Graphic design and cover design by Jorgen Sparre Cover illustration: The Bayeux Tapestry (c1070) ... more Graphic design and cover design by Jorgen Sparre Cover illustration: The Bayeux Tapestry (c1070) depicts the construction of a fortification at Hastings (Sussex), for Duke William of Normandy, following his invasion of England in 1066 (Municipale de Bayeux).
Comparing Viking Age Norway and Denmark, the article examines the primary proposition that as cen... more Comparing Viking Age Norway and Denmark, the article examines the primary proposition that as centers of authority become progressively more robust, violence will be proportionately contained. The article introduces a new approach in using indications of violence as a focal point to elicit broader social practices. The disciplines employed in this studyarchaeology, osteology, philology, and sociologyare used together in the study of covariance of different indicators across a societal range. The indicators for assessing violence include skeletal trauma and weapon frequency. For assessing the steepness of the social pyramid, we use runestones, indicating variations in social stratification, and monumental constructions as a measure of power to command labor. Among the findings: weapons and interpersonal violence in Norway was much more widespread than in Denmark, and the social pyramid in Denmark was progressively steeper and more complex than in Norway. "Official" executions accounted for the preponderance of violence in Denmark, while rare in Norway. Denmark was evidently a more "civilianized" society than Norway. The comparative research supports the primary proposition. The research, furthermore, suggests that Denmark and Norway were sociologically distinct societies, which accords with recent findings that the respective regions displayed distinct, though still similar, genetic profiles.
The Viking Age grave from Kiloran Bay on Colonsay is well known for its elaborate finds, but is h... more The Viking Age grave from Kiloran Bay on Colonsay is well known for its elaborate finds, but is hard to understand as a boat grave because of its recorded outlay with a rectangular stone structure. The article attempts to clarify the character of the burial through a study of the numerous boat nails found during its early excavation.
Olaf Olsen, Jan Skamby Madsen and Flemming Rieck (eds.): Shipshape. Essays for Ole Crumling-Pedersen, Roskilde: The Viking Ship Museum, 1995
The article argues that during the Middle Ages in Scandinavia (CE 1066-1536) the older Viking Age... more The article argues that during the Middle Ages in Scandinavia (CE 1066-1536) the older Viking Age tradition of optimizing shipbuilding with regard to speed and visual appearance is gradually replaced by an economic approach to shipbuilding, made necessary by the increasing volumes of goods transported in the medieval economy.
emergence of élite landscapes could have been discussed more thoroughly. Why did the aristocracy ... more emergence of élite landscapes could have been discussed more thoroughly. Why did the aristocracy go to such lengths to change their residential settings? The topic is certainly discussed here and there in the text, but it would perhaps have been interesting to have had a more thorough discussion of aristocratic ideology and the concept of class identity. Another problem is that little attention is paid to chronological questions. Apart from being present in the concluding chapter, chronological issues are hardly discussed, which is a pity. Did élite landscapes have the same setting during the Middle Ages, or if and when they changed, what were the reasons behind this? These questions are touched upon, but needed a more lengthy discussion. Studies like these, where historical landscapes are analysed, use maps and plans of élite settings, excavated sites and aerial views. This is a common archaeological method. However, these are ways in which medieval people never saw their own landscape. Aerial photography is a rather recent invention. To what extent can we use a method to analyse a historic landscape when that method was alien to the people who created or lived in that landscape, especially when we discuss how people perceived and understood their landscape? This problem is of general theoretical and methodological importance. It is acknowledged and discussed by the author, but to some extent left unanswered. It would have been interesting if this intriguing and difficult problem had been examined more thoroughly. These are just minor remarks. Creighton has written an impressive book that gives a general picture of a vivid and exciting field of research. This book should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in castles, residences, gardens and medieval élite landscapes.
The paper describes an evaluation of the applicability of computer tomography in archaeological d... more The paper describes an evaluation of the applicability of computer tomography in archaeological dendrochronology. Two different computer tomographs were tested, a Siemens Somatom Emotion single slice scanner developed for medical use, and a Nikon ...
Graphic design and cover design by Jorgen Sparre Cover illustration: The Bayeux Tapestry (c1070) ... more Graphic design and cover design by Jorgen Sparre Cover illustration: The Bayeux Tapestry (c1070) depicts the construction of a fortification at Hastings (Sussex), for Duke William of Normandy, following his invasion of England in 1066 (Municipale de Bayeux).
Comparing Viking Age Norway and Denmark, the article examines the primary proposition that as cen... more Comparing Viking Age Norway and Denmark, the article examines the primary proposition that as centers of authority become progressively more robust, violence will be proportionately contained. The article introduces a new approach in using indications of violence as a focal point to elicit broader social practices. The disciplines employed in this studyarchaeology, osteology, philology, and sociologyare used together in the study of covariance of different indicators across a societal range. The indicators for assessing violence include skeletal trauma and weapon frequency. For assessing the steepness of the social pyramid, we use runestones, indicating variations in social stratification, and monumental constructions as a measure of power to command labor. Among the findings: weapons and interpersonal violence in Norway was much more widespread than in Denmark, and the social pyramid in Denmark was progressively steeper and more complex than in Norway. "Official" executions accounted for the preponderance of violence in Denmark, while rare in Norway. Denmark was evidently a more "civilianized" society than Norway. The comparative research supports the primary proposition. The research, furthermore, suggests that Denmark and Norway were sociologically distinct societies, which accords with recent findings that the respective regions displayed distinct, though still similar, genetic profiles.
The Viking Age grave from Kiloran Bay on Colonsay is well known for its elaborate finds, but is h... more The Viking Age grave from Kiloran Bay on Colonsay is well known for its elaborate finds, but is hard to understand as a boat grave because of its recorded outlay with a rectangular stone structure. The article attempts to clarify the character of the burial through a study of the numerous boat nails found during its early excavation.
Olaf Olsen, Jan Skamby Madsen and Flemming Rieck (eds.): Shipshape. Essays for Ole Crumling-Pedersen, Roskilde: The Viking Ship Museum, 1995
The article argues that during the Middle Ages in Scandinavia (CE 1066-1536) the older Viking Age... more The article argues that during the Middle Ages in Scandinavia (CE 1066-1536) the older Viking Age tradition of optimizing shipbuilding with regard to speed and visual appearance is gradually replaced by an economic approach to shipbuilding, made necessary by the increasing volumes of goods transported in the medieval economy.
emergence of élite landscapes could have been discussed more thoroughly. Why did the aristocracy ... more emergence of élite landscapes could have been discussed more thoroughly. Why did the aristocracy go to such lengths to change their residential settings? The topic is certainly discussed here and there in the text, but it would perhaps have been interesting to have had a more thorough discussion of aristocratic ideology and the concept of class identity. Another problem is that little attention is paid to chronological questions. Apart from being present in the concluding chapter, chronological issues are hardly discussed, which is a pity. Did élite landscapes have the same setting during the Middle Ages, or if and when they changed, what were the reasons behind this? These questions are touched upon, but needed a more lengthy discussion. Studies like these, where historical landscapes are analysed, use maps and plans of élite settings, excavated sites and aerial views. This is a common archaeological method. However, these are ways in which medieval people never saw their own landscape. Aerial photography is a rather recent invention. To what extent can we use a method to analyse a historic landscape when that method was alien to the people who created or lived in that landscape, especially when we discuss how people perceived and understood their landscape? This problem is of general theoretical and methodological importance. It is acknowledged and discussed by the author, but to some extent left unanswered. It would have been interesting if this intriguing and difficult problem had been examined more thoroughly. These are just minor remarks. Creighton has written an impressive book that gives a general picture of a vivid and exciting field of research. This book should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in castles, residences, gardens and medieval élite landscapes.
The paper describes an evaluation of the applicability of computer tomography in archaeological d... more The paper describes an evaluation of the applicability of computer tomography in archaeological dendrochronology. Two different computer tomographs were tested, a Siemens Somatom Emotion single slice scanner developed for medical use, and a Nikon ...
The Centre of Viking-Age studies (ViS) and the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, ar... more The Centre of Viking-Age studies (ViS) and the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo, are pleased to announce that the international ViS-conference 2018 will take place in Oslo 12-14 December 2018. The goal of the conference is to stimulate debate and reflection, and to present the current state of research on violence, conflict and warfare in the Viking Age. Violence, warfare and warrior ideology are seen as vital components in understanding Viking society, and the many facets of a warrior society appear through landscapes, material culture, religion, poetry, and in traces of ritualised actions and gendered practices. Warfare also present ambiguities: Weapons were instruments for terror and murder, but they also formed the basis for identity and self-esteem. The brutal realities of violence stands in contrast to the idealized images of warriors met with admiration and honour. Violence and warfare are linked to aggression and power, but intrinsically also bound to fear, bereavement and loss. Conflicts and warfare are based on drawing of thresholds for inclusion and exclusion, and even though warfare is fracturing and destructive, it can also create cohesion, social change and new political conditions. As scholars we regularly encounter the public perception of the violent Viking, calling also for reflection on the ways in which Viking violence and wars feed back into public dissemination and the present Viking fascination.
PhD dissertation from University of Copenhagen, 1997
This dissertation discusses the importance of so-called peasant seafaring in Denmark 1000-1600 on... more This dissertation discusses the importance of so-called peasant seafaring in Denmark 1000-1600 on the basis of archaeological and historical sources. It finds that farmers trading on their own ships is mostly a 16th century phenomenon in the written sources. An examination of the archaeological remains of ships shows that beyond large ship types such as cogs and carvels, shipbuilding in Denmark is remarkably homogeneous at any given time, and that no traces of a rural shipbuilding, as found in for example Norway, can be identified. It is therefore suggested that peasants played only a small role in Danish seafaring during much of the period, and that the ships, even if often small, in general belonged to the merchants.
demonstrates that although there are clear changes in the ways ships are built during this period, shipbuilding is quite homogeneous at any given time, until the late 1400s. This is also the time when seafaring peasants become visible in the written sources. It is suggested that the homogeneity of the shipbuilding reflects the absence of a class of seafaring farmers
many small ships from the preceding centuries shall not be understood as vessels owned and operated by peasants, but were rather belonging to merchants and more
Comparing Viking Age Norway and Denmark, the article examines the primary proposition that as cen... more Comparing Viking Age Norway and Denmark, the article examines the primary proposition that as centers of authority become progressively more robust, violence will be proportionately contained. The article introduces a new approach in using indications of violence as a focal point to elicit broader social practices. The disciplines employed in this study – archaeology, osteology, philology, and sociology – are used together in the study of covariance of different indicators across a societal range. The indicators for assessing violence include skeletal trauma and weapon frequency. For assessing the steepness of the social pyramid, we use runestones, indicating variations in social stratification, and monumental constructions as a measure of power to command labor. Among the findings: weapons and interpersonal violence in Norway was much more widespread than in Denmark, and the social pyramid in Denmark was progressively steeper and more complex than in Norway. “Official” executions accounted for the preponderance of violence in Denmark, while rare in Norway. Denmark was evidently a more “civilianized” society than Norway. The comparative research supports the primary proposition. The research, furthermore, suggests that Denmark and Norway were sociologically distinct societies, which accords with recent findings that the respective regions displayed distinct, though still similar, genetic profiles.
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demonstrates that although there are clear changes in the ways ships are built during this period, shipbuilding is quite homogeneous at any given time, until the late 1400s. This is also the time when seafaring peasants become visible in the written sources. It is suggested that the homogeneity of the shipbuilding reflects the absence of a class of seafaring farmers
many small ships from the preceding centuries shall not be understood as vessels owned and operated by peasants, but were rather belonging to merchants and more