Gropkeramiska lerfiguriner – stumma berättare om en gemensam världsbild

Abstract

An archaeological excavation that was made in 2016 of a Pitted Ware Culture settlement at Tråsättra in the northern archipelago of Stockholm was very rich in artefacts and features. Especially unique was the over 300 fragments of clay figurines that were found. Never had so many been discovered at a neolithic place in Sweden. In Scandinavia it is only on the Finnish islands of Åland that similar figurines have been found. The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of the clay figurines of Tråsättra and Åland through comparative studies. Michael Fischer’s theory of formation processes is used for the contextual analysis while gender perspective is the base for the comparison of the forms and appearances of the figurines. The study argues that the figurines have been used in the daily life as an embodiment of the people’s self-image, explaining their way of seeing the world. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of the appearance of the figurines shows such striking resemblance that it can be concluded that the different groups of people had a close connection and shared the same belief.