplored at the grassroots level. The theoretical framework for the study is based on Benedict Andersons theory of imagined communities, where the research field concerning early modern period is divided mainly into two interpretations. On one hand there is the regnal interpretation that refers to a political and legal imagined community with the king, the real and its laws. On the other hand there is an ethnic interpretation of pre- modern thinking about collective identities, which refers to an imagined cultural community with and associated common historical origin and distinct folk culture in an imagined homeland. The study addresses questions about which imagined communities emerge on national, regional, and local levels among common people, and in which situation various perceptions are activated. Concepts such as loyalty, respect, and boundaries are also discussed. To answer the purpose of the thesis, court and commission protocols as well as letters from govenors have been used as source materials. These sources can provide insights into the common people's mindset during the early modern period. The study finds similarities and differences with previous research on the subject. National identity was relatively weak among the commoners in Vadsbo district, particularly in relation to regional communities such as county, province or district identities. The study finds limited evidence for the ethnic interpretation in examination of communities at the national level. Other identities such as county, district or parish identities seemed to be more prominent among the commoners in Vadsbo district rather than national identity. Multiple imagined communities seem to have coexisted among the commoners of Vadsbo district during the early modern period. The study contributes new findings and theories that further complicate the elusive subject of imagined communities at the grassroots level.
De avvikande sinnessjuka? Normer och förhandlingsutrymmen kring psykisk sjukdom och steriliseringar i 1930- och 40-talens Göteborg
(2023-09-05) Ström Gustavsson, Caroline; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
This essay examines the sterilisation of people with mental illness in the years 1936, 1937 and 1942 in Gothenburg. Focusing on people with mental illness, rather than the more researched so-called feeble-minded, the aim is to study the sterilisation procedure from a patient-centred perspective and thereby investigate norms, negotiation spaces and how mental illness was con- stituted from the perspective of those who were otherwise considered deviant in the emerging welfare society. This is analysed through the theoretical concept of governmentality, which argues that there is a relationship between freedom and power. Consequently, through the free- dom provided by a liberal society, people are empowered to steer themselves in directions desi- rable to society. The source material consists of patient records on which a qualitative analysis is made, supplemented by quantitative calculations. The biography of the records constitutes a methodological basis where contextualisation is seen as important. The paper concludes that sterilisation of people with mental illness must be seen as a complex issue. The doctors' and the patients' intentions was in constant interaction, while they related to the varying, sometimes contradictory, norms by which they acted. The study examines coercion and voluntariness, and both of these opposites can be problematised. The dominant notion of sterilisation as compulsory can thus be nuanced by the theory of governmentality. A simultaneous induced abortion was often associated with the sterilisations. For most of these women, exhaustion and difficulties in managing home and family, rather than explicit coercion, were the reasons for the operations. According to previous research, the ideal of work and production were fundamental norms, and behaviour deviating from these was previously attri- buted in an unfavourable way to the mentally ill individual. However, this perception of mental illness can be modified, as the study reveals how the doctors were governed by a medicalised understanding of lack of work ability associated with illness, rather than a moralistic one. Similarly, the study can nuance the emphasis on sexual immorality, where the analysis mainly indicates a permissible sexuality. The patients' negotiation spaces have also been studied, where threats could be one of the acts of resistance, and the presentation of oneself as an otherwise decent individual could be used to gain the doctors' understanding. The study can also reveal how eugenic science has been adopted and used by the population as part of its self- management. The essay clarifies how several norms, thoughts and ideas interacted in the sterilisation of people with mental illness. Hence, the study contributes to, and nuances, the extensive research that has been done on both sterilisation and mental illness.
Terrorism – en begreppshistorisk analys
(2023-09-05) Rydström, Mikael; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
This conceptual-historical study examines the term terrorism and different variations of the word in the Swedish and Italian press between 1870 and 1960. The basis of the study is the research conducted in the field of terrorism in Sweden and internationally. The theoretical basis and inspiration for the study has been Reinhardt Koselleck and his theoretical and methodological ideas around conceptual history research. Koselleck's research on the term ”revolution” has also been used as a comparison. The practical methods used is a combination of remote reading and close reading. By searching the Kungliga Bibliotekets newspaper database and the italian daily newspapers Corriere della Sera and La Stampa, and then statistically processing and analysing the frequency and use of the word, an understanding of the change in the usage and meanings of the term has been acquired. By closely reading more than 300 articles throughout the period, a deeper knowledge of how the term and its usage in various social situation has been gained. This investigation shows that Koselleck's ideas on the democratisation, temporalisation, ideologisation and politicisation of concepts are applicable to the present study area and to different time periods. The study claims that the concept of terrorism was growing in usage in the Swedish press earlier than previous research have shown and that the concept early on had many different meanings in a wide range of social situations. The study also shows that the term terrorism has been used when there is some form of conflict between individuals, groups or nations, but not allways linked to violence. We also see how strong ideologically a term can be and its close link to the sender's opinion (or intention) about a particular event or process. The knowledge of the concept of terrorism could be further developed, for example by more detailed close reading of newspapers for a shorter period of time and/or more extensive sampling and statistical processing of the data.
Labyrinth routes around the Middle Age Baltic Sea
(2023-08-17) Fagerström, Christina; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
Stone labyrinths are archaeological monuments found predominantly in the Nordic countries around the Baltic Sea, some 500 specimens are noted in Sweden and Finland. The abundance of smaller stones has provided the building material for lasting monuments around the Baltic Sea, the Swedish west coast and Norway, Iceland, the Scilly islands in England, the Barents Sea and the White Sea’s shores and rivers. Presumed to have an origin as a Middle Age Ca- tholic religious symbol expressed in different media, this may be a reason for the labyrinth- symbol not to be described in texts. Its layout containing and conveying a religious message would then have had to be learned, taught, and conveyed by, in this case, Catholic elites, such as priests, friars, and church fresco artists. Drawing on historical and contemporary research this paper is trying to establish what cor- relations there are between the labyrinth-symbol and the Middle Age Catholic Church. Since historical written sources about the labyrinth symbol are scarce, the structuring of Anders Andrén is followed as method in reading the symbol as expressed in the Middle Ages as category, such as the walk-in-labyrinths, object, i.e. frescos, effigies, and house hold objects, document, as inter alia drawn symbols in manuscripts and discursive coherence, such as legends and place names. These will then be related to each other in the time, spatial circum- stances, and cultural context of mediaeval Catholic Europe to establish a correlation with the function and use of the labyrinth-symbol within the Catholic culture around the Baltic Sea.
Elakartade enigmatiska epidemier. En komparativ studie rörande den geografiska komponentens betydelse för sjukdomsincidens och dödlighet i epidemiska sjukdomar 1750–1810
(2023-06-09) Petersson, Adrian; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
The primary objective of this study has been to investigate whether geographical localization can be argued to be of significance for a communitys predispositon to suffer epidemic outbreaks and furthermore, to evaluate what possible repercussions this may have on overall mortality over time. To enable such a study, a tentative presumption has been made, upon which a hypothesis subsequently has been formulated. This hypothesis asserts the idea that societys located along prominent fairways plausibly should have been more susceptible to epidemic disease outbreaks, compared to communities located in other types of environments. To put this hypothesis to the test eight parishes located in different parts of Sweden has been selected, including two parishes located along the prominent swedish river Göta älv, two parishes located in Småland, two parishes located in Skåne and two parishes located in Dalarna. Regarding which epidemic diseases that are to be examined a limitation has been done including dysentery, smallpox, epidemic fevers and whooping cough. Furthermore a limitiation in time has been conducted to include the years 1750-1810. Based on two variables in the form of incidence and relative mortality in relation to total mortality in the aforementioned diseases, this hypothesis has subsequently been put to the test. Initially quantiative method has been utilized in order establish a reliable statistical basis for further analysis. Regarding source material, the main source for collection of data has consisted of burial records orginated from the investigated parishes church archives, and to some extent Tabellverket. Thereafter, based on the aforementioned variables incidence and relative mortality, comparative method has been used in order to elucidate and evaluate any potential differences between the parishes in terms of disease incidence and mortality patterns. The outcome of the study indicate that the parishes located in the vicinity of Göta älv display the highest incidence levels for all the examined disease categories with the exception of whooping cough where they exhibit the second highest incidence levels. This is clearly manifested when taking into account the share all four examined diagnoses make up of the total death tolls during the investigated period. The probability of dying from one of the four investigated diseases is significantly higher among the parishes located in the vicinity of Göta Älv with an average value of 34.7 percent. This should be contrasted with the parishes located in Småland with an average value of 25.4 percent, the parishes located in Dalarna with an average value of 24.6 percent and finally the parishes located in Skåne with an average value of 24.4 percent. Hence the evidence suggests that there in fact seems to be a correlation between a communitys proximity to prominents fairways like Göta älv and an increased susceptibility to suffer outbreaks of epidemic disease. Consequently, all aspects considered, the hypothesis underlying this thesis can be argued to remain relevant.
Chariots of the Atlantic Warriors - A Comparative Study of Chariot Motifs on Scandinavian and Iberian Rock Art
(2023-03-17) Grahn, Hannes; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
During the last two decades, ideas of long-distance interaction between cultures has gained an increased amount of attention in the field of Bronze Age research. Previous research has shown that such a long-distance interaction, connected to the trade of metal and amber, may have existed between Scandinavia and Iberia, facilitated by a group of seafaring warrior-traders, with a shared identity, set of values and cosmology. These shared ideas would leave traces in the material culture and iconography, which can be seen in rock art in both Scandinavia and Iberia. One of the motifs which has been lifted be previous researchers as an example of this shared warrior symbology, is the chariot, which is prevalent both in Scandinavian and Iberian rock art. By analysing and comparing the iconography and contexts of the chariot motifs, this dissertation gains new insights and interpretations on the nature of the contact and cultural exchange between Scandinavia and Iberia, and the iconographical impact this had on rock art in their respective locations, but also the meaning of the chariot motifs themselves and the relationship between them.
Archaeology in the Shadow of Governments “Holy Land”. An analysis of the stories of what happens to Israeli-Palestinian cultural heritage during conflicts
(2022-10-06) Ismail, Tenka; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
From the Temple Mount to the Israelite tower to the convent, the significance of excavations in Jerusalem is unmatched. Layer by layer reveals the history of mankind in the holy land. But these excavations are more than just an archaeological striving used to fortify a national identity for Israel and Palestine. One artifact at a time will be the one that separates Palestinian and Israeli Jerusalem. Archaeology plays a fundamental role in the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Nationalism and archaeology often go hand in hand – some even claim that the two are inseparable. In Israel however these nationalist impulses have caused archaeology to transcend its academic sphere and become a political tool. The practice of archaeology in Israel is embedded in the national discourse of identity construction and has serious repercussions on domestic policy. From archaeological remains evidence of precedence and justified claims over land is required. The relationship between nationalism and archaeology is a topic that has become increasingly popular in the scientific works over the past 20 years. The full UNESCO membership of Palestine projects the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a globalized dimension, but at the same time reinforces the legacy of humanity’s policy of the nation state concept and can pave the way for new political scenarios.
The megaliths of Bohuslän in a south Scandinavian context
(2022-11-15) Cederberg, Roger; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
The transformation from a hunter/gatherer population to a farming society in southern Scandinavia is a process of only 300-400 years, primarily from around 4000 BC to around 3700 BC. Farming is then established in most of southern Scandinavia. In Denmark and Scania there is a continuous development of grave monuments starting from flat graves and peaking with very large passage graves. The primary steps are plank cists, changing to stone cists, followed by different versions of dolmens and then the passage grave. Another important construction is the early type of enclosure, used for special events at long intervals. In Bohuslän and Falbygden the initial types of graves and the enclosures are not present, or maybe not yet found. There are close to one hundred megaliths along the west coast of Sweden, with a high concentration to the islands Orust and Tjörn together with the area north of Orust. 29 megaliths are on Orust. There are in total 33 identified passage graves and fifty dolmens, a few are undefined. The architecture of dolmens and passage graves is principally the same all-over southern Scandinavia, but the appearance is quite different due to the local availability of stones. In Denmark and Scania, the megaliths are built of stones left by the ice age, mainly rounded stones. In Bohuslän the material is flat stones from the cliff sides, split by the ice age and in Falbygden the material is primarily sedimentary stone slabs. The essay discusses the relation between the megaliths in Bohuslän and the other areas, especially Jutland. It has been stated from the early archaeologists to the recent, that Bohuslän is related to Jutland, the so-called Kattegat connection. It is argued that the empirical evidence for a stronger relation between Bohuslän and Jutland compared to the other areas is weak. There are some artefacts and some architectural designs which may be influenced from Jutland, but it seems that the influence could have come from other areas as well. The view of the time sequence of dolmens and passage graves differ between Denmark and Sweden. In Denmark the archaeologists describe a sequence of dolmens followed by a sequence of passage graves, with an overlap of the later dolmens and the early passage graves. In Sweden the view is that dolmens and passage graves were built mostly during the same period, with the dolmens starting slightly earlier. This discrepancy is explored using the most reliable C14 data which has been presented for dolmens and passage graves in Denmark and Sweden. The data is limited and consequently the conclusions have uncertainties. A complication in analysing C14 data for the megalith period is that there is a plateau in the calibration curve during the most important period, giving an almost 300 years uncertainty. An analysis of the data shows that the dolmens are built during this plateau phase and some of them with a probability that it was before this period. No dolmen seems to be built after the plateau. For the passage graves it is the other way around. Passage graves are built during the plateau, some are built after and none before. It is argued that this implies that the dolmens in southern Scandinavia primarily are built before the passage graves with an undefined overlap in the plateau period.
Kvinnor och män på museum. Fördjupad Studie av Genus på Museiutställningar
(2022-09-20) Swanson, Pernilla; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
In this essay, the purpose was to analyze four different exhibitions from four different museums and how they represent women and men through objects, texts, and images with the help of gender theory or a gender perspective. The methods used were participatory observations at the exhibitions, semi-structured interviews with museum employees, and a comparative analysis. A research overview of other museum studies, and a review of the history of gender theory was conducted to get an overview of the current research area. A detailed review of the exhibitions was carried out and many differences and similarities were found. Among other things, it emerged that men were most often associated with weapons and war, while women were associated with responsibilities in the home and textiles/clothing. Conclusions were also drawn about the reasons why women and men are portrayed in a certain way in the exhibitions. Among other things it emerged that there has long been a masculine focus in research even though political decisions have improved the situation over the years, and museums are affected by the society in which they are situated.
”I fru Nicotinas tjänst” – fabrikssystern, tobaksarbeterskorna och Södergården åren 1916 – 1940
(2022-09-14) Kårevik, Linnéa; University of Gothenburg / Department of Historical Studies; Göteborgs universitet / Institutionen för historiska studier
This study examines the work life of Herta Svenson as ”fabrikssyster”, a welfare manager, and the activities at the social settlement Södergården at the Swedish Tobacco Monopoly during the years 1916-1940. The objective is to understand the role, the settlement movement in an industrial context and the welfare arrangements made for the workforce at the factories, which mainly consisted women. The study draws on both insights of, and polarities in the field of research. It makes use of a combined theoretical perspective of class and gender. Methodologically, it applies the tools hemliv, yrkesliv and samhällsliv (homelife, work life, citizenship). The questions regards noted, but still unclarified matters, and combines subjects usually studied apart. The study shows how these were highly gendered as well as dependent on constructions of class, and therefore manifested complex relations of power, control and hierarchies. It also shows how Svenson made life-improving changes possible, and how the factory personnel had own agency in the education and activities provided. The relations between the “fabrikssyster” and the working women was hierarchical and controlling, grounded on constructions and ideas of gender and class. On the other hand, it was also one of reciprocal care, familiarity and friendship which exceeded multiple barriers. The study argues that it is vital to understand how Svenson managed her precarious work life position, the intermediate role of caring for the workforce and the for the company, in order to understand the historical manifestations of both social reform and social control – often contested contradictions within the field of research. Hence, it adds new knowledge to, and variegates interpretations in studies which predominately denotes aspects of control. It questions the prevalent understanding, a one-sided interpretation of reform, in regards to the matters within Swedish research. It brings to the fore that further research in general, also with the subjects combined, are needed. Furthermore, it demonstrates the benefits of a merged theoretical framework of gender theory and class analysis, as they apart obscure impacts of the other not considered. The study also contributes to the discussion in gender history of public and private spheres. It clarifies the constructive aspects of the methodological tools at use. They are shown to be helpful in understanding how the lines between empirical practices and theoretical visions of gendered spheres is not as absolute nor as clear as often held.

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