Landslide Archaeology : Past hazards and disasters in the Göta River Valley and beyond

Abstract: Exploring the impact of landslides on past human communities, their landscapes, and their material remains, this thesis focuses on the most landslide-prone region of Sweden: the Göta River Valley (Sw. Göta älvdalen). It is argued that through a multi-source methodology and by employing ideas concerning geoculturality and disasterscapes, we can begin to approach the lived experiences of both distant and recent history. The thesis further outlines the risk posed by landslides to cultural heritage and archaeological sites, a threat significantly exacerbated by ongoing processes of anthropogenic climate change. This compilation thesis contributes to the study of past hazards and disasters with relevance on both regional, national, and international levels. The comprehensive summary of the thesis provides both an overview of the field and an in-depth study of how landslides have been perceived and interacted with throughout time. Additionally, five research papers, each dealing with different aspects of landslide archaeology within Western Sweden from prehistory into the present day, address separate aspects of landslide archaeology.The first paper presents new dating evidence for the Late Iron Age trading site of Köpingen and, in turn, uses these results to provide a minimum age for a prehistoric landslide on the same site. The second paper outlines the research history of the great medieval landslide at Jordfallet, employing archival studies and legacy data to reassess its traditional dating. Most likely, the event occurred in the year 1249 AD, a conclusion with relevance for Scandinavian geopolitics in the Middle Ages. The third and fourth papers are historical-archaeological studies of two Early Modern disasters, the 1648 Intagan and 1703 Skrehall landslides, respectively, providing new understandings of these events. In the case of the former landslide, it is found to have left few easily identifiable archaeological traces behind, while newly discovered remains are described at the latter site. The fifth and final paper examines major landslides across Western Sweden in the 20th and 21st centuries, showing that several of these have destroyed archaeological sites, while others have prompted archaeologists to conduct emergency fieldwork. This illustrates the risks posed by landsliding in the region and emphasizes the need for cohesive contingency planning within the cultural heritage management sector.