Viking Age - Comments on the Development of Archaeology in Sweden from 1986 to 1990 based on "Nordic Archaeological Abstracts"

The development of Viking Age archaeology in Sweden is briefly discussed on the basis of a bibliographical and statistical study of the period from 1986 to 1990, The study reveals that Swedish archaeology has undergone two separate and now concluded "waves of evolution” during the twentieth century. The current tradition can be traced back to the 1970s. The developement can be described as that of a longue durée including some very swift changes (events), especially around 1987/88. This hermeneutic spiral seems to move from the artefacts to the contexts.