A Versatile Resource - The Procurement and Use of Soapstone in Norway and The North Atlantic Region

Abstract

Soapstone is a remarkable rock. While it is very workable due to a high content of talc, the softest known mineral in existence, it is also durable, heat-resistant and has a high heat storage capacity. These properties have been recognised and valued since prehistory across the world and soapstone has been used for a very broad range of products. This book addresses soapstone use in Norway and the North Atlantic region, including Greenland (here: the North). Although the majority of papers deal with the Iron Age and Middle Ages, the book spans the Mesolithic to the early modern era, dealing with themes related to quarries, products and associated people and institutions in a wide sense. Recent years have seen a revival of basic archaeological and geological research into the procurement and use of stone resources. With authors from the fields of archaeology, geosciences and traditional crafts, this anthology reflects cross-disciplinary work grown out of this revival.