PrintPerson
I was born in 1951 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I earned a BA in Anthropology at Beloit College in Wisconsin in 1973 and an MA at UCLA in 1975. The subject of my Masters Thesis was an edge-wear analysis of burins from Solvieux, an Upper Paleolithic site in France. In 1976 I moved to Lund and enrolled in the PhD program, receiving my PhD in 1983. The title of my dissertation is "Tools and Technology. Lithic technological analysis of Neolithic axe morphology". I have been active on various boards of the Faculty of Arts at Lund University and as a referee for the Swedish Research Council.
Research
Completed projects
- Burial in the Battle Axe Culture - a theme with many variations (research leader)
- Handmade. Crafting and social strategies in the Scandinavian Neolithic (research leader)
- Scandinavian Flint – an Archaeological Perspective (research leader)
- Social Dimensions of Technological Change (research leader)
- Sourcing flint and flint artefacts from Sweden and Denmark by means of Non-Destructive Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF) (research leader)
About the research
My main area of interest is the relationship between form, function and context and the ways in which we use things practically and symbolically. Some of my current work centers around the question of craft specialization in southern Scandinavia during the Neolithic. Experimental work has been an important part of my study of technology. I have also done work on burial practices during the later Middle Neolithic Corded Ware Culture, 2800 - 2350 BC.
Publications
Books (4)
- Högberg, A. & Olausson, D. (2007). Scandinavian Flint - an Archaeological Perspective. Aarhus Universitetsforlag.
- Gillis, C., Olausson, D. & Vandkilde, H. (2004). Dawn of Europe. Report Series, 88. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University.
- Olausson, D. (1983). Tools and technology : Lithic technological analysis of Neolithic axe morphology. Lunds universitet. Dissertation.
- Olausson, D. (1983). Flint and Groundstone Axes in the Scanian Neolithic. An evaluation of raw materials based on experiment. Scripa minora regiae societatis humaniorum litterarum Lundensis. CWK Gleerup.
Editorships (7)
- Brink, K., Hydén, S., Jennbert, K., Larsson, L. & Olausson, D. (2015). (Eds.) Neolithic Diversities : Perspectives from a conference in Lund, Sweden. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8°, 65. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University.
- Furholt, M., Hinz, M., Mischka, D., Noble, G. & Olausson, D. (2014). (Eds.) Landscapes, histories and societies in the Northern European Neolithic. Frühe Monumentalität und soziale Differenzierung : DFG Schwerpunktprogramm 1400., 4. Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte der CAU Kiel / Habelt.
- Jennbert, K., Hårdh, B. & Olausson, D. (2007). (Eds.) On the Road : Studies in Honour of Lars Larsson. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 4°, 26. Almqvist & Wiksell International.
- Lindahl, A., Olausson, D. & Carlie, A. (2002). (Eds.) Keramik i Sydsverige : en handbok för arkeologer. Report series / University of Lund, Institute of Archaeology, 81.
- Lindahl, A., Olausson, D. & Carlie, A. (2002). (Eds.) Keramik i Sydsverige: en handbok för arkeologer. Monographs on Ceramics, 2. Keramiska Forskningslaboratoriet.
- Olausson, D. & Vandkilde, H. (2000). (Eds.) Form, Function & Context. Acta Archaeological Lundensia. Series in 8°, 31. Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
- Olausson, D. & Vandkilde, H. (2000). (Eds.) Form, Function & Context : Material Culture Studies in Scandinavian Archaeology. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8°, 31.
Articles (25)
- Olausson, D. (2017). Knapping Skill and Craft Specialization in Late Neolithic Flint Daggers. Lithic Technology, 42, 127-139. Department of Antrhropology, University of Tulsa.
- Olausson, D., Högberg, A. & Hughes, R. (2016). Chemical and visual analysis of flint from Gotland and Öland. Fornvännen, 111, 145-152. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
- Olausson, D., Högberg, A., Berggren, Å. & Rudebeck, E. (2016). Early Neolithic flint mining at Södra Sallerup, Scania, Sweden. Archaeologia Polona, 54, 167-180.
- Högberg, A., Hughes, R. E. & Olausson, D. (2014). Chemical analysis of red and black Heligoland flint – initial results and comparisons with flint from Scandinavia. Siedlungs- und Küstenforschung im Südlichen Nordseegebiet, 37.
- Olausson, D. & Ekengren, F. (2014). Editorial. Lund Archaeological Review, 20, 5-5. Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
- Högberg, A., Hughes, R. E. & Olausson, D. (2013). Comparing Polish and Scandinavian flint using visual and chemical analysis: some preliminary results. Fornvännen, 108, 257-262. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
- Olausson, D. & Ekengren, F. (2013). Editorial. Lund Archaeological Review, 19, 5-5. Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
- Högberg, A., Olausson, D. & Hughes, R. (2012). Many Different Types of Scandinavian Flint - Visual Classification and Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence. Fornvännen, 107, 225-240. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
- Hughes, R., Högberg, A. & Olausson, D. (2012). The Chemical Composition of Some Archaeologically Significant Flint from Denmark and Sweden. Archaeometry, 54, 779-795. John Wiley & Sons.
- Olausson, D., Hughes, R. & Högberg, A. (2012). A New Look at Bjurselet. The Neolithic Flint Axe Caches from Västerbotten, Sweden using non-destructive energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis for provenance determination. Acta Archaeologica, 83, 83-103. Institute of Archaeology, Copenhagen.
- Hughes, R., Högberg, A. & Olausson, D. (2010). Sourcing flint from Sweden and Denmark: A pilot study employing non-destructive energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Journal of Nordic Archaeological Science, 17, 15-25. Arkeologiska forskningslaboratoriet, Stockholms universitet.
- Olausson, D. (2008). Does Practice Make Perfect? Craft Expertise as a Factor in Aggrandizer Strategies. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 15, 28-50. Plenum Press.
- Högberg, A., Apel, J., Knutsson, K., Olausson, D. & Rudebeck, E. (2001). The Spread of Flint Axes and Daggers in Neolithic Scandinavia. Památky Archeologické, 92, 193-221. Institute of Archaeology, Prague.
- Olausson, D. (2001). Flint Seminar, Södra Sallerup. Lithic Technology, 26, 92-93. Department of Antrhropology, University of Tulsa.
- Olausson, D. (1998). Different Strokes for Different Folks. Possible Reasons for Variation in Quality of Knapping. Lithic Technology, 23, 90-115. Department of Antrhropology, University of Tulsa.
- Olausson, D. (1992). Report on an ongoing research project: Craft specialization and prehistoric society. Fornvännen, 88, 1-8. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
- Olausson, D. (1990). Edge-wear analysis in Archaeology. The current state of research. Laborativ arkeologi, 4, 5-14. Arkeologiska forskningslaboratoriet, Stockholms universitet.
- Olausson, D. (1988). Where have all the Settlements Gone? Field Survey Methods for Locating Bronze and Iron Age Settlements in a Cultivated Landscape. Papers of the Archaeological Institute University of Lund, 1987-1988, 99-112. Lunds universitet: Arkeologiska institutionen.
- Olausson, D. (1987). Piledal and Svarte. A Comparison Between Two Late Bronze Age Cemeteries in Scania. Acta Archaeologica, 57, 121-152. Institute of Archaeology, Copenhagen.
- Olausson, D. (1986). Intrasite Spatial Analysis in Scandinavian Stone Age Research. Papers of the Archaeological Institute University of Lund, 1985-1986, 5-24. Lunds universitet: Arkeologiska institutionen.
- Olausson, D. (1983). Experiments to Investigate the Effects of Heat Treatment on Use-wear on Flint Tools. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society, 49, 1-13. Prehistoric Society.
- Olausson, D. (1983). Lithic Technological Analysis of the Thin-butted Flint Axe. Acta Archaeologica, 53, 88-121. Institute of Archaeology, Copenhagen.
- Olausson, D. & Larsson, L. (1982). Heat Treatment of Flint in the Scandinavian Stone Age?. Papers of the Archaeological Institute University of Lund, 1981-1982, 5-25. Lunds universitet: Arkeologiska institutionen.
- Olausson, D. & Larsson, L. (1982). Testing for the Presence of Thermal Pretreatment of Flint in the Mesolithic and Neolithic of Sweden. Journal of Archaeological Science, 9, 275-285. Academic Press.
- Olausson, D. (1980). Starting from Scratch: The History of Edge-Wear Research from 1838 to 1978. Lithic Technology, 9, 48-60. Department of Antrhropology, University of Tulsa.
Book chapters (20)
- Olausson, D., Högberg, A. & Hughes, R. (2017). The Use of Non-Destructive Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Analysis for Sourcing Flint in Northern Europe: Progress to Date and Prospects for the Future : Progress to Date and Prospects for the Future. In Pereira, T., Terradas, X. & Bicho, N. F. (Eds.) The Exploitation of Raw Materials in Prehistory : Sourcing, Processing and Distribution (pp. 98-112). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Olausson, D. (2015). Burial in the Swedish-Norwegian Battle Axe Culture : questioning the myth of homogeneity. In Brink, K., Hydén, S., Jennbert, K., Larsson, L. & Olausson, D. (Eds.) Neolithic Diversities : Perspectives from a conference in Lund, Sweden (pp. 98-106). Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University.
- Furholt, M., Hinz, M., Mischka, D., Noble, G. & Olausson, D. (2014). Foreword: Landscapes, histories and societies in the Northern European Neolithic. In Furholt, M., Hinz, M., Mischka, D., Noble, G. & Olausson, D. (Eds.) Landscapes, histories and societies in the Northern European Neolithic (pp. 11-16). Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte der CAU Kiel / Habelt.
- Olausson, D. (2014). The "Mental" in Monumental : Battle Axe Culture in megalithic tombs in southern Sweden. In Furholt, M., Hinz, M., Mischka, D., Noble, G. & Olausson, D. (Eds.) Landscapes, histories and societies in the Northern European Neolithic (pp. 261-274). Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte der CAU Kiel / Habelt.
- Olausson, D. (2013). The Flintknapper and the Bronzesmith. In Bergerbrant, S. & Sabatini, S. (Eds.) Counterpoint: Essays in Archaeology and Heritage Studies in Honour of Professor Kristian Kristiansen (pp. 447-456). Archaeopress.
- Olausson, D. (2012). Making Daggers and Scouting for Talents: Situated learning in Late Neolithic Scandinavia. In Johannsen, N., Jessen, M. & Juel Jensen, H. (Eds.) Excavating the Mind. Cross-sections through culture, cognition and materiality (pp. 211-232). Aarhus Universitetsforlag.
- Olausson, D. (2010). The Use and Abuse of Experimental Flintknapping in Archaeology. In Nami, H. (Ed.) Experiments and Interpretation of Traditional Technologies: Essays in Honor of Errett Callahan (pp. 37-56). Ediciones de Arqueologia Contemporanea, Buenos Aires.
- Olausson, D. (2007). On the Road. Paving stones past and present. In Jennbert, K., Hårdh, B. & Olausson, D. (Eds.) On the Road. Studies in Honour of Lars Larsson. Almqvist & Wiksell.
- Högberg, A. & Olausson, D. (2005). Flinta under yngre bronsåldern - några tankar om nu och då. In Goldhahn, J. (Ed.) Mellan sten och järn. Gotarc.
- Olausson, D. (2000). Båtyxan - stridsyxekulturens sigill. In Högberg, A. (Eds.) Artefakter--arkeologiska ting. En bok om föremål ur ett arkeologiskt perspektiv (pp. 27-40). Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
- Olausson, D. (2000). Experimentell flinthuggning - vad kan vi lära av det?. In Valentin Eriksen, B. (Ed.) Flintstudier. En håndbog i systematiske analyser af flintinventarer. Aarhus Universitetsforlag.
- Olausson, D. (2000). Talking Axes, Social Daggers. In Olausson, D. & Vandkilde, H. (Eds.) Form, Function & Context. Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
- Larsson, M. & Olausson, D. (1992). Archaeological field survey - methods and problems. In Larsson, L., Callmer, J. & Stjernquist, B. (Eds.) Acta archaeologica Lundensia, The Archaeology of the Cultural Landscape. Field work and research in a south Swedish rural region, 19. Almqvist & Wiksell International.
- Olausson, D. (1992). The archaeology of the Bronze Age cultural landscape - research goals, methods, and results. In Larsson, L., Callmer, J. & Stjernquist, B. (Eds.) Acta archaeologica Lundensia, The Archaeology of the Cultural Landscape : Field work and research in a south Swedish rural region, 19. Almqvist & Wiksell International.
- Germundsson, T., Olausson, D. & Riddersporre, M. (1991). Mapping settlement patterns. In Berglund, B. (Ed.) The cultural landscape during 6000 years in southern Sweden. Ecological Bulletins.
- Olausson, D. (1991). The cultural landscape in the Bjäresjö area during the Bronze Age. In Berglund, B. (Ed.) The cultural landscape during 6000 years in southern Sweden. Ecological Bulletins.
- Olausson, D. (1991). The cultural landscape in the Krageholm area during the Bronze Age. In Berglund, B. (Ed.) The cultural landscape during 6000 years in southern Sweden. Ecological Bulletins.
- Olausson, D. (1991). The cultural landscape in the Romele area during the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age. In Berglund, B. (Ed.) Ecological bullentins, The cultural landscape during 6000 years in southern Sweden, 41. Ecological Bulletins.
- Olausson, D. (1988). Dots on a Map : Thoughts about the way archaeologists study prehistoric trade and exchange. In Hårdh, B., Larsson, L., Olausson, D. & Petré, R. (Eds.) Acta archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8o, Trade and Exchange in Prehistory : Studies in honour of Berta Stjernquist (pp. 15-24), 16. Blom.
- Olausson, D., Rudebeck, E. & Säfvestad, U. (1981). Die südschwedischen Feuersteingruben - Ergebnisse und Probleme. In Weisgerber, G. (Ed.) 5000 Jahre Feuersteinbergbau. Deutschen Bergbau-Museum Bochum.
Conference contributions (6)
- Rey-Solé, M., Scherstén, A., Naeraa, T., Olausson, D. & Mangado, X. (2017). Siliceous Raw Material Exploitation at Hort de la Boquera Site (Margalef de Monsant, Tarragona, España) : First Results from La-Icp-Ms Analysis. In Pereira, T., Terradas, X. & Bicho, N. (Eds.) The Exploitation of Raw Materials in Prehistory : Sourcing, Processing and Distribution (pp. 234-249). Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
- Bender Jørgensen, L. & Olausson, D. (2007). Social dimensions of technological change. The European Archaeologist, Winter 2007-2008, 25-25. European Association of Archaeologists.
- Olausson, D. (1998). Battleaxes: Home-made, Made to Order or Factory Products?. In Holm, L. & Knutsson, K. (Eds.) Proceedings from the Third Flint Alternatives Conference at Uppsala, Sweden, October 18-20, 1996 (pp. 125-140). Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University.
- Olausson, D. (1997). Craft specialization as an agent of social power in the south Scandinavian Neolithic. In Schild, R. & Sulgotowska, Z. (Eds.) Man and Flint (pp. 269-277). Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography Polish Academy of Sciences.
- Olausson, D. (1993). Hav och äng, skog och åker. Bronsåldersbondens levnadssätt i södra Sverige. In Forsberg, L. & Larsson, T. B. (Eds.) Ekonomi och näringsformer i nordisk bronsålder (pp. 105-116). Arkeologiska Institutionen, Umeå Universitet.
- Olausson, D. (1993). The Bronze Age Barrow as a Symbol. In Larsson, L. (Ed.) Report series, Institute of Archaeology, Bronsålderns gravhögar : Rapport från ett symposium i Lund 15.XI-16.XI 1991 (pp. 91-114), 48. Institute of Archaeology, University of Lund.
Reports (1)
Reviews (4)
- Olausson, D. (2005). 'Traceology' then and now. European Journal of Archaeology, 8, 295-297. SAGE Publications Sage UK: London, England.
- Olausson, D. (2001). Review of Arne Johan Nærøy: Stone Age Living Spaces in Western Norway. Norwegian Archaeological Review, 34, 53-57. Taylor & Francis.
- Olausson, D. (1996). Review of John C. Whittaker, Flintknapping. Making and understanding stone tools. University of Texta Press, 1994. Fornvännen, 91, 180-183. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
- Olausson, D. (1995). Review of Helle Juel Jensen, Flint tools and plant working. Hidden traces of stone age technology. Fornvännen, 90, 263-268. Kungliga Vitterhets- historie- och antikvitetsakademien.
Supervision at Lund University (7)
- Botwid, K. (2016). The Artisanal Perspective in Action : An Archaeology in Practice. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8°, 66. Department of Archaeology and Ancient History, Lund University. Dissertation.
- Zagal-Mach Wolfe, U. I. (2013). Grasping Technology, Assessing Craft. Developing a Research Method for the Study of Craft-Tradition. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8°, 63. Dissertation.
- Högberg, A. (2009). Lithics in the Scandinavian Late Bronze Age. Sociotechnical change and Persistence. BAR International Series 1932. Archaeopress. Dissertation.
- Friman, B. (2008). Att stå på egna ben. Malmöfynd, 18. Malmö Kulturmiljö. Dissertation.
- Thörn, R. (2007). Det ideologiska landskapet. Malmö Kulturmiljö. Licentiate thesis.
- Skoglund, P. (2005). Vardagens landskap : lokala perspektiv på bronsålderns materiella kultur. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8°, 49. Almqvist & Wiksell International. Dissertation.
- Rudebeck, E. (2000). Tilling Nature - Harvesting Culture. Exploring Images of the Human Being in the Transition to Agriculture. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia. Series in 8°, 32. Almqvist & Wiksell International. Dissertation.
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