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Mastermyr chest - Episode 18034
153 Plays6 years ago
The largest ever find of Viking Age blacksmithing and woodworking tools was found in the Mästermyr Wetlands, west of the town of Hemse, on the island of Gotland in Sweden.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast Network
00:00:01
Speaker
You're listening to the Archaeology Podcast Network.
Viking Age Discoveries in Gotland
00:00:04
Speaker
The largest ever find of Viking age blacksmithing and woodworking tools was found in the Maasturmer wetlands west of the town of Hemsey on the island of Gotland in Sweden. This is episode 34 for February 3rd, 2018. I'm Chris Webster and welcome to the ARK365 podcast, 2018 edition. ARK365 is a podcast today, every day, in 2018.
Supporting the Podcast
00:00:31
Speaker
This network is supported by our listeners. You can become a supporting member by going to arcpodnet.com slash members and signing up. As a supporting member, you have access to high quality downloads of each show and a discount at our future online store and access to show hosts on a members only Slack team. For professional members, we'll have training shows and other special content offered throughout the year.
00:00:54
Speaker
Once again, go to arcpodnet.com slash members to support the network and get some great extras and swag in the process. That's arcpodnet.com slash members. This episode was written by Christopher Booth.
The Meistermer Wetlands Discovery
00:01:09
Speaker
The Meistermer wetlands used to be a lake during the Viking period. The area was drained for agriculture until between 1902 and 1910. And in 1936, farmer Hugo Kraft plowing the new area for the first time came across what has become known as the Meistermer chest.
00:01:23
Speaker
The chest, measuring 90 by 26 by 24 centimeters, or 35 by 10 by 9.4 inches, was wrapped in a large chain, which seems to have served as a lock and handle. It was made of oak with the iron lock and iron hinges. Alongside the chest, three bronze cauldrons, three bells, and an iron fire gate were discovered at the site. There are two suggested explanations for the deposition in this area. Either these items were on a boat, which capsized and they were left in the lake because they were too heavy to recover,
00:01:51
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or the items may have been temporarily hidden at the edge of the water and never recovered.
Significance of the Found Tools
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The blacksmithing and woodworking tools in the chest date to the Viking Age, 793-1066 CE in this region, and are the most significant single insight into the techniques and technology used by Viking people in these two crafts. The chest also contained some products of this kind of work, including three padlocks.
00:02:13
Speaker
Over 200 tools in blacksmith works or work in progress items were stored within the chest, with some of the tool forms resembling earlier Roman ones, likely transmitted from the later Roman Empire through Germanic peoples and into Scandinavia. It is thought that the chest belonged to a traveling craftsman who was both a carpenter and a smith.
00:02:31
Speaker
There are also some indications that they knew locksmithing, coppersmithing, and even coopering, which is barrel making. Many of the tools in the chest would be familiar to craft persons today, including gouges, chisels, raps, ads, tongs, and several sizes of hammer. Full lists of the contents of the chest are available online.
00:02:49
Speaker
Although the chest contains an unparalleled collection of tools in many styles, there are no clear chronological markers in the find, and so precise dating of the chest and tools has not yet been possible. Despite this, it is estimated that the chest dates to around 1000 CE. Thank you.
Finding More Episodes and Support Information
00:03:11
Speaker
Thanks for listening to ARC 365. If you want to hear more ARC 365, check out www.arcpodnet.com slash ARC365 for the 2017 and 2018 episodes. Check out arcpodnet.com slash ARC365-G30 for the last 30 episodes. Please subscribe and rate on your service of choice. We're available on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play, among others. Support the APN at arcpodnet.com slash members. Thanks for listening, and thanks for being awesome.
00:03:40
Speaker
This show is produced and recorded by the Archaeology Podcast Network, Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle, in Reno, Nevada at the Reno Collective. This has been a presentation of the Archaeology Podcast Network. Visit us on the web for show notes and other podcasts at www.archpodnet.com. Contact us at chrisatarchaeologypodcastnetwork.com.