The intensive whaling that has pushed many species to the brink of extinction today may be several centuries older than previously assumed. This view is held by archaeologists from Uppsala and York whose findings are presented in the European Journal of Archaeology.
Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery
March 29, 2018 by
Holy people have been venerated in various forms by all religions and ideologies throughout history. Christianity is no exception with the development of the cults of saints beginning shortly after its formation.
The elusive Norse harbours of the North Atlantic: why they were abandoned, and why they are so hard to find
March 14, 2018 by
In the 8th century, Scandinavians began to press westwards across the North Atlantic; exploring, raiding, colonizing and trading.
A Falconer’s Ritual: A study of the cognitive and spiritual dimensions of pre-Christian Scandinavian falconry
January 10, 2018 by
Working from the premise that falconry was introduced in Scandinavia from an eastern origin sometime in the course of the 6th century AD, this paper suggests that the practice may have harboured cognitive and spirituals dimensions unshared by the rest of the feudal, Christian European kingdoms.
The Development of Merchant Identity in Viking-Age and Medieval Scandinavia
November 28, 2017 by
What, precisely, did a medieval or premedieval Scandinavian merchant do? What were the expectations placed upon them, and how did they figure into the broader society of the medieval Nordic world?
Across the North Sea and Back Again: A Comparative Study between the Cults of St. Olav and St. Edmund
November 16, 2017 by
This thesis serves to examine the transmission of royal missionary saints between Norway and England during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, focused on the cult of St. Olav and the cult of St. Edmund.
How and why did the Viking Age begin?
October 22, 2017 by
The question of how the Viking Age started has been much debated by historians. One of the leading scholars in the field, Neil Price, is looking to address this fundamental question with his latest project – The Viking Phenomenon.
Dialect in the Viking-Age Scandinavian diaspora: the evidence of medieval minor names.
October 3, 2017 by
This thesis aims to investigate the Scandinavian contribution to medieval microtoponymic vocabulary in two areas of northwest England, and it attempts to clarify what Scandinavian-derived place-name elements in minor names can tell us.
DNA samples reveal Viking Age fish trade
August 10, 2017 by
It has been assumed that the Vikings were trading in cod, but so far solid evidence has been lacking. With new methods, it is possible to extract ancient DNA from fishbone remnants and this can provide some exciting new information!
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 3, No. 13) : Vikings!
August 2, 2017 by
In this issue: Vikings, zombies, medieval music, stew, and celebrating 600 years of London’s history.
Norse North Atlantic Textiles and Textile Production: A Reflection of Adaptive Strategies in Unique Island Environments
October 6, 2016 by
Textile production was a key industry for the Norse colonies of the North Atlantic during the late Viking and Medieval period.
BOOK REVIEW: The Northern Queen by Kelly Evans
April 8, 2016 by
Kelly Evans’Anglo-Saxon novel centres around the story of Aelfgifu of Northampton (990-1040); from her rise in court and eventual marriage to one of England’s most famous early kings, Cnut the Great (995-1035), to her repudiation, and later life with her sons after Cnut’s passing.
A Journey to the Far North in the Ninth Century
April 3, 2016 by
The name Ohthere does not usually rank among the great explorers of the Middle Ages, such as Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus. However, his exploits are very impressive, for he would sail into Arctic Circle over eleven hundred years ago.
Women’s Work and Family in the Viking Age
March 16, 2016 by
A look at women’s work and family life in the Viking Age.
The Vikings, their worms, and the diseases they got
February 7, 2016 by
The Vikings and people of the Norse world would have been predisposed to emphysema and other lung conditions, according to a paper published last week in Nature: Scientific Reports.
Concerning Mass Graves: The use, development and identities within mass graves during the Scandinavian Iron Age and Middle Ages
January 26, 2016 by
In this Master thesis, my aim is to investigate, compare and discuss the practice of dealing with the dead and their war gear during the aftermath of a battle or an armed engagement.
Unknown Europe: The Mapping of the Northern countries by Olaus Magnus in 1539
December 30, 2015 by
Olaus Magnus, a highly educated Swedish priest and scholar, published his geographically and ethnographically remarkable map of the Northern countries, the Carta marina, in Venice in 1539.
The Wolf-Warrior: Animal Symbolism on Weaponry of the 6th and 7th centuries
December 6, 2015 by
Decorative art in Scandinavia during the late Iron Age and Viking Period was largely dominated by animals in stylized forms.
Doors to the dead: The power of doorways and thresholds in Viking Age Scandinavia
October 5, 2015 by
It is argued that Viking Age people built ‘doors to the dead’ of various types, such as freestanding portals, causewayed ring-ditches or thresholds to grave mounds; or on occasion even buried their dead in the doorway.
What’s New in Scandinavian Rune Stones
September 23, 2015 by
Danielle Turner reports on the papers from the session The World of Images of the Scandinavian Rune Stones
Rich and Powerful: The Image of the Female Deity in Migration Age Scandinavia
July 25, 2015 by
I believe serious blunders have been made concerning the identification of males and females. It
is simply inadmissable to interpret any figure with open, shoulder-length hair as female when all the evidence for the centuries in question shows females have only been depicted with long hair tied in the Irish ribbon knot.
Scandinavian trade ‘triggered’ the Viking Age, researchers find
May 7, 2015 by
Archaeologists from the University of York have played a key role in Anglo-Danish research which has suggested the dawn of the Viking Age may have been much earlier – and less violent – than previously believed.
Where would you find the Vikings
March 22, 2015 by
We created this short guide to explain all the lands that the Vikings came to – either to raid, trade or settle in – which stretched from Russia to North America.
Choosing Heaven: The Religion of the Vikings
February 15, 2015 by
The Viking-age gods stemmed from two races – Aesir and Vanir.
Ceremonial Drinking in the Viking Age
January 31, 2015 by
Drinking ceremonies played a very important social role in Viking Age Scandinavia and Anglo-Saxon England.
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