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AbstractBy-products of metal corrosion, when coming into contact with organic matter, have the capacity to preserve it from decay. A pilot study was conducted aiming to explore the potential and limitations of plant remains preserved in by-products of metal corrosion for archaeobotanical research. The organic remains considered come from the surface/immediate proximity of the metal funerary artefacts of two ancient cemeteries—Varna and Messambria, Eastern Bulgaria. Metal corrosion by-products were observed and sampled, under a low magnification stereo microscope. Subsequently, the plant macrofossils recognised were analysed under reflected light and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Additionally, pollen was extracted from the metal corrosion by-products, using standard acetolysis. The analyses from the graves of both cemeteries allowed identification of textiles and plant fibres, as well as wood (Cornus sp., Pinus sp., Viburnum sp.). At Varna cemetery epidermis fragments of Juncus sp. were recognized, while at Messambria necropolis fruits of almond were found. The pollen analysis from Varna points to use of flowers in the ritual (Daphne tetrads were recorded) and shows a notably open landscape with 77% non-arboreal pollen (NAP). The palynological analysis from the Messambria necropolis revealed the use of flowers in the burial ritual indicated by clusters of Vitis, Cistus and Rosaceae pollen. The surrounding vegetation was dominated by open oak woodland and open habitats (43% NAP) with a strong presence of anthropogenic indicators. The outcome of the study proved to be promising for reconstructing details of the burial rituals including associated plant materials, as well as the surrounding plant habitats during the functioning of the cemeteries.

Reconstructions of past land use and related land-cover changes at local and regional scales are needed to evaluate the potential long-term impacts of land use on the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea. In this purpose, we selected the Gamleby area at the Swedish Baltic Sea coast for a case study. We use a new, high resolution pollen record from a small lake (Lillsjön) located 3.6 km NNW of the bay Gamlebyviken and detailed analysis of the available archeological data to reconstruct local land-use changes over the last 3000 years. To estimate land-cover change at local (2–3 km radius area) and regional (50 km radius area) scales we use four additional, published pollen records from two small and two large lakes (25–70 km S of Lillsjön) and the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm, a pollen-vegetation modeling scheme. Results show that regional and local (small lakes Lillsjön and Hyttegöl) land-cover changes are comparable over the last 1500 years (Late Iron Age to present), and that landscape openness was much larger locally than regionally (difference of 20–40% cover over the last 500 years). The periods of largest potential impacts on the Gamlebyviken Bay from regional and local land use are 200–950 CE (Late Iron Age) and 1450 CE to present, and of lowest potential impacts 950–1450 CE. The question on whether the large landscape openness 1150–50 BCE and significant afforestation 50 BCE–200 CE reconstructed for Lillsjön’s area are characteristic of the Gamlebyviken region will require additional pollen records in the catchment area.

Bland den litteratur som vänder sig till studenter i konstvetenskap och andra bildtolkande vetenskaper finns en mängd texter som behandlar teorier och teoretiska begrepp. Vad som däremot i hög grad saknas, och som studenter ofta efterlyser, är texter på svenska som visar hur teorier och begrepp kan tillämpas i konkreta tolkningssituationer. Serien Teoretiska tillämpningar i konstvetenskap avser att fylla den luckan, där boken Materialitet är den fjärde i serien. Boken introducerar och aktiverar ett begrepp som under de senaste decennierna kommit att ta en allt viktigare plats i humanistisk forskning. Konstvetare – men också arkeologer, antropologer, litteraturvetare, etnologer och andra humanistiska forskare – intresserar sig i allt högre grad för de materiella förutsättningarna för, och manifestationerna av, människors sociala och kulturella liv och utbyte. Men trots sin aktualitet i dagens vetenskapliga samtal kan materialitetsbegreppet te sig undanglidande och svårfångat. Det rör sig hela vägen från de mest handfasta analyser av en kulturell artefakts materiella beståndsdelar, till de bitvis svårgenomträngliga teoretiseringar av föremålslighet, agens och nätverk som brukar sorteras under etiketten ”new materialism”. Boken Materialitet ger emellertid konkreta exempel på hur materialitetsbegreppet kan öppna för tolkningar av viktiga meningslager i konstverk och andra kulturella artefakter. Efter den inledande introduktionen där olika perspektiv och begreppsliggöranden kring materialitet diskuteras gör sex forskare var sin analys utifrån sitt ämnesområde. Kapitlen baseras på ny forskning och är skriva särskilt för denna bok. De olika kapitlen visar tillsammans materialitetsbegreppets mångfacetterade karaktär men låser inte låser fast det vid en definition utan öppnar ögonen för ett flertal olika tolkningsvägar.