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Between sea and river: Water in medieval Scandinavian towns
Author(s) -
Poulsen Bjørn,
Gundersen Olav E.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
wiley interdisciplinary reviews: water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.413
H-Index - 24
ISSN - 2049-1948
DOI - 10.1002/wat2.1346
Subject(s) - fishing , water resources , resource (disambiguation) , arid , water supply , water use , fresh water , salt water , water resource management , geography , environmental science , hydrology (agriculture) , ecology , geology , environmental engineering , computer network , computer science , biology , geotechnical engineering
The general climate and topography of medieval Scandinavia, with high levels of rainfall and snow on a yearly basis, combined with an abundance of lakes, rivers, and smaller streams, meant that freshwater was easily available for most people. In this paper, we present an overview of how people interacted with water—both freshwater and salt water—in medieval (ca. 1050–ca. 1500) Scandinavia's towns. By describing how the supply of freshwater was organized and what it was used for, how shipping and fishing was regulated, and the use and impact of watermills, we are able to identify some actors and attempt to discern their motivation when they engaged in a wide range of activities involving both fresh and salt water in medieval Scandinavia. We argue that understanding water and water management in medieval Scandinavia necessitates a different approach compared to more arid regions, an approach which considers water as simply one resource among many, deeply embedded in a wider economic web. This article is categorized under: Engineering Water > Planning Water Human Water > Water Governance Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented