Kaupang (term)
Kaupang ( Old Norse : kaupangr ) is a name for several historical settlements in Norway in which trade was carried out.
According to some historians and archaeologists , in places called Kaupang , in contrast to pure trading centers , goods were produced and handicrafts practiced . This includes, for example, shoe and leather goods production. According to this definition, Kaupanger are in urban development between pure trading centers and cities. They are characterized by permanent, year-round settlements. Therefore Kaupang are better documented than trading places by written sources and archaeological finds. In the cultural layer of such settlements, excavation finds and remains of houses have been proven. Many Kaupanger developed into cities.
Kaupanger often emerged at important trading centers and developed through the increase in trade in these places. One possible reason for this is the population growth in the Viking Age . In addition, the production of goods often took a long time, sometimes an entire winter, which in turn led to permanent homes and warehouses. But Kaupanger could not live from production and trade alone. For many, agriculture , animal husbandry and fishing were the most important livelihoods, especially in the Viking Age. Only key people such as tanners , blacksmiths and shipbuilders were able to purchase additional food at this time.
The oldest known Kaupanger in Norway are Skiringssal-kaupangen in Vestfold , Lusakaupanger and Borgundkaupangen in Vestlandet. Many were made during the Viking Age and the Middle Ages and have not yet been studied in detail. Other Kaupanger include Steinkjer in Trøndelag and Koppang in Østerdalen .
literature
- Nils Petter Thuesen: De eldste norske byer - forhistorie, oppkomst og tidlig utvikling . Fabritius Forlag, Oslo 1976, ISBN 82-07-00027-9 , p. 7, 10-12 .