Oseberg Tripod and Cauldron - Refining the Measurements

This is a continuation of some recent commentaries:

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Oseberg Cauldron...

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Oseberg : Putting up the Pot

The following are excerpts from the original excavation report :
Osebergfundet, A.W. Brogger, 1917 (volume 2) (1)

Fig. 76. showing Tripod (#134) and large Cauldron (# 133) / from Osebergfundet

Tripod

(1904 no. 134) Stativ av jern for kjelen 1904 no. 133. Det bestaar av tre like kraftige jernstænger med klør. Hver stang, som har en samlet længde av ca. 1,25 m. er smidd i ett stykke av en solid jernstang. Den ender i tre smaa klør, 6-10 cm. lange. Herfra gaar den opover som en flat firkantet stang ca 45-50 cm. hvorefter den fortsætter som en vridd stang indtil den øverst ender i et langt, flatt, spydspisslignende stykke, hvori er et naglehul. Her forenes saa alle tre stykker og gjennem hullene gaar en kraftig, oventil klinket nagle, som paa undersiden er bøiet om til et øie. I dette er smidd en kraftig krok, som ovenfor kroken bestaar av tre vridde jerntener, ialt ca. 20 cm. langt. I kroken hænger saa jernkjedelen. Høiden av stativet kan altsaa varieres. Som det nu er monteret har det en høide av ca. 80 cm. over gulvet. Stativet er praktisk talt helt, bare loddet paa ett sted. Det laa like ved kjelene i agterskibet ved gravkammer. væggen, se Osebergfundet vol. I p. 49.

Translation by M. Vedeler (2)

.. consisting of three iron bars with claws. Each rod has a total length of approx. 1.25 m. Is forged in one piece by a solid iron bar, each of them ending in three 6-10 cm long claws. The bars are square and flat at the bottom (45-50 cm up from the claws) after which they turn into twisted bars ending at the top in a long, flat, spear-like piece, containing a nail hole. At this point all three pieces are joined together. A riveted nail is threaded through the holes, which on the underside is bent into an eye. A strong hook with three twisted iron teeth (bar segments) approx. 20 cm. long is hanging from the hole. . The iron kettle hangs in the hook. The height of the stand can thus be regulated. As it is now mounted, it has a height of approx. 80 cm. above the floor. The stand is practically complete, only soldered in one spot. It was found next to the pots in the stern by the tomb. see Osebergfundet vol.  I p. 49.

‘The large cauldron that belongs to the tripod’

Jernkjedelen no. 2, i det væsentlige ganske som 1904 no. 114, men noget større og kraftigere bygget. Bestaar som denne av en rund bundplate hvortil er klinket alle sideplatene, som igjen er klinket sammen. Den er noget defekt i platene. Omkring mundingsranden er som paa 114 lagt et hult jernbaand helt rundt. Ørefæstene for hadden er litt forskjellig fra 114`s, idet de her er hele plater. Hadden har samme konstruktion, er vridd et stort stykke i begge sider, ender i smaa opbøiede spiraler. Mundingsdiameteren er ca. 50 cm. Den laa i agterskibet ved gravkammervæggen, Osebergfundet vol. I p. 49, vestligst av de to kjeler opi den laa sakene 1904 no. 131. Til denne kjelen (eller 114) hører ogsaa det tregrenede stativ 1904 no. 134.

(translation via Google Translate, with some additions)

Iron boiler (cauldron) no. 2, essentially just like 1904 no. 114, but something bigger and more powerfully built. Consists of a round bottom plate to which all the side plates are clipped (attached) , which in turn is clipped (attached) together. It is somewhat defective in the plates. Around the mouth of the estuary (top opening), as in 114, a hollow iron band is laid all around. The ear mounts for the hat (handle) are a bit different from the 114's, since these are whole plates. The hat (handle) has the same construction, is twisted over a large piece (section) on both sides, ends in small curved spirals. The orifice (upper opening) diameter is approx. 50 cm. It lay in the stern by the tomb chamber, Osebergfonden vol. 1 p. 49, the westernmost of the two boilers (cauldrons) in the laid cases (??) 1904 no. 131. This boiler (cauldron), or 114 also belongs to the tree-branched stand 1904 no. 134.

Second Cauldron

En stor jernkjele (nr. 114), som nu bare er bevaret i fragmenter. Bundplaten er rund og ca. 24 cm i diameter, den er ophøiet i kanten, hvortil sideplatene er naglet og klinket. Naglene har runde hoder paa utsiden og klinkplater paa indsiden. Sideplatene varierer i bredde, de er ca. 10   13 cm brede. De er klinket til hverandre. Ingen er bevaret helt, men det er vistnok klart at de kraftige plater har været gjort i ett fra bunden til mundingen. Omkring mundingsranden er lagt et ombøiet, hult jernbaand. Ørene for hanken er meget enkle og ender i to flate fliker, som er fæstet til yttersiden av kjelen. Hadden er gjort av en tyk jernstang med firkantet tversnit, som ender i opbøiede kroker og disse igjen i spiraler. Hadden er vridd nedentil paa begge sider, men kantet paa midten. Kjelens diameter over mundingen er 47 cm, dens største bredde er dog nærmere bunden.

Den stod tæt nord for gravkammerets nordre gavl.

Til denne kjele hører antagelig en skjerding av iern (nr. 143) som laa sammen med de andre kjøkkensaker i agterskibet (fis. 75).

(translation via Google Translate, with some additions)

A large iron boiler (cauldron) no. 114, now preserved only in fragments. The base plate is round and approx. 24 cm in diameter, it is raised at the edge, to which the side plates are riveted and clipped (attached). The nails have round heads on the outside and tiles (roves) on the inside. The side plates vary in width, they are approx. 10 cm wide. They are clinked to each other. No one is fully preserved, but it is clear that the powerful plates have been made in one from the bottom to the mouth. Around the mouth of the estuary (top opening) is a curved, hollow iron band. The ears for the handle are very simple and end in two flat tabs, which are attached to the outside of the boiler. The hat (handle) is made of a thick iron bar with square cross-section, which ends in curved hooks and these again in spirals. The hat (handle) is twisted down on both sides, but angled (flat?) in the middle. The diameter of the boiler above the mouth is 47 cm, but its greatest width is closer to the bottom.

It stood close to the north end of the tomb.

This boiler (cauldron) probably belongs to a cut (hanger) of iron (no. 143) which lay with the other kitchen items in the stern (fig. 75).


             original estimates         report measurements

Tripod
shaft length        125 cm                125 cm
shaft stock        10 mm
twisted segment     50 cm                not specified
top flattened        11.5 cm to 20 mm
claw length        6 & 10 cm            6 & 10 cm
hanger length        20 cm                20 cm
hanger stock        7 mm

Cauldron
top diameter        55 cm                50 cm
depth            25 cm
handle distance    27 cm               

display height        80 cm                80 cm
display clearance    10 cm
maximum height    110 cm
maximum clearance    35 cm

So - you can see how my few original notes, and estimates generated from working with photographs and scaled drawings, are at least not so far off the reported measurements.

As I had suggested in the first commentary in this set (Oseberg Cauldron...) the interpretation of the top edge as being a flat, L shaped piece is incorrect. The original report clearly states that there is a single piece added to the upper rim, which then would have been hammered out and over to create the "curved, hollow iron band" as described.

Drawing of Cauldron #133 credit 'A.E. Christens - Nov. 94'

Of interest on the drawing also sent to me by Marianne Vedeler of the large cauldron:

- The bottom, circular plate is shown as flat, rather than dished.
- The drawing suggests a total of 12 individual plates making up the body (not 8 as I had indicated earlier)
- From this drawing, the estimated depth would be 21 cm (not 25 as I estimated)
- The detail shows the construction of the attachment lugs, necked, drawn and folded under (posibly forge welded?)

The main caption reads (best I can manage)

14 side plaler av litt rehslende slorrelse. Tilnarmef sirkelrund funmplate. Plaler ca 1.5 mm bykhe.

(via Google Translate ??)

14 side plates of slightly rehashing slumber (??). Approximate circular funmplate (baseplate?). Plates approximately 1.5 mm thick.

Much later, I had a pair of comments come in from Henrik Olsgaard ( 3) :

the Norwegian ( often similar to Danish in spelling ) word “ slorrelse “ looks a lot like the Danish word “storrelse” which translates as “size” in English.

In the case of “storrelse” , in Danish “stor” means “big” (and to me the suffix ‘relse’ indicates connection), so literally it means “bigness”, which I translate in this context as “size or shape”.

Thinking more about the word  ‘rehashing’ , I suggest it might be an alternate for “replicate” or “equal”, and would give appropriate meaning to – 14 plates of equal size (or shape).

The key data however is the plate count at 14, and the thickness indicated as 1.5 mm. That is very thin plate for wrought iron (I have seen other artifacts measured more into the range of 4 - 6 mm. There is a very good chance that this is actually the 'after conservation' thickness, not necessarily the 'as new' thickness.


1) As mentioned in an earlier post, I did have access to copies of the original report, for a limited time, back in 1994. This thanks to interlibrary loan from the University of Alberta, through the Orangeville Public Library (one of only two sets available in Canada!)
Thanks to Neil Peterson, who has undertaken a massive project of scanning and re-formatting a large collection of Norse related research materials over the last decade (or more at this point - and made these available to members of DARC.

2) With very kind thanks to Marianne Vedeler from the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. She undertook sending me copies of both some of the related segments, plus translations, despite the fact that at this time the Museum itself has been closed (COVID-19)

3) Henrik Olsgaard commented via the long standing 'Norsefolk' discussion group. This goes way back to the days of e-mail groups (remember those?) and has an on again / off again history. He is another decades long serious re-enactor, and hoby blacksmith, from the San Fransisco USA area.