Markus Fjellström Food Cultures in Sápmi: An interdisciplinary approach to the study of the heterogeneous cultural landscape of northern Fennoscandia AD 600–1900

Abstract

Markus Fjellström has presented a substantial doctoral work in scientific archaeology, comprising six articles and an 80-page synthesis. The papers were published between 2015 and 2021. For the first time on such a large and systematic scale, these papers and thesis bring together specialists in Sámi and scientific/laborative archaeology to address the early history of the Sámi. The papers are co-authored by Fjellström and various archaeologists in Sweden, Finland and Norway. Fjellström’s thesis comprises seven main chapters written in plain academic English, which allows the results and the general subject to be easily accessible outside the Nordic countries. It includes two summaries, written in Swedish and Pite-Sámi, respectively. The main objective of the thesis is ‘to highlight the heterogeneous cultural landscape in Sápmi through the study of food’ (Fjellström 2020:1), focusing on the period AD 600–1900. Overarching questions are: 1) if cultural diversity is reflected in food practices, 2) how individual life histories and mobility contribute to understanding of life in Sápmi, 3) what role reindeer had in local diets, and 4) what impact mining activity had on the well-being of local populations (Fjellström 2020:3–4). Fjellström’s specialist field is in isotope and element analysis. Stable carbon (¹³C), nitrogen (¹⁵N) and sulphur ( ³⁴S) isotope analyses are performed on different collagen-containing materials from humans and animals, supported by stable isotope analysis of strontium and elemental analysis of lead. All methods are clearly presented in the synthesis. The results are held together with zooarchaeological analysis and radiocarbon dating, providing new insights into local lives in Sápmi. While all the papers follow strict scientific specialist presentation protocols, the thesis provides information on the Sápmi socio-historical context and ethical considerations on a more introductory level. This variety of approaches, both in terms of themes and presentation forms, has made it challenging to structure a short review. I have chosen to follow the main questions raised by Fjellström.