Research

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Whalers’ graves on Svalbard reveal the human cost behind Europe’s first oil industry

A new study provides a rare insight into what early modern whaling in the Arctic actually did to the human body.

Arkeologi — High North — Nordområdene — Nordområdene — Research — Svalbard

New discoveries show that Oslo’s royal manor was built over a Viking Age boat grave

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 — Arkeologi — Oslo — Research

Mongolian Herders Face New Challenges — Cooperation Is Key to Overcoming Them 

Mongolian herders work together in herding groups known as Khot ail, a form of cooperation that dates back to the 12th century. Today, this traditional system has gained renewed relevance as herders confront climate change and increasing urbanisation.

Complexity — Research

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.

Archaeology — Arkeologi — Research — 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.

Archaeology — Arkeologi — Buildings — Digital archaeology — Digital arkeologi — Research

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.

Archaeology — Arkeologi — Research — Trondheim

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.

Archaeology — Research — The Gjellestad Ship

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.

Archaeology — Digital archaeology — Digital arkeologi — Geofysiske undersøkelser — geophysical research — News — Nyheter — Research

Heritage experts to study Ukrainian response to protecting cultural heritage and monuments during war

A new international project is to explore how cultural heritage, monuments and the professionals involved in their safeguarding, can be better protected during times of war.

Cultural Heritage and Society — Kulturarv og samfunn — Research

Vulnerable cultural heritage is under threat on Svalbard

A major research project seeks to find out how cultural heritage in arctic and alpine environments degrade and how they can be preserved.

Buildings — Research