Person

• Iron Age Blekinge I: Västra Vång

• Swedish Forensic-Archaeological Network

• From the Crucible and at the Anvil - Spatiality, Economics and Multimetality of metal craftsmanship in Iron Age South-East Scandinavia

M.A. Archaeology (Lund University 2004), B.A. Classical Archaeology (Lund University 2006), Doctoral student in Archaeology since 2015.

My background is in contract archaeology were I’ve worked on excavations and in a consulting position around Sweden and Europe for many years. I’ve also worked as an archaeometallurgical consultant.

My deep interest for metal crafts originated during my student years and has remained strong throughout my professional career. I’ve specifically worked with bloomery iron production, casting and multimetal craftsmanship were different metals and techniques are mixed in the manufacture of complex objects.

My thesis project deals with this complex smithing and its role in urbanization and socioeconomic structures of the late Scandinavian Iron Age. The projects research into multimetal craftsmanship will be supported by spatial survey and analysis of multimetal sites as well as detailed material analysis of metallurgical debris.

The thesis project is supervised by Jan Apel (Dept. of Archaeology and Ancient History) and Fredrik Ekengren (Dept. of Archaeology and Ancient history)

Articles (3)

• Larsson, M., Svensson, A. & Apel, J. (2019). Botanical evidence of malt for beer production in fifth–seventh Century Uppåkra, Sweden. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 11, 1961-1972. Springer.
  • External full text
• Hjärthner-Holdar, E., Grandin, L., Sköld, K. & Svensson, A. (2018). By Who, for Whom? : Landscape, Process and Economy in the Bloomery Iron Production AD 400-1000. Journal of Archaeology and Ancient history, 21, 1-50. Uppsala (Uppsala University).
  • Full text (PDF)
• Svensson, A. (2014). Complex Metalworking in the Provinces, Rural Centres and Towns. Preliminary Results from the project "Exclusive Metalworking in Rural Settings" contextualized. Lund Archaeological Review, 20, 7-19. Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
  • Full text (PDF)
  • External full text
  • External full text

Book chapters (1)

• Svensson, A. (2015). Kontextualisering av metallhantverk på landsbygden - arkeometallurgi och landskapsstudiemetodik. Bronzestöbning i yngre bronzealders lokale kulturlandskab, 5, 131-137. Viborg Museum & Holstebro Museum.
  • Full text (PDF)
  • External full text

Conference contributions (3)

• Svensson, A. (2016). Multimetal smithing : An urban craft in rural settings?.
  • Full text (PDF)
• Svensson, A. (2016). Tracing Multimetal Craftsmanship through Metallurgical debris : Open air workshops and multimetality in Late Iron Age Scandinavia.
  • Full text (PDF)
• Svensson, A. (2016). Tracing Multimetal Craftsmanship through Metallurgical debris : Open air workshops and multimetality in Late Iron Age Scandinavia.
  • Full text (PDF)

Reports (1)

• Svensson, A. (2012). Metallurgiskt material från Verkstadsvägen SU2010 i Motala. Registrering och spridningsanalys av metallurgiskt avfallsmaterial. Faber Arkeologi Rapport, 2012: 1. Faber Arkeologi.
  • Full text (PDF)
  • External full text

Articles in specialist publications and popular press (1)

• Svensson, A. (2012). Exklusivt smide på landsbygden. Mästerliga medeltida hantverk vid Motala ström. Arkeologi i Östergötland, 2012, 28-29. Östergötlands museum, Riksantikvarieämbetet, Östergötlands museum, Riksantikvarieämbetet.
  • External full text

• ARKN15, Archaeology and Ancient History: Field Archaeology in Theory and Practice