Eidsborg rock – production and trade of whetstone in the Viking Age

Hell is to cut with a dull knife—to harvest with a blunt scythe or to fight with an unsharpened sword. By the 9th century, the ‘hell-averting’ whetstones from Eidsborg, Telemark, are found in Viking Age towns and centres throughout Northern Europe. Paradoxically, less is known about the surplus production of outfield resources, such as whetstones or iron, at a regional level. Eidsborg rock will shift focus towards the regional production and domestic trade in the late Iron Age (550–1050 CE). As such, the project will have a bottom-up approach and will advance the understanding of the beginning of whetstone production from a regional perspective. This will provide new knowledge and novel perspectives on the considerable whetstone production and trade in the Viking Age, which until now have been grounded in research projects outside of Telemark. Previous research has shown (1) an extensive surplus production in the hinterland based on outfield resources such as whetstone and iron; and (2) economic activities at towns and marketplaces along the coast in the Viking Age. These two research strands are not fully integrated, and major questions remain unanswered: what caused the regional surplus production and how were inland resources integrated into the larger economy? In order to address these issues, it is necessary to understand the infrastructure of domestic production and trade, and, not least, the rationales of the actors involved. This collaboration project between the Museum of Cultural History and West-Telemark Museum, located in close proximity to the whetstone quarries in Eidsborg, will facilitate the bottom-up approach, offer an excellent opportunity to merge the local and regional knowledge, and facilitate wider understanding via an international research outlook. We will explore the junction between wide networks and close interactions, as well as bridge the gap between the regional context and the overall social and economic development in the Viking Age.

By the early 9th century whetstones from Eidsborg, Telemark, are found in the Viking Age town Ribe in South-Scandinavia, indicating well-established trade routes and a surplus production in Eidsborg prior to the Viking Age. Paradoxically, little is known about the surplus production of outfield resources at a regional level. We will build upon earlier research, but shift focus towards the regional production and domestic trade in the late Iron Age (550–1050 CE). The Viking Age material from Telemark is rich and diverse. Nevertheless, this material has seldom been activated in archaeological research. The collaboration project between the Museum of Cultural History (KHM) and West-Telemark Museum (VTM) will bridge the gap between the regional context and the overall social and economic development in the Viking Age, and explore the junction between wide networks and close interactions. Previous research has shown (1) an extensive surplus production in the hinterland based on outfield resources such as whetstone and iron; and (2) economic activities at towns and marketplaces along the coast in the Viking Age. These two research strands are not fully integrated, and major questions remain unanswered: what caused the regional surplus production and how were inland resources integrated into the larger economy? In order to address these issues, it is necessary to understand the infrastructure of domestic production and trade, and, not least, the rationales of the actors involved. The interdisciplinary aspects of this project, where we collaborate with geologists and palynologists, will open up new avenues of interpretations and provide a better foundation for understanding whetstone production and trade in the Viking Age. Eidsborg rock will unite the international research environment at KHM with the locally rooted knowledge at VTM, thus the PhD student will benefit from the experience and expertise at both institutions.