Several early ‘Viking Age motifs’ can be shown to have been produced before ad 800 ,
showing that several ‘Viking Age’ phenomena considerably predate the earliest Viking
raids in western Europe in the 790 s. This is also seen at Staraya Ladoga and Ribe,
implying that the chronological boundary of the Vendel period and the early Viking
Age, based on such material expressions, must be reconsidered as they existed already
decades earlier (Ambrosiani 1998 a). This suggests that as a place for trade Birka existed
around the mid- 700 s at the latest.
In the 970 s Birka ceased to exist: artefacts and silver hoards with Arabic coins
suggest that Birka still existed c. ad 970 , but Anglo-Saxon coinage from the 980 s and
domestic Sigtuna coinage from the 990 s are lacking. Birka’s disappearance may
have been linked to the reorientation of water routes and the use of larger ships. The
transition to Sigtuna, where settlement appears to emerge at approximately the same
time, has been debated on the one hand as representing a societal change and on the
other as purely a relocation of function. If caused by the need for technically better water
routes, the latter is more probable.
HINTERLANDBirka lay at the heart of a considerable hinterland, the area of the Svear: a primarily
agrarian area, with good mineral resources and wild game in areas beyond, all of primary
importance to the activities at Birka. From this area, produce, fuel and raw materials
were delivered to Birka, and, in turn, Birka supplied the hinterland with simple pieces
of jewellery, tools and implements. These appear in the many grave finds, until c. ad
1000 as traditional cremations covered by a barrow, containing men and women with
complete dress equipment (Ambrosiani 1998 b).
Birka’s products appear in many distant places throughout northern Scandinavia,
showing the economic role of furs in the town’s trade. This is seen in the thousands of
paw bones from squirrels, marten and fox which have been found in Birka’s Black Earth,
evidence that the skins of wild animals were prepared at Birka for export (Wigh 2002 :
120 – 3 ).
More difficult to understand is the production of metal, including probably both iron
and silver, perhaps copper as well, won from sources within a radius of 200 km from
Birka. Also in this respect, Birka could have been an important centre for collecting
such regional production (Ambrosiani 1997 c).
THE BALTIC SEA REGION AND BEYONDBirka’s contacts with other places for trade/towns near the Baltic Sea were extensive.
West Slavonic pottery, amber from East Prussia, soapstone and whalebone from
present-day Norway and probably special produce such as honey and salt from the west
Slavonic area were important items of trade throughout this interregional network
where handicraft production was amazingly similar (Ambrosiani 1997 a, b).
Birka’s early contacts were directed towards the south-west: to Denmark and the
Rhineland. Very few objects have an eastern origin: some Ladoga-type pottery, perhaps
the evidence of regional contacts with contemporary Staraya Ladoga (Bäck forthcom-
ing). This situation changes at the end of the 800 s: western contacts seem to be replaced
–– Björn Ambrosiani––