Bears and the Viking Age transition in Sweden

The main objective of this paper is to generate a deeper understanding of bear and human relationships in the 1st millennium AD. This will primarily be achieved by the analysis of a detailed chronology of bear phalanges from Iron Age burials. The aim is to note changes in the deposition patterns of bear remains in burials in order to identify human impact - which we consider significant for hunting pressure - on the Scandinavian bear populations of the 1st millennium AD. The authors suggest that bear hunting can be considered as part of the larger processes of intensified exploitation of the boreal forest in the Iron Age that contributed to the formation of interregional trade networks. It is suggested that this exploitation affected the bear population to such an extent that overused animal resources can be understood as one of several contributing factors behind the Viking expansion outside Scandinavia. An understanding of bear and human relationships will contribute to a better knowledge of the cultural history of Scandinavia’s forested region and of interregional contacts with the central agricultural regions.