Outland exploitation and long-distance trade AD 700–1200 – seen in the light of whetstone production and distribution

Abstract

An aim of this paper is to explore exploitation of outlying resources within a socio-political and economic context, where whetstone quarries form the basis for the discussion. Geological analyses of whetstones in Ribe in Denmark demonstrate that most of the finds were quarried within present-day Norway, in Eidsborg in Telemark and Mostadmarka in Trøndelag. Production in Mostadmarka started in the early 8th century, and in Eidsborg approx. a century later. Both sites should be seen in connection with an intensified exploitation of woodlands and mountainous areas that took place in the Scandinavian Peninsula from the early Viking Age onwards. The paper discusses how important products from the outlands were for the Viking-age economy and urban sites, and demonstrates that outlying areas were integrated parts of wider economic, social, and cultural systems.