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Many of the languages in the world are currently dying at an alarming rate. One of these languagesis Eldalian. It is a small language spoken by about 2,500 people in the village of Älvdalen in theDalarna county of Sweden. Despite shrinking numbers, attitudes towards the language remain highand people are increasingly identifying themselves with the language.Through qualitative datacollection and by using the analytical frameworks of framing as well as place-making to examinethe issues, this thesis details the relationship between the language and its speakers with a focus onthe speakers. Based on the ethnographic accounts and the subsequent analysis, this thesis pointstowards how the change in attitudes regarding the language during the 20th century led to adecrease in the presence of the language is viewed as the main reason why the language is where itis today; with Swedish having replaced the language in most public settings. To change this, therevitalisation movement strives to increase the value of the language by “framing” it in variouscontexts, arguing for its existence, and enriching its usage through values that can be found indifferent contexts. Furthermore, this leads to an engagement with the place-making of Älvdalen bywhich the language is “imbued” into the place through signs and the content production of thosewho live village; increasing its presence by placing it firmly in the Älvdalen setting. Hence,Elfdalian is currently situated in the middle between the “private” to “public”.

The oldest profane log timber houses in Sweden dates back to the 13th century. This study investigates 9 of them. All of the houses are built with interlocking joints and the chosen timber are pine or fir. They are rather modest in size. Two are storage houses on church grounds, the others have had different functions on rural farms. Several of them are still in use as none heated storage space. Originally, they often had the important function of storing the next year’s seed. They were well built with great craftmanship and was meant to be used over several generations. Additional features on the houses that have been beneficial for their longevity are their detachability. They can be moved to find new use, and also being sold away to new owners. Furthermore, they were one of the first generations of houses with a stone foundation. A local adaption in the Middle Sweden were foundation on stilts, another way to avoid contact with the humidity of the soil. Six of the houses are situated in the County of Dalarna and are an important part of the County heritage. With help of the archaeological record, it is possible to follow the development of the house building technology from the traditional Viking age long houses, to the emergence of the first surviving timber houses. This study investigates nine of the houses with the different factors that have contributed to their longevity. Important features have been the solid log timber construction with interlocking joints, together with the foundations which protected the timber from the humidity of the soil. The outer roof lining has been wood shavings or a layer of birch bark together with timber. These building components had developed to maturity in the early 13th century and combined they formed a sustainable house format. The houses have been useful for their owners over the centuries, hence been well maintained. The study also discusses the authenticity of the houses., De äldsta bevarade profana trähusen i Sverige härrör ifrån 1200-talet och de är samtliga förhållandevis små förrådsbodar eller hus. Studien undersöker nio av dem. Åtta av dem finns i de tre mellansvenska landskapen; Dalarna, Hälsingland och Jämtland. Där kallas de ofta för härbren. En kyrkbod finns i Småland. De är alla knuttimrade hus byggda av virke ifrån furu eller gran. Fem står på en hel stengrund, medan tre står på stolpunderreden, som är en mellansvensk variant av husunderrede för bodar. Ytterligare ett står på stenplintar. Alla dessa typer av grunder har skyddat husen ifrån markfukt. Två är kyrkbodar och har inledningsvis fungerat som så kallade tiondebodar, de andra har haft olika uppgifter på allmogens gårdar som ouppvärmda förrådshus. En viktig uppgift var ofta att lagra nästa års utsäde. De är byggda med stor hantverksskicklighet och omsorg, då de var menade att stå i flera släktled. Som knuttimrade hus har de kunnat monteras ned för underhåll, eller flytt till en annan plats där de behövts bättre. De har också kunnat säljas. I Mellansverige ses de många medeltida bodarna som en viktig del av landskapens kulturarv. Den småländska kyrkboden i Ingatorp anses vara speciellt väl bevarad ifrån medeltiden och har nyligen genomgått en varsam restaurering. Dessa trähus ifrån 1200-talet lyfter frågan om hur husbyggnadstraditionen utvecklades ifrån de tidigare långhusen, som inte blivit bevarade, fram till dessa våra äldsta bevarade trähus. Man kan följa utvecklingen i det arkeologiska fyndmaterialet. Uppsatsen undersöker husen med frågeställningen om vad som bidragit till husens långa levnadstid, samt hur deras autenticitet påverkats genom åren. Bland flera närvarande förhållanden finns den stabila takbärande konstruktionen med knuttimrade timmerväggar, samt att husen har varit skyddade emot markfukt genom de isolerande grunder som valts. De två typerna av takytterskikt som använts är träspån samt näver/takved. Dessa byggnadskomponenter för väggar, grund och tak

I norra delen av Sverige levde allmogen på jakt, fiske, boskapsskötsel och byteshandel innan storskiftet på 1800-talet. I Älvdalen levde man på detta sätt fram till ungefär 1870-talet. Åkerjorden var en bristvara och man vistades på fäbodar under sommarhalvåret, där kreaturen gick fritt och betade. Mjölkprodukterna togs tillvara genom tillverkning av ost, mese och smör på plats. För att få gott bete till djuren brände man eller taxade träden (dödade dem genom ringbarkning). Löv, vitlav och savbark samlades in till vinterfoder. Männen gjorde järn av myrmalm och laggkärl av torrfuror. Det användes för eget bruk, men det mesta såldes eller användes som bytesvaror på marknader i Norge och Sverige. Jakt och fiske var basnäringar. Studien som omfattar detta arbete baseras på Olle Veirulfs karta över Älvdalens kronopark n:r 1 – "Utvisande av allmogens utnyttjande av området före storskiftet 1870- 1887", samt Generalstabskartan 102 - Älvdalen, över samma område. Studien omfattar en översiktlig analys av Älvdalens kronopark (ca 91 000 ha), samt en mer detaljerad studie av ett mindre område vid Gryvelån (ca 5100 ha). De specifika frågeställningar som ska besvaras är följande: Vilka former av agrart utnyttjande fanns på Älvdalens kronopark före det moderna skogsbruket och hur påverkade det skogen? Finns det fler kulturlämningar i anslutning till myrar än i skogen? Finns det fler kulturlämningar i äldre skog än i yngre? Är det möjligt att förhindra skador på kulturhistoriska miljöer med hjälp av digital kulturhistorisk information? Enligt Veirulfs karta fanns 238 lämningar dokumenterade på kronoparken. Nästan all mark utnyttjades för bete till kreaturen. Endast 10 % undantogs bete. 76 % av lämningarna utgjordes av sovholar, blästor, kölbodar, gränsrösen och fiskelägen. I Gryvelåområdet har man utnyttjat markerna till slåtter och bete för kreaturen. Tolv blästor vittnar om myrjärnsframställning rester efter fördämningar visar att man dämde upp myrarna för att göda dem med översi, In the northern part of Sweden, previous to the Great Distribution in the 19 century, the peasant population lived on hunting, fishing, cattle and bartering. In Älvdalen, this way of life was practiced until the 1870’s. Farming soil was scarce and the population migrated to forest farms during the summer months, where the animals grazed freely in the surrounding forest. The trees were burned or girdled (killed by peeling the bark), and leaves, peat moss and inner bark were gathered for winter fodder. The men manufactured iron from the iron ore bogs and barrels, partly for private use, but mostly for retail or bartering at market places in Norway and Sweden. Hunting and fishing were the main sources of livelihood. This study is based on Olle Veirulf’s map number 1 of the Älvdalen State Forest: “Peasant use of the area previous to the Great Distribution 1870 – 1877”, as well as Survey Map 102 of Älvdalen. The study also makes a general analysis of the Älvdalen State Forest (approximately 12,450 acres). The specific questions dealt with are: What forms of agriculture occurred in the Älvdalen State Forest previous to modern forestry and how did that affect the forest? Is there a greater number of cultural traces adjacent to bogs than in the forest? Are there more cultural traces in older forests than in younger ones? Is it possible to prevent damaging culturally historic sites with the help of digital information? According to Veirulf’s map, there were 238 documented historical sites in the Älvdalen State Forest. 90% of the land was used for grazing. 76% of the cultural traces consisted of resting places, ovens, forest sheds, boundary markers and fishing camps. In the Gryvelå area, the land was used for haymaking and grazing. Signs of damming on the bogs show that attempts were made to improve growth. The geographical names give us a picture of different events. Certain activities were most certainly practiced to a much greater extent than the results of this study show

Lead isotope determinations were made on galenas from three stratabound sulphide ores in the early Proterozoic (Svecokarelian) Bergslagen and district four epigenetic deposits in the Alvdalen and Vansbro districts in the early to middle Proterozoic post-Svecokarelian belt. The leads from the stratabound Bergslagen deposits show exceptional isotopic homogeneity over large areas. Their isotopic composition suggests the existence of a pre-Svocokarelian crust in the district and is consistent with exhalative-sedimentary ore formation in an active continental margin environment. The Vansbro and Alvdalen leads display constant composition within each district, but marked divergence between the districts. Their compositions preclude derivation exclusively from recycled Svecokarelian lead and suggest a substantial lead contribution from a mantle-like source. The difference between model ages and geologic ages for many of the deposits, with a small but significant excess of radiogenic lead, suggests a significant deviation of the Fennoscandian Shield from conventional global lead evolution models., Lead isotope determinations were made on galenas from three stratabound sulphide ores in the early Proterozoic (Svecokarelian) Bergslagen and district four epigenetic deposits in the Alvdalen and Vansbro districts in the early to middle Proterozoic post-Svecokarelian belt. The leads from the stratabound Bergslagen deposits show exceptional isotopic homogeneity over large areas. Their isotopic composition suggests the existence of a pre-Svocokarelian crust in the district and is consistent with exhalative-sedimentary ore formation in an active continental margin environment. The Vansbro and Alvdalen leads display constant composition within each district, but marked divergence between the districts. Their compositions preclude derivation exclusively from recycled Svecokarelian lead and suggest a substantial lead contribution from a mantle-like source. The difference between model ages and geologic ages for many of the deposits, with a small but significant excess of radiogenic lead, suggests a significant deviation of the Fennoscandian Shield from conventional global lead evolution models.