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Tradition and transformation in Sámi animal-offering practices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 April 2018

Anna-Kaisa Salmi Open the ORCID record for Anna-Kaisa Salmi [Opens in a new window] ,
Tiina Äikäs ,
Marte Spangen ,
Markus Fjellström  and
Inga-Maria Mulk
Anna-Kaisa Salmi*
Affiliation:
Archaeology, History, Culture and Communication Studies, Faculty of Humanities, P.O. Box 1000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland
Tiina Äikäs
Affiliation:
Archaeology, History, Culture and Communication Studies, Faculty of Humanities, P.O. Box 1000, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland
Marte Spangen
Affiliation:
Department of Archaeology, History, Religious Studies and Theology, University of Tromsø, Box 6050 Langnes, N-9037 Tromsø, Norway
Markus Fjellström
Affiliation:
Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Wallenberglaboratoriet, Stockholm University, Stockholm SE-106 91, Sweden
Inga-Maria Mulk
Affiliation:
Ájtte Mountain and Sámi Museum, Box 116, Jokkmokk SE-962 23, Sweden
*
*Author for correspondence (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Archaeological evidence for ritual animal offerings is key to understanding the formation and evolution of indigenous Sámi identity in Northern Fennoscandia from the Iron Age to the seventeenth century AD. An examination of such evidence can illuminate how major changes, such as the shift from hunting to reindeer pastoralism, colonialism by emerging state powers and Christianisation, were mediated by the Sámi at the local level. To explore the chronology of, and local variations in, Sámi animal-offering tradition, we provide a synthesis of archaeozoological data and radiocarbon dates from 17 offering sites across Norway, Sweden and Finland. Analysis reveals new patterns in the history of Sámi religious ritual and the expression of Sámi identity.

Keywords

FennoscandiaSámianimal offeringarchaeozoologyritualreligion
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 92 , Issue 362 , April 2018 , pp. 472 - 489
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd, 2018 

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