Identity Formation and Diversity in the Early Medieval Baltic and Beyond

Johan Callmer, Ph.D (1977), Lund University, is professor emeritus of Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Germany. He has published on early medieval urbanisation, identities among traders and artisans, as well as Scandinavian expansion into the East: From West to East: The Penetretation of Scandinavians into Eastern Europe ca. 500–900 (Lethielleux, 2000) and Herrschaftsbildung und Machtausübung: die Anfänge der ar-Rus (Rus’) ca. 500–1000 n. (Thorbecke, 2008). Ingrid Gustin, Ph.D. (2004), Lund University, is a researcher in Historical Archaeology. She has published two monographs and many articles dealing with Birka, Viking Age trade and eastern contacts including Mellan gåva och marknad: handel, tillit och materiell kultur under vikingatid (Almqvist & Wiksell, 2004) and Trade and Trust in the Baltic Sea area during the Viking Age (Maney Publishing, 2015). Mats Roslund, Ph.D (2001), Lund University, professor of Historical Archaeology at the same university, has published on social identities, Viking and Medieval trade and ceramics such as Guests in the House. Cultural transmission between Slavs and Scandinavians 900 to 1300 AD (Brill, 2007) and At the end of the silver flow. Islamic dirhams in Sigtuna and the shrinking Viking network (Archeopress, 2015).

Contents
List of Illustrations VII
List of Contributors xi
1 Identity Formation and Diversity: Introduction 1
Johan Callmer, Ingrid Gustin and Mats Roslund
2 Societies East and West of the Baltic Sea: Prehistoric Culture Contacts
Revisited 17
Marika Mägi
3 Riding to the Afterworld: Burying with Horses and Riding Equipment in
Estonia and the Baltic Rim 48
Valter Lang
4 A Site of Intersection: Staraya Ladoga, Eastern Silver, and Long-Distance
Communication Networks in Early Medieval Europe 76
Søren M. Sindbæk
5 Creating a Cultural Expression: On Rus’ Identity and Material
Culture 91
Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson
6 “Varangian Christianity” and the Veneration of Anglo-Saxon and
Scandinavian Saints in Early Rus’ 107
John H. Lind
7 The Rise of the Dominion of the ar-Rus in the Northern Parts of
Eastern Europe, Seventh to Ninth Centuries a.d.: A Case of Culture
Construction 136
Johan Callmer
8 Bringing “the Periphery” into Focus: Social Interaction between Baltic
Finns and the Svear in the Viking Age and Crusade Period (c.800 to
1200) 168
Mats Roslund
9 Contacts, Identity, and Hybridity: Objects from South-western
Finland in the Birka Graves 205
Ingrid Gustin
10 Swords from the Carolingian Empire to the Baltic Sea and
Beyond 259
Anne Stalsberg
11 Dirham Hoards from the Gulf of Finland Region 281
Tuukka Talvio
Index 293