The Viking and Middle Age silver hoards have often been assumed to be simply hidden eco nomic resources. 1-Iowever, while the silver t
Silver hoards in Sami areas
on umomiai are most
Marte Spangen The Museum of Cultural History, N-0130 Oslo, Norway
the artio�le �
Abstract
Introduction
The Viking and Middle Age silver hoards have
The silver hoards are a significant group of
often been assumed to be simply hidden eco
finds from the Viking and Early Middle Ages in
nomic resources. 1-Iowever, while the silver t
ial importance to this time (Ran
The insignificant t these offering ti have preferred tbjects instead of ir products. Sev that the Sami so egalitarian ideal. by the arrival of 'he solution may Is which secured mulate with indi the benefit of the 217; Mu1k 1996: , Appadurai de 'le (l986: 31-32):
collective use. One reason for hoarding metal
that was actualized during the process of Chris
ornaments may also have been an understanding
tianization in northern Norway. Christianization
of the "correct" use of this material - based on
was closely linked to the implementation of a
the knowledge of hoarding practiced by neigh
new social structure to promote a single person's
boring groups.
nde of the country. The harsh measures to obtain
Perhaps this is relevant even to the silver
these goals were mainly directed at the Norse
hoards in the north. The ornaments in these hoards
population, while the missionary activity among
tend to have a low silver content (Arrhenius 1970; Hardh 1996: 152; Munch 1979; Sjovold
the Sami was not intensified nntil the 17" and 18 111 centuries.
1974: 331; Zachrisson 1984: 105). This has
I suggest that the "hybrid" border popula
caused several researchers to suggest that these
tion could possibly avoid this strain by leaning
ornaments were in fact produced especially as
towards their Simi identities - constituted by
offerings (Hardh 1996: !52; Mulk 1996: 67-68;
Siuni family, Sami cultural traits, and eastbound
Olsen 2004: 85). In any case, the
exchange patterns. The Simi belief system had
Hansen
&
weight value of the silver was apparently not the
many similarities with the Norse system. By
most important factor to those who received the
claiming a Sami identity this intercultural group
ornaments.
could maintain a heathen faith and culture. They
Thus, silver hoarding would probably not have
were not necessarily identified as Sami by peo
been an incompactible ritual behavior in a sarni
ple in core Slirni areas, but it would suffice to be
context, although it was originally a Norse tradi
identified as Slimi by the Norwegian missionar
tion. However, lnger Zachrisson (1984) points
ies and new rulers of the Christian monarchy (cf.
out that the distribution of silver hoards in north
