Gripla - 20.12.2009, Blaðsíða 157
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ple recipients of the cultural development that took place elsewhere. The
obvious disproportion in [Scandinavian] academic didactic referring to the
Western Slavs (e.g. in comparison with the always present interest in
Russia) results in the lack of research, which further ‘proofs’ the lack of
interesting common problems, which gives excuse for the lack of academic
didactic, etc. etc.” (Urbańczyk 2005, footnote 3). Ethno-political back
ground of this strange situation has recently been well analyzed by Mats
Roslund (2001, chpt. 1).
Archaeology clearly shows the multi-ethnic substrates of the famous
peri-Baltic trading centres where cemeteries consist of a “mixture of rites:
boat graves, chamber graves, and coffin graves, as well as relatively bal
anced numbers of cremations and inhumations” (Stylegard 2007, 66). this
does not change, however, the traditional narratives that easily “national
ize” early urbanization. therefore, three Scandinavian original “peoples”
must have equally important towns equally early: Hedeby in Denmark,
Birka in Sweden and Kaupang in Norway. The emergence or rather, devel
opment of early towns is still part of national pride, which may result in
exaggerated interpretations (cf. the recentlypublished volume Kaupang in
Skiringssal, ed. by Dagfinn Skre, and the discussion in the Norwegian
Archaeological Review 2008). One may suppose that Iceland will soon join
this trend by supplementing this series with its own medieval trading cen
tre in Gásir that has been recently excavated.
Personally, I have tried to promote an interdisciplinary investigation of
the multicultural/ethnic origin of the north Atlantic colonies in Iceland
and Greenland (Urbańczyk 2003a). Both medieval written sources (e.g.
Grænlendinga saga and Landnámabók) and archaeological evidence (e.g. the
series of nonScandinavian sunken houses built on Iceland during the
Viking Age) as well as micro-molecular analyses of the mitochondrial
DnA (Helgason et al. 2001), indicate that the picture of the conquering of
the north Atlantic was much more complex than the old simplistic
“Scandinavian colonization” model.4 Interpretation clearly depended on
national traditions. E.g. for the Norwegian scholars, who eagerly refer to
the Íslendingabók, “Iceland was settled from Norway”; consequently, this
story is a part of Norwegian heritage. At the same time, however, the Irish
4 of course, one should remember that biological descendance does not automatically equal
cultural affiliation.
DeConStRuCtInG tHe “noRDIC CIvILIZAtIon”