Archaeology of Female Lifeworlds of Western Scandinavia in the Context of Continental Relations from the Roman to the Migration Period

For many historic periods graves and grave finds offer the best, in some cases the only possible approach to re-discover individuals and their ever changing environment behind archaeological records and finds due to the direct relationship between the arc hitecture of a certain grave, its inventory and the individual who is buried in said grave. During the Roman and Migration Period (1st to 5th century AD) rich inhumation burials can be found in Western Scandinavia, and give therefore the chanche, to recon struct the lifeworlds and socials roles represented in these graves. In the proposed project especially women's burials should be analyzed. The finds of extensively endowed women's burials in Norway dating from the Roman and Migration Period will first be classified by integrating them into a chronological and regional context. This will allow studying how the grave finds show and define social standing, typical activities, and role models of the women as well as how these concepts changed and developed d uring the covered periods. Based on these results non-local grave goods, which are part of the Norwegian inventory, will be matched to Norwegian grave gifts found in England and all over Europe to investigate the interregional contacts and relationships of the western Scandinavian population and to evaluate their geographical and chronological depths. Thus, the Norwegian find complexes will render new insights in the political development of the Roman and Migration Period in Europe from a historical poi nt of view, with specific regard to the role women played in these interregional contacts.