Verkehr, Transport und Handel in Norwegen und Böhmen in einer Langzeitperspektive

Abstract

Norway with its mainly coast-bound settlement areas and the Bohemian Basin did in spite of their differences in geography share a limited number of areas both placed strategically in relation to traffic and outstanding in fertility. A long-term  perspective unveils few archaeologically dominant areas from the Stone/Bronce  Age up to Medieval times. In the following, only Norway is considered under the  heading of “traffic, transport and trade”. According to an analysis of social history  and the history of seafaring, an upper social class of the Bronce, Late  Roman/Migration and Viking period arranged a transfer of luxury goods to Norway with vessels which were developed further and further (from paddling to rowing  and finally sailing). However, the transition to a much enlarged trade with  common goods and specialised cargo vessels did not come any earlier than in  the period where northern European states were in their formation. Finally, a high degree of determinism is noticed for Norway based on concepts in geography:  outstanding settlements/centres of power involved into exchange/trading  networks were in fact to some extent geographically bound to few predictable  areas.