Chronology and Settlement at Bartsgårda on Åland

Authors

• Kristin Ilves Department of Cultures, Faculty of Art, University of Helsinki https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9872-1652
• Kim Darmark Department of Cultural History, University Museum of Bergen
• Meri Leppäsalko Department of Cultures, Faculty of Art, University of Helsinki
• Maria Ronkainen Department of Cultures, Faculty of Art, University of Helsinki

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61258/fa.157570

Keywords:

Radiocarbon dating, settlement archaeology, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Middle Age, Åland

Abstract

This article publishes a full series of 55 radiocarbon dates from the settlement and cemetery site at Bartsgårda on the Åland Islands, shedding new light on its chronology and use. During four years of investigations by the University of Helsinki field school from 2020 to 2023, small-scale excavations were conducted on different parts of the settlement area, revealing that the site, initially identified as belonging to the Nordic Late Iron Age (AD 550–1050), has a much longer occupation history extending back to the Late Bronze Age. The dates from the Late Iron Age houses are further analysed using Bayesian statistics, providing an argument for a sequential establishment of the structures, with the most intense settlement occurring between AD 750–950. Our study also provides insights into the socio-economic and cultural dynamics at Bartsgårda by discussing the nature, function, and chronology of the investigated archaeological contexts.