Category Archives: Norway

The joy of well-preserved medieval soapstone sculpture

Posted on February 26, 2026 by Per Storemyr

Over the last couple of years, I have had the pleasure of investigating medieval stonework and sculpture for Nidaros Cathedral Restoration Workshop – more than 35 years after I first started to work with the cathedral. There is a lot of weathering of soft soapstone and greenschist going on, the major stone types of the cathedral, hence the joy of encountering very well-preserved Gothic sculpture. Why are they still in such a good shape, 800 years after they were carved? Continue reading →

Posted in Monument conservation, Norway, Weathering history | Tagged medieval cathedral, Nidaros Cathedral, soapstone, weathering | 3 Comments

Forsmak på tafoni-sesongen 2026

Posted on February 23, 2026 by Per Storemyr

Våren var så vidt innom på Sørlandskysten i helgen. Tafoni-sesongen er ikke lang unna! Continue reading →

Posted in Geomorphology, Norway, tafoni | Tagged Raet nasjonalpark, tafoni, tafoni-forvitring, Tromøy | 3 Comments

Soapstone in the Far South of Norway (II): The Østre Vimme Multiperiod Quarry With Very Soft Soapstone

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Per Storemyr

Østre Vimme is another of the several old soapstone quarries in the Aust-Agder region of Southern Norway. It was worked in the Iron Age for «standard» vessels, but it has at least three production phases, for which there may be a specific reason: Parts of the quarry feature very talc-rich and soft soapstone, implying that the stone was also easy to carve for small items like spindle whorls, sinkers and lamps. Hence, it would have been a valuable resource for a long time. Softness may be the result of a special geology. Dutch geologists have suggested that this is a deposit not derived from alteration of ultramafic rocks, which is by far most common mode of formation in Norway. Rather, it may derive from alteration of dolomitic limestone. There is only on other known soapstone deposit in Norway with such an origin. Here’s an account of this exciting quarry, also including a discussion of whether soapstone vessels from the quarry were exported to Denmark in the 9th century CE. Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old quarries | Tagged Archaeology, Aust-Agder, Østre Vimme, geoarchaeology, geoarchaeology of soapstone in Aust-Agder, Iron Age, jernalder, Kleberstein, Norway, soapstone, soapstone quarry, steinbrudd | 1 Comment

Soapstone in the Far South of Norway (I): The Sparsås Iron Age Quarry

Posted on December 28, 2025 by Per Storemyr

The region of Aust-Agder in Southern Norway hosts a range of Iron Age soapstone vessel quarries. One of them, the Sparsås quarry in Froland, is exceptionally well-preserved and one of the most “classic” quarries I have ever visited in Norway. With unfinished vessel blanks still attached to the quarry faces and a highly organised layout of the spoil heaps, it once must have been worked in an efficient way, providing vessels and other items for regional use and, quite probably, for export to Denmark and beyond. Here’s an account of the research history, geology and layout of the quarry. A hypothesis is also offered: This was a short-lived quarry, operated for a generation or so within the 9th or 10th century CE. Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old quarries | Tagged Aust-Agder, geoarchaeology of soapstone in Aust-Agder, Iron Age, jernalder, Kleberstein, soapstone, soapstone quarry, Sparsås, steinbrudd | 2 Comments

Tafoni-forvitring i larvikitt på Rakke ved Stavern

Posted on December 1, 2025 by Per Storemyr

Tidligere i høst prøvde jeg å finne tafoni i larvikitt på svabergene ved Rakke utenfor Stavern. Så vidt jeg vet, er ikke tafoni noe vanlig fenomen i den grove larvikitten, men så var jeg heldig og kom over et lite felt rett i vannkanten ut mot havet, der larvikitten er bygd opp med svært tydelig, magmatisk lagdeling. I de litt mer finkornede lagene med mørkere mineraler trådte tafonien frem, som rekker med større og mindre hull. Continue reading →

Posted in Geomorphology, Norway, tafoni | Tagged grusforvitring, larvikitt, magmatisk lagning, Rakke, Stavern, tafoni, tafoni weathering, tafoni-forvitring | Leave a comment

Madam Jørgensens 230 år gamle feltspatgruve i Narestø

Posted on November 9, 2025 by Per Storemyr

Det var en kvinne som startet utvinning av kvarts og feltspat i Norge. Omkring 1790 rodde madam Jørgensen langs Sørlandskysten for å finne feltspat hun hadde planer om å selge som råstoff til kongens porselensfabrikk i København. Ved Narestø på Flosta fant hun det hun lette etter. Det ble starten på et mineraleventyr. Jeg skrev om eventyret for 10 år siden. I dag fikk jeg endelig ta Norges eldste feltspatgruve i øyesyn. En velbevart gruve som var i drift helt til 1920-tallet. Continue reading →

Posted in Archaeology, Norway, Old mines | Tagged feltspat, Flosta, gruve, kvarts, Madam Jørgensen, Narestø, Narestø feltspatgruve, pegmatitt | Leave a comment

Tafoni blant jettegrytene på Kvaknes (Kilsund)

Posted on October 27, 2025 by Per Storemyr

Kvaknes ved Kilsund på Tverdalsøy i Arendal kommune er kjent for sine mange jettegryter. Siden dette er en odde helt ut mot Skagerrak, burde det potensielt være et bra sted for tafoni-forvitring. Mye tafoni er det imidlertid ikke her, men det lille som finnes er eksemplarisk fordelt på de “svakere” bergartene – på mørk amfibolitt og i skifrige soner. Slik fordeling er klassisk for tafoni-forekomstene på Sørlandskysten. Continue reading →

Posted in Geomorphology, Norway, tafoni, Weathering history | Tagged amfibolitt, Arendal, Flosta, forvitring, gneis, KIlsund, Kvaknes, landheving, Norge, Raet nasjonalpark, salt weathering, saltforvitring, Sørlandet, Sildodden, tafoni, tafoni weathering, tafoni-forvitring, Tromøy, weathering | Leave a comment

Small-scale lime burning for conservation in South Norway

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Per Storemyr

Over the past 10 years small-scale lime burning has become a new tradition in Norway. Aimed at repair and conservation of old buildings, especially churches, lime is now burnt at 7-8 places across the country: in Mid-Norway, on the west coast and in the Hamar region in the southeast. In Tvedestrand, on the south coast, we began burning in a half-ton kiln two years ago. Here are impressions from our 8th burn this spring. Continue reading →

Posted in lime burning, Marble, Monument conservation, Norway | Tagged Brevikkalk, kalk, kalkbrenning, kalkmørtel, kalkovn, Kalkovnen på Lia, kalkstein, kontaktmetamorf kalkstein, lime, lime burning, lime mortar, limekiln, marmor, small-scale limeburning, tradisjonshåndverk, tradisjonskalk, traditional limeburning, Tvedestrand | 1 Comment

Grunnmuren til Fastings Minde i Bergen: Etter 5 år står tradisjonskalken fortsatt godt!

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Per Storemyr

Den store grunnmuren til 1700-tallsbygningen Fastings Minde i Bergen ble i 2020 restaurert med tradisjonskalk. Arbeidet ble gjort under et større kurs i bruk av “hjemmebrent” kalk fra ovnene i Hyllestad. I dag, 5 år etter, står den værutsatte muren … Continue reading →

Posted in lime burning, Marble, Monument conservation, Norway | Tagged Bergen, Fastings Minde, Hyllestadkalk, hyllestadmarmor, kalk, kalkbrenning, kalkhvitting, kalkmørtel, kalkslemming, kurs, lime, lime burning, lime mortar, Osterøykalk, restaurering, sand, tradisjonskalk | 2 Comments

The Grotesque World of Tafoni Weathering on the South Coast of Norway

Posted on February 22, 2025 by Per Storemyr

Like grotesque gargoyles on a medieval cathedral. On studying tafoni weathering on the south coast of Norway, a bizarre world is revealed. There are dragons, mythical beasts, grotesque masks – and Jabba the Hutt from Star Wars. A photo collection of tafoni beasts! Continue reading →