Brodtkorbneset and Steintjørna: Two Hearth-Row Sites in Pasvik, Arctic Norway

Abstract

During the Viking Age and the early medieval period, hearth row sites became a distinct feature of Sámi settlements over the vast interior region of northern Fennoscandia. Consisting of large, rectangular hearths organized in a linear pattern, these sites represent a new way of organizing domestic space and also reflect new environmental preferences. In this paper, the author gives an overview of the investigations conducted at two hearth-row sites, Steintjørna and Brodtkorbneset, in Pasvik, Arctic Norway. The sites are unique within this corpus due to their rich bone assemblages and where yet another peculiar feature is the regular spatial pattern in bone refuse disposal. Based on the excavated material, the author discusses changes in settlement pattern, reindeer economies, and the organisation of domestic space. He also discusses the role the hearths themselves may have played in negotiating internal social dynamics and in late Viking Age and early medieval period interethnic contacts.