Det arkeologiska landskapet : Fornlämningsbild och bebyggelsehistoria i tre uppländska bygder under bronsålder och äldre järnålder

Sammanfattning: Archaeological fieldwork provides the basis for a comparative landscape archaeological analysis in the province of Uppland, Sweden. The main object is to interpret the sett-lement development in the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. Aiming at evaluating the situation of knowledge of the ancient remains in question in Uppland, the results of special surveys in the areas of Håbo, Fresta and Östhammar are presented.The Håbo report uses the results from extensive archaeological investigations in com-bination with special surveys. The exceptionally rich bone material from the archaeolo-gical investigations at Apalle implies cattle breeding as a dominant subsistence. It seems reasonable to interpret the numerous rock carvings and cupmarks as somehow connected to cattle breeding. Polished cavities and depressions in Håbo and elsewhere can likely be tied to ritual activities.Extensive investigation activities took place in the Fresta area in the 20th and early 21st centuries. Fresta parish is one of the areas with the highest frequency of stone fences in Uppland. In the Early Iron Age, a massive expansion takes place, and the extensive construction of stone fence systems mark the establishment of more intensely cultivated fields.Noteworthy results of surveys in northeastern Uppland include the well-preserved an-cient remains area. They provide a multi-facetted picture of prehistoric land-use, both a more extensive cultivation form represented by i.a. clearance cairns and a later intensive phase of more permanent fields.The geological maps indicate that the conditions for agriculture are different in the province, which may have been decisive in prehistorical times. The presence of extensive clearance cairns in northeastern Uppland may be connected with the area’s moraine soils being especially calciferous.The conclusion is that the settlement development in Uppland has been different in various areas of the province. Over time, the settlement’s centre of gravity has shifted in all areas.