“These kinds of iron arrows have been found for decades in the mountains of northern Norway by reindeer herders, ptarmigan hunters, and hikers. They brought them to the museum, but we didn't really know what they were or what they had been used for,” says Ingrid Sommerseth.
She is head of department and a professor of archaeology at the Arctic University Museum of Norway.
The arrowheads were carefully catalogued at the museum before being placed in storage. There they remained, without any history or context.
“From a research perspective, they were rather neglected,” says Sommerseth.
A few years ago, she decided to find out more about the arrowheads, and when Science Norway asked her to choose her favourite object at the museum, she picked one of them.
Found on wild reindeer peak
The arrow is made of solid iron and has been dated to the early Middle Ages, between the years 1000 and the 1200s.
Arrowheads like this were used by the Sámi to hunt wild reindeer with bows and arrows.
Wild reindeer spent the summer near the coast before moving into the mountains in autumn. According to Sommerseth, the Sámi knew the reindeer migration routes well.(Photo: Paul Kleiven / NTB)
"They were found in the high mountains where the Sámi lived, near hunting hides. I therefore have good reason to believe that this was specialised hunting carried out by the Sámi. The Norwegians lived along the coast," says Sommerseth.
This also fits well with the place names in the area. The arrowhead was found on the mountain Goddečorut, right by the lake Goddejávri in Kåfjord, Troms. In English, these names are Wild Reindeer Peak and Wild Reindeer Lake.
This is where the arrowhead was found.(Map excerpt from the Askeladden Cultural Heritage Database)
They knew the reindeer
This was long before the reindeer were domesticated and herding began, but the Sámi knew the animals well.
"They knew where the animals travelled from the coast and into the mountains," says Sommerseth.
Annonse
This type of hunting is known as ambush hunting.
"The hunters lay behind stone hunting hides. They had to be high enough to conceal the hunters, but not so high that they frightened the reindeer. We have found many of these archery positions in the mountains," says Sommerseth.
A hunting hide at Bønntuva, just above Tromsø Island and the city of Tromsø. This is where the hunters lay waiting for the reindeer.(Photo: Ingrid Sommerseth)
Traded with the chieftains
The Sámi moved between inland mountain areas and the coast to trade.
Ohthere said that he lived farther north than any other Norwegian. Farther north, in the eastern mountain regions, lived the Sámi. He explained that his wealth came from the tax the Sámi paid.
"The chieftains along the coast, such as Ohthere and Tore Hund, became extremely wealthy through trade with the Sámi, who supplied furs, meat, and antlers," says Sommerseth. "They had a sort of obligation to trade with the Norse chieftains, but there is no evidence of conflict between the two groups."
Ingrid Sommerseth is a professor of archaeology. She earned her doctorate in Sámi history, studying the origins of reindeer herding in the Middle Ages.(Photo: Nina Kristiansen)
The Norwegians received furs from stoats, pine martens, and squirrels, along with reindeer antlers.
"These were luxury goods that were exported southwards in Europe, while the reindeer hides were probably used locally," says Sommerseth.
Tailored to each hunter
The iron used in the arrowheads probably came from Trøndelag in Norway or Norrbotten in Sweden. Sommerseth believes they arrived as semi-finished products and that the Sámi forged, polished, and sharpened them themselves. Several local iron-production sites have been discovered.
"It appears that the arrows were individually adapted to each hunter’s bow," says Sommerseth.
The Sámi used composite bows made from a combination of hard and soft wood. The iron heads were bound to the shafts with animal sinew.
"It's the shape of the arrowhead that reveals when it was made," she says.
The oldest examples date to the Early Stone Age and are leaf-shaped. During the Viking Age, arrowheads had double edges. Later, they were given a double tang, a reinforcement at the bottom that allowed the arrowhead to be attached more securely to the shaft.
The arrows had two edges in the Viking Age. An arrow like this may be mentioned in the Saga of Olaf Tryggvason: Einar Tambarskjelve was a renowned archer, and during the Battle of Svolder around the year 1000, he was to be taken out. A Sámi man got the job and shot Einar's bow to pieces. The king asked: ‘What broke with such a loud crack?’ Einar replied: ‘Norway from your hands, my king.’(Photo: Arctic University Museum of Norway)
The didn't understand the value
The museum is now preparing to analyse the iron content of the arrowheads using a new machine it is waiting to receive. A few arrowheads were handed in with their shafts, but most were not.
"In the past, the wooden shafts also lay visible in the terrain, but those who found them only brought the arrowheads. They had no idea how old and valuable these objects were," Sommerseth says.
A spear with its wooden shaft intact, dating to the 11th century, was recently found in the high mountains. It turned out to be a few metres inside the Swedish border, so it ended up at the museum in Norrbotten.
"That was frustrating. I would have loved to have that spear here in our museum," says Sommerseth.
Ready to use
The reason the arrowheads continue to be found scattered across the high mountains is simple.
"They were shot and lost. The hunters almost certainly looked for this arrowhead, because it was valuable," says Sommerseth.
The arrowhead was probably new when it was lost.
"It looks as though it only needs a little sharpening before it's ready to be used again," says Sommerseth.
The museum has around 30 such arrowheads. They were not excavated by archaeologists but found by people travelling in the mountains. As the ice continues to melt, more iron arrows and other artefacts may emerge.
"I tell everyone who goes hiking in the mountains: ‘Let me know if you find something’," she says.
