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The house of the Bailiff of Sövestad, Sweden—a multi‐method geophysical case study
Author(s) -
Lück E.,
Callmer J.,
Skånberg T.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
archaeological prospection
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.785
H-Index - 38
eISSN - 1099-0763
pISSN - 1075-2196
DOI - 10.1002/arp.210
Subject(s) - excavation , archaeology , field survey , geophysical survey , geology , geography , history , geophysics , cartography
Abstract The village Sövestad, 5 km north of Ystad, in southern Sweden has been known historically since 1085. Over the past 12 years a large number of finds were collected in the furrows of the field south of Sövestad. Some extraordinary finds from medieval time indicate an aristocratic site. To prepare for excavation, geophysical explorations were carried out. The aim was to accurately locate of the main house and to obtain a survey of the archaeological structures in their surroundings. The results of the geophysical investigations are very valuable. The house of the bailiff was found and also many traces of human occupation were observed. The level of modern excavation costs makes this method a valuable alternative to direct excavation as a survey method. However, for the next stage of the study of this manor site a regular excavation will be necessary. The good results obtained so far are an inspiration for further work in the highly interesting region, including a number of manor sites in historical villages close by (e.g. Gundralöv, Katslösa and Stora Herrestad). Only the comparative approach to these aristocratic milieus can contribute substantially to our understanding of this important aspect of rural social life in the Middle Ages. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.