I should blog about the recently announced finds of Romano-Celtic era cult images and Vendel Period gold foil figures at Västra Vång in Blekinge, but I find it kind of boring to act as an archaeological news purveyor. I'll just refer you to this paper about the first find from the site and say that Västra Vång is an instant classic in Scandy Iron Age studies. I'll be happy to answer any questions in the comments section.
It's a busy month for me, seeing as I am employed at >100% counting two universities at air commute distance and my steady Fornvännen gig. Also I'm copy-editing a lot of papers by Slavic-speakers who don't know when to use the word "the".
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When the workload grows too huge, I recommend a solution found in Terry Pratchett's "Pyramids". The pyramid engineer creates a time loop so different temporal versions of him can work in parallel. Literally "an army of me".
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(OT) The Welsh language must be perfect for writing sagas about ancient heroes battling it out. http://satwcomic.com/welsh-smash
(OT) Intermission: "Creepy White Guys and Asian Women" . (shudders in disgust) http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/2013/11/19/creepy-white-guys-and…
In my experience, a good way to get a lovely Asian wife is to not have race-based preferences in the first place.
(OT) Chinese supreme court bans the use of torture to extract confessions (only 240 years after Sweden). It also restricted the use of the death sentence.
Now, if only the Americans took note...
(OT) Miscellaneous science: November skywatch http://www.gocomics.com/richards-poor-almanac/2013/11/21
Thanks for the link!
You may find it boring but I'm grateful for the news nonetheless. What is your best guess on the Celtic-style and Roman-style heads? Are they evidence of an artistic culture shared with the rest of Europe, or imported exotic art? Those guys sure don't look like how I picture Iron Age Swedes.
I believe those copper-alloy busts/heads are all imports. We don't have indigenous La Tène culture in Scandyland. Awesome finds!
(OT) Caananites had their priorities right when it came to inventions: Wine cellar from 1700 BC.
http://phys.org/news/2013-11-team-civilization-oldest-wine-cellars.html "Team finds one of civilization's oldest wine cellars"
Was Västra Vång a satellite center under the great kingdom of Uppsala as we where teached in the Swedish schools. Well Västra Vång or the region of Blekige was not mentioned in our schoolbooks as any significant, during the iron age, but the great empire of the kings of Uppsala was?
Haha, that's a leading question! Uppsala was the main centre of the Swedish tribe, which didn't even include Östergötland during the Vendel Period, and certainly not Blekinge.
Yes it was a provocative check.
Is this find in Fjälkinge related to Västra Vång?
"Helgesson,Bertil:En romersk statyett i Fjälkinge"i Carlie,Anne,(red): Berettelser från Vätland,2003 sid 66-69
From Arkeologiforum: En 8 cm romersk bronsstatuett från 100 e Kr har hittats i Fjälkinge,Skåne. Statyn gör samma gest som en känd Augustusstaty:gesten betyder "jag talar"
I did not find a picture of that find.
Pardon? Related to?
A bronze statue found in Fjälkinge and referred to in the book?
They're of similar date and origin? One of the Västra Vång busts looks very Roman.
I don't know. I have only seen the Fjäkinge piece mentioned i that book. There is no picture of it on the internet and I have not found the article yet. Fjälkinge is close to Västra Vång.
The book arrived today. The piece in Fjälkinge is a 8 cm high statue of Augustus dated 100 AD. It is not in the same fine condition as the Västra Vång artifacts.
The is an article, "Åter Till Västra Vång" in the latest edition of "Ale-Historisk tidskrift för Skåne, Halland och Blekinge". Only in Swedish however.