Houses and social practices in Swedish towns 1600-1850

Housing is a fundamental dimension of human life. Yet, we know surprisingly little about dwelling houses in the past.

The aim of this project is to reach deep and qualified knowledge about Swedish urban houses and housing conditions 1600–1850.

In Swedish urban historiography the 18th century and early 19th century before industrialization has commonly been associated with stagnation and absence of urban change.

Recent research, however, indicate fundamental transformations of built structures and urban social organization already in the 18th century.

We focus on the dynamic relation between built structures and social practices, combining archaeological and antiquarian analyses with historical reconstructions. The overall aim is specified in four main research questions. How and why did the built urban structures change? What were the fundamental practices of urban real estate ownership?

How did the spatial organization, specific uses, and the spatial practices of houses, town plots, and domestic spheres change? In what ways and to what extent did people’s dwelling places transform into homes? These research questions are further operationalized in 6 distinct empirical work packages.

Each WP runs for 2-3-years with a total project time of 5½ years.

The project is organized in close cooperation between archaeology and history, and it also aims at developing and integrating theories and methods of urban archaeology and urban history.