SWEDEN: Population and Settlement
Sweden has a long rich history that includes early migration from Europe. Sweden’s official documented history began roughly 10,000 years ago. It began at the end of the Ice Age once the ice had melted over the Scandinavian countries. The Stone Age was approaching and people from Europe were beginning to migrate into Sweden in hopes for more livable land.
As the Europeans began to settle in southern Sweden they began to keep animals, catch fish and grow crops. From 1800 BC and 500 BC the climate drastically improved and thus in 4000 BC farming was introduced in Sweden. You can see this displayed in the Agricultural Expansion Map located above. Because the land proved to be resourceful and farming was successful the population began to grow and the country shifted into the “Bronze Age”.
The Bronze Age was due to technological advances the Scandinavians were experiencing. According to http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jgg/article/view/23276, “The Bronze Age of Scandinavia (1750-500 BC) is characterized by the sudden appearance of bronze objects in Scandinavia, the sudden mass appearance of amber in Mycenaean graves, and the beginning of bedrock carvings of huge ships. We take this to indicate that people from the east Mediterranean arrived to Sweden on big ships over the Atlantic, carrying bronze objects from the south, which they traded for amber occurring in SE Sweden in the Ravlunda-Vitemölla–Kivik area. Those visitors left strong cultural imprints as recorded by pictures and objects found in SE Sweden. This seems to indicate that the visits had grown to the establishment of a trading center.”
After 500 BC the Iron Age took over Sweden. The Iron Age brought great advances. There is evidence of advanced farming tools, graves, etc. According to http://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/history#260337, “After 500 BC, the Iron Age brought about technological advances, demonstrated by archaeological finds of agricultural tools, graves and primitive furnaces. During this period, the runic alphabet arrived, probably from the Germanic region. It was used to carve inscriptions onto monumental rune stones (there are around 3000 in Sweden) well into medieval times.”
During the Iron Age trade throughout the Scandinavian countries became prevalent. According to “http://www.spottinghistory.com/historicalperiod/roman-iron-age-sweden/, “In Scandinavia, there was a great import of goods, such as coins (more than 7,000), vessels, bronze images, glass beakers, enameled buckles, weapons, etc. Moreover, the style of metal objects and clay vessels was markedly Roman. Objects such as shears and pawns appear for the first time. In the 3rd century and 4th century, some elements are imported from Germanic tribes that had settled north of the Black Sea, such as the runes. There are also many bog bodies from this time in Denmark, Schleswig and southern Sweden. Together with the bodies, there are weapons, household wares and clothes of wool. Great ships made for rowing have been found from the 4th century in Nydam Mose in southern Denmark.”
After the Iron Age took Sweden by storm and brought along it's significant technological advances, the population grew increasingly over the years. As the climate continued to improve and population began to increase, people began to migrate to north Sweden. As you can see in the map, above Europeans began to settle in southern Sweden in the 8th century. If you continue to follow to the northern portions of the Sweden you will see settlers began to migrate farther north in the 9th century.
TEXT SOURCES:
-Journal of Geography and Geology. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jgg/article/view/23276
-Sweden. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/history#260337
-Sweden - Roman Iron Age (0 AD - 399 AD). (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015, from
http://www.spottinghistory.com/historicalperiod/roman-iron-age-sweden/
-Moberg, V., & Myrdal, G. (2005). A history of the Swedish people. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
-Larsson, A. (2009). Breaking and making bodies and pots: Material and ritual practices in Sweden in the third millenium BC. Uppsala: Uppsala universitet.
MAP SOURCES:
-Independent Sociology Comment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://socjologiakrytyczna.blog.onet.pl/2012/03/19/cz-ii-bylo-sobie-zycie-czyli-nasi-przodkowie-i-moja-meska-haplogrupa-r1a1-m17-podgrupa-r1a1a-m198-skad-ten-rod/
-Gobustan National Park. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://thewaythetruthandthelife.net/index/2_background/2-1_cosmological/2-1-11_math/2-1-11-00_prehistoric-knowledge.htm
As the Europeans began to settle in southern Sweden they began to keep animals, catch fish and grow crops. From 1800 BC and 500 BC the climate drastically improved and thus in 4000 BC farming was introduced in Sweden. You can see this displayed in the Agricultural Expansion Map located above. Because the land proved to be resourceful and farming was successful the population began to grow and the country shifted into the “Bronze Age”.
The Bronze Age was due to technological advances the Scandinavians were experiencing. According to http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jgg/article/view/23276, “The Bronze Age of Scandinavia (1750-500 BC) is characterized by the sudden appearance of bronze objects in Scandinavia, the sudden mass appearance of amber in Mycenaean graves, and the beginning of bedrock carvings of huge ships. We take this to indicate that people from the east Mediterranean arrived to Sweden on big ships over the Atlantic, carrying bronze objects from the south, which they traded for amber occurring in SE Sweden in the Ravlunda-Vitemölla–Kivik area. Those visitors left strong cultural imprints as recorded by pictures and objects found in SE Sweden. This seems to indicate that the visits had grown to the establishment of a trading center.”
After 500 BC the Iron Age took over Sweden. The Iron Age brought great advances. There is evidence of advanced farming tools, graves, etc. According to http://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/history#260337, “After 500 BC, the Iron Age brought about technological advances, demonstrated by archaeological finds of agricultural tools, graves and primitive furnaces. During this period, the runic alphabet arrived, probably from the Germanic region. It was used to carve inscriptions onto monumental rune stones (there are around 3000 in Sweden) well into medieval times.”
During the Iron Age trade throughout the Scandinavian countries became prevalent. According to “http://www.spottinghistory.com/historicalperiod/roman-iron-age-sweden/, “In Scandinavia, there was a great import of goods, such as coins (more than 7,000), vessels, bronze images, glass beakers, enameled buckles, weapons, etc. Moreover, the style of metal objects and clay vessels was markedly Roman. Objects such as shears and pawns appear for the first time. In the 3rd century and 4th century, some elements are imported from Germanic tribes that had settled north of the Black Sea, such as the runes. There are also many bog bodies from this time in Denmark, Schleswig and southern Sweden. Together with the bodies, there are weapons, household wares and clothes of wool. Great ships made for rowing have been found from the 4th century in Nydam Mose in southern Denmark.”
After the Iron Age took Sweden by storm and brought along it's significant technological advances, the population grew increasingly over the years. As the climate continued to improve and population began to increase, people began to migrate to north Sweden. As you can see in the map, above Europeans began to settle in southern Sweden in the 8th century. If you continue to follow to the northern portions of the Sweden you will see settlers began to migrate farther north in the 9th century.
TEXT SOURCES:
-Journal of Geography and Geology. (n.d.). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jgg/article/view/23276
-Sweden. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2015, from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/sweden/history#260337
-Sweden - Roman Iron Age (0 AD - 399 AD). (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015, from
http://www.spottinghistory.com/historicalperiod/roman-iron-age-sweden/
-Moberg, V., & Myrdal, G. (2005). A history of the Swedish people. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
-Larsson, A. (2009). Breaking and making bodies and pots: Material and ritual practices in Sweden in the third millenium BC. Uppsala: Uppsala universitet.
MAP SOURCES:
-Independent Sociology Comment. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://socjologiakrytyczna.blog.onet.pl/2012/03/19/cz-ii-bylo-sobie-zycie-czyli-nasi-przodkowie-i-moja-meska-haplogrupa-r1a1-m17-podgrupa-r1a1a-m198-skad-ten-rod/
-Gobustan National Park. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://thewaythetruthandthelife.net/index/2_background/2-1_cosmological/2-1-11_math/2-1-11-00_prehistoric-knowledge.htm
Population pyramids
Above are two different population pyramids of Sweden. One represents the year 1950 and the other represents 2015. One of the more noticeable changes between the pyramids is the life expectancy. In 1950 there is hardly any graphed population on both male and female that is above 85 years. As you can see on the 2015 population pyramid the graph shows data all the way to the 95-99 year range. As you can see as both pyramids are pretty symmetrical, meaning that the number of men and women are equal throughout each age range. Also, if you look at the population pyramid for 2015 you'll notice that the most popular ages are more evened out and aren't so clustered around the 30-50 range as the pyramid from 1950 is.