Sweden

Human osteology (or bioarchaeology or physical anthropology) in Sweden is closely associated with zooarchaeology. Due to limited work opportunities, an exclusive specialization in either field is not realistic, and most osteologists working in Sweden analyse both human and animal remains. Osteology can be studied at three universities, and several field archaeologists have some basic knowledge on the subject. The development of human osteology in Sweden from the 19th century until today is not

straightforward. Several anatomists analysed archaeological skeletal remains with the aim of describing the sex and age of the deceased, and, if present, noting any palaeopathological findings. Unfortunately, the anatomists often worked detached from the archaeological context, merely exercising an anatomical interest. Several anatomists, however, worked from a broader perspective that ultimately established human osteology as an academic discipline. Sven Nilsson (1787-1883) deserves to be mentioned as one of the pioneers of the study of

human skeletal remains from archaeological contexts. In his major opus, The Aborigines of the Scandinavian North (Nilsson 1838-43), he advocated the use of morphological variation in human crania to identify the identity of the original inhabitants of the Scandinavian peninsula, whereas the artefacts could be used to address the cultural level. In a sense, Nilsson’s studies are contextual, intertwining both skeletal remains and the archaeological record. Later anatomists such as Anders Retzius (1796-1860), Gustaf Retzius (1842-1919) and Carl Fürst (1854-1935) continued studying archaeological human remains with an underlying agenda of racial identification, using skull morphology, such as the cephalic index, to establish a racial history of the country. Fürst, however, also demonstrated the use of human skeletal remains to address archaeological and historical questions. Fürst worked with Mesolithic and Neolithic skeletal remains, scalping, trephinations, the palaeopathology of tuberculosis and leprosy. Another salient feature of his scientific production is the analysis of historical persons, such as Saint Bridget of Sweden, and the kings Magnus ladulås and Karl XII. Important to the further development of the discipline was another professor of anatomy from

Lund University, Carl-Herman Hjortsjö (1914-78). His scientific work embraces 305 publications, of which 65 are devoted to physical anthropology. He developed an anthropological interest

early in his career and published data on skeletal remains that derived from Swedish international expeditions. A significant landmark in the development of the field transpired in 1951, when Hjortsjö, along with the zoologist and osteologist Nils-Gustaf Gejvall (1911-91), established ‘The Swedish Expedition for Archaeological Anthropology’ (Svenska expeditionen för arkeologisk antropologi). In the same spirit as Carl Fürst, Hjortsjö and Gejvall continued with studies on famous people in Swedish history, such as King Erik XIV, Saint Bridget of Sweden and the privateer Lars Andersson Gathe (Casparsson et al. 1962; Bygdén et al. 1954; Hjortsjö and Sandklef 1957). Thus, ‘The Swedish Expedition for Archaeological Anthropology’ provided significant contributions to the field, aroused public interest in osteological studies, and, more importantly, provided a constructive network between Hjortsjö and Gejvall. Up until the establishment of the Expedition, Gejvall had established himself as an archaeozoologist. It was under the tuition and supervision of Hjortsjö that Gejvall embarked upon his doctoral work in human osteology, including his study of the mediaeval population from Västerhus, in the province of Jämtland. In 1960, Gejvall presented his thesis, ‘Westerhus. Mediaeval Population and Church in the light

of Skeletal Remains’, at the Department of Anatomy at Lund University (Gejvall 1960). This work is remarkably prescient, using skeletal remains to answer a diverse array of questions pertaining to the mediaeval way of life. He describes different diseases among the adult individuals, and, along with demographic and stature data, he discusses the health of individuals buried in the cemetery. Prior to the work on Västerhus, Gejvall’s main contribution to osteology was to develop methods for analysing cremated human bones, which he pioneered (Gejvall 1947; Sahlström and Gejvall 1948. Translated to English in Gejvall 1981). In 1968, Gejvall pursued his osteological research on a more permanent basis with the inauguration of the Osteological Research Laboratory at the Royal Palace Ulriksdal, Solna (Osteologiska forskningslaboratoriet i Ulriksdal; today known as Osteoarkeologiska Forskningslaboratoriet). Funds for the laboratory had been made available by the Wallenberg Foundation, with facilities supplied by King Gustaf VI Adolf, an ardent archaeologist with training from Uppsala University. The laboratory was attached to the Department of Archaeology, Stockholm University. Subsequently, Gejvall provided both graduate and undergraduate courses in historical osteology, embracing both animal and human bones. The laboratory became a melting pot for medical doctors, zoologists and archaeologists undertaking research on prehistoric and historic skeletal samples. He also started the international journal Ossa. The Osteological Research Laboratory fostered the future generations of osteologists in

Sweden. Well-known osteologists include Torstein Sjøvold and Ebba During. The subject became popular and was established as part of the archaeology departments at the University of Lund in 1991 by Elisabeth Iregren, and at the University College of Gotland in 1998 by Ebba During. Following the tradition established by Gejvall, the education in osteology involves both human and animal bones.