In 100 meters turn left by the runestone - Least cost path and spatial statistics study of the Scanian runestones, in realation to Viking Age infrastructure

Abstract: This thesis concerns the patterns of organization visible within the context that is the Scanian runestones in relation to roads, organized clustering and energy-conservativity. As well as the digital methods increasingly used to analyze such patterns. Using FMIS databases and LIDAR-elevation data it analyses the long, spread out lines of runestones visible in the landscape through GIS spatial-statistics analysis, as well as least cost path analysis, and simultaneously evaluate the combination of the runestones and said tools as part of potential method for studying Viking Age infrastructure. The statistical part of the analysis includes all of the Scanian runestones, and compares the organization grade (z-score and k-function) of the Scanian runestones to the organization grade of the Scanian milestones; the organization grade of the Gotland mile- and runestones are briefly discussed as a comparative material. The results of this analysis indicate a very high level of organized clustering within Scanian runestone context, one comparable to the level of organization we see among the Gotland Milestones. The least cost path analysis focuses in on two smaller portions of Scania; the area in-between Källstorp and Bjäresjö (which have a larger number of surviving runestones), as well as an area, north of Lund, around Lödde å (where runestone material is less dense and linear, and is also subject to greater influence from surrounding features). The output of this analysis showed that most of the runestones in these regions seem to have been organized in relation to one single path of high energy efficiency. In turn most likely indicating the presence of a larger body of Viking Age infrastructure, that may have stretched across most of Scania’s south and west-coasts.