Hundreds of boat nails discovered during excavations in 2023 have given archaeologists reason to fundamentally rethink the founding and early history of Oslo. What for decades has been interpreted as a medieval fortress beneath the royal estate, may instead be the remains of a Viking Age boat grave, constructed around a hundred years before the city was formally founded.
Archaeology
We undertake archaeological excavations, investigations and registrations in the medieval towns of Norway.
Archaeological Investigations in the Medieval Towns
NIKU is responsible for excavations in Norway’s eight medieval towns
Archaeological environmental deposit monitoring (MOV)
NIKU offers environmental monitoring of archaeological deposits and provides advice and guidance for all site types and periods
Rock Art
NIKU has leading expertise in rock art in Northern Europe within research, management, and dissemination
Medieval Church Sites
NIKU has national responsibility for archaeological investigations at medieval church sites.
Projects
Here are some examples of our projects
Latest news
New discoveries show that Oslo’s royal manor was built over a Viking Age boat grave
The Idea That Medieval Women Bled Freely Without Protection Is a Myth
Menstruation is mysterious, stigmatised, and rarely mentioned in historical sources. To understand how women handled this bloody challenge in the Middle Ages, we need to look at archaeological material. Archaeologist Sunniva Wilberg Halvorsen has studied sanitary products from a medieval latrine in Tønsberg.
Unknown Medieval Ruin Discovered at Selja Monastery and Pilgrimage Site
An unknown medieval structure has emerged just meters from Selja Monastery. The find may shed new light on life and activity on the island during the monastic period.
Lost Medieval Town at Hamar Uncovered: Excavation Confirms GPR Data
In the summer of 2023, the Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) pinpointed the location of the long-lost medieval town of Hamarkaupangen using grond penetrating radar (GPR). During an ongoing excavation carried out by NIKU and Anno Museum, archaeologists have finally found physical remains of buildings, confirming the geophysical data.
DNA analysis reveal that the man in the well at Sverresborg was blond, blue-eyed, and from the south of Norway
Analyses of the skeleton retrieved from the well at Sverresborg in Trondheim in 2016 shed new light on a dramatic story from King Sverre’s saga. Now, researchers know how old the man was, what he looked like, and where in Norway he was from.
Linking Places – Call for Papers
Call for papers for the conference Linking Places in the Emerging Viking Age in Oslo October 17-18th. The submission deadline is 31st May.
Linking Places
Save the date for the conference Linking Places in the Emerging Viking Age on the 17. and 18. October 2024! More information to come early next year.
Innovative Technology: Robot to Find Norway’s Hidden Cultural Heritage
The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and AutoAgri are launching a revolutionary self-driving ground penetrating radar (GPR) for archaeological survey. The technology promises increased efficiency, climate friendly solutions, and accurate mapping of hitherto undiscovered cultural heritage.
Medieval gaming piece with runic inscription found in Trondheim
When archaeologists from The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research conducted a last-minute excavation in Medieval Trondheim last year due to a broken sewer pipe, a surprise find was made. A soapstone gaming piece bearing a runic inscription.
Promising results with ground-penetrating radar in Iceland
This summer, archaeologists from Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage (NIKU) have carried out several surveys using ground penetrating radar in Iceland. Preliminary results show that the investigations have already been very successful.