Medieval mining districts in Sweden –The essential Outlands

Ed.: Catarina Karlsson

An analytical summary of the mining industry, its emergence and influence on society

This book dellivers—to a wider readership—a succinct analysis of the series "Atlas över Sveriges bergslag" or "Atlas of Sweden's Bergslag Regions". The Atlas project has led to the physical and written evidence of mining and metallurgy, in former times, being compiled, mapped and presented in 23 publications i.e. one for each of the diffenrent areas. There is also a place name register, recording those mining and metallurgical districts whose origins reach back to medieval times. This "Atlas över Sveriges bergslag" is the largest project ever overtaken concerning the industrial and mining heritage of Sweden. It is also a record of the systematic inventorisation and registration of mines, blas furnaces and metal shaping hammers. Started in the 1980's through the Swedish National Heritage Board's Ancient Monuments Registry, it now opens the door to ressearch with a unique holistic view over the hidden treasures of Bergslagen. In cooperation with the Natioanl Heritage Board (Riksantikvarieämbetet), Jernkontoret has harnessed the contributions of ten counties and their governing bodies, thereby involvning stakholders like museums, municipalities, local history associations and others. The work takes account of regional conditions and has adopted a flexible model for funding and work inputs for each county.

Here, the result are presented, summarised and analysed. Within the project's framework, a demarcation or definition was carried out in respect of the 23 mining and metallurgical areas, based on historical and archaeological evidence dating back to the Middle Ages. Each of the areas is covered by a corresponding report. Just over 10 000 sites has been recorded, of which there are confirmed remains of almost 1100 blast furnaces/smelting sites, about 400 hammers sites, nearly 4500 mines and stone quarries, not to mention about 13 000 open pits as well as 2000 other sites with categories of remains linked to mining and metalworking activities.