Speakers:
Yair Sapir, PhD of Scandinavian Languages, Senior Lecturer of Swedish, Kristianstad University
Joakim Wehlin, Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor, Archaeology, Uppsala University

Summary

Recent archaeological studies demonstrate changes in the material culture and burial practice in Upper Dalarna around 500-750 CE. The material culture and burial practice go from a previously locally distinctive tradition with influences from all directions, to a tradition that culturally points towards clearer contacts with the Mälardalen region. As the recently published A Grammar of Elfdalian points out, Elfdalian and adjacent varieties, spoken to date in Upper Dalarna, have preserved some phonological and lexical features, which were inherited from the Ancient Nordic language (i.e., before c. 750 CE) and which were lost elsewhere in the Nordic language area after c. 750. Ancient Nordic was probably not native to Upper Dalarna at that time, as the local population is known to have consisted of hunter-gatherers and not farmers, as the native speakers of Germanic languages.

Results from both studies hence confirm the thesis that both material and immaterial influence have probably reached Upper Dalarna from the Mälardalen region. However, we believe that targeted interdisciplinary studies by means of an interdisciplinary research project could deepen our knowledge about this topic and further confirm. Hence, we would like to invite our audience to a discussion about the topic, suggestions for new perspectives that could be studied, as well as suggestions for concrete research collaboration for a future research project, where other disciplines are involved.