ANTH 426.68/ ANTH 751.67
World of the Vikings
Professor Sophia Perdikaris
Office hours
Course Description
The period known as the Viking Age extended from
the ninth to the eleventh centuries and was marked by Viking movements overseas.
This course will explore the people of this Age, their voyages of piracy and
invasion, journeys of commerce, exploration and settlement. We will follow them
from Scandinavia to Russia, Far East, Iceland, Greenland and to the New World.
We will also investigate how the transition from a pagan chieftainship to a
Christian unified state transformed the northern cultural landscape. Special
emphasis will be given to paleoecology and economy, gender roles, societal
stratification and subsistence.
Requirements
- Short ( 1 page) written summary of assigned reading to be handed out in class
- Five minute oral presentation of assigned reading
- Half hour presentation of group paper
- 25 page group paper
- 2 class exercises
- Generate a series of questions from the weeks' assigned reading to put forth for
discussion.
Put these questions on paper and submit them to me at the end of class.
Grade
Requirements 1 & 2 form 25% of your grade.
Requirements 3 & 4 form 35% of your grade.
Requirements 5 & 6 form 20% of your grade.
Class participation forms 20% of your grade.
Textbook
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. Peter Sawyer (ed.) Oxford University Press. Oxford
- New York 1997
Week 1 Sources of Evidence: The people
**Map Exercise
| Anderson, Theodore
M. |
| 1977 |
The Conversion of Norway according
to Oddr Snorrason and Snorri Sturluson. Mediaeval Scandinavia 10-1977. Odense
University Press. |
| |
|
| Driscoll, Stephen T. |
| 1988 |
Te relationship between history and archaeology: artefacts, documents and power. In Power and Politics in Early medieval Britain and Ireland. S.T. Driscoll and M. R. Nieke (eds). Edinburgh University Press. Pp. 162-207. |
| |
|
| Egil's Saga |
| 1976 |
Translated with an Introduction by Hermann Palsson and Paul Edwards. Penguin Books. |
| |
|
| Havemal |
| 1995 |
The Sayings of the Vikings: in a new and readable translation. Translated from the original by Bjorn Jonasson. Oddi Ltd. Iceland |
| |
|
| Nasman, U. |
| 1989 |
The Germanic Iron Age and Viking Age in Danish Archaeology: A survey of the literature 1976-1986. Journal of Danish Archaeology. Vol. 8 159-187. Odense University Press. |
| |
|
| Page, R. I. |
| 1986 |
A Most Vile People: Early English Historians on the Vikings. Published for the College by the Viking Society for Northern Research, London. |
| |
|
| Sawyer, P.H. |
| 1982 |
Kings and Vikings: Scandinavia and Europe AD 700-1100. Methuen, London and New York. |
| |
|
| Sawyer, P. H. |
| 1997 |
The Age of the Vikings, and Before. In The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. Peter Sawyer (ed.) Oxford University Press. Oxford - New York . |
Week 2 Viking Landscapes and Seascapes: The Land
| Albretsen |
| 19? |
S?ters in Norse Eastern Settlement of Osterbygden in SW Greenland. Acta
Borealia |
| |
|
| Bigelow, G. |
| 1993 |
Archaeological and Ethnohistoric Evidence of a Norse Island Food Custom. In
The Viking Age in Caithness, Orkney and the North Atlantic. C. Batey, J. Jesch
and C. Morris (eds.) Edinburgh University Press, UK. |
| |
|
| Odner, Knut |
| 1972 |
Ethno-historic and ecological settings for economic and social models of an Iron
Age society: Valldalen, Norway. In Models in Archaeology, David L. Clarke (ed.)
pp. 623-651. |
| |
|
| Randsborg
Thurston, Tina |
| 1996 |
Reconstructing local and regional landscapes in Viking Age and Early Medieval
Denmark. Medeltidsarkeologisk tidskrift Nr. 1 1996:59-84. |
| |
|
| Loken, T. |
| 1984 |
The Settlement at Forsandmoen: An Iron Age Village in Rogaland, SW Norway.
Arkeologisk Museum i Stavanger. |
| |
|
| Mahler, Ditlev
L. D. |
| 1993 |
Shielings and their Role in the Viking-Age Economy: New Evidence from the
Faroe Islands. In The Viking Age in Caithness, Orkney and the North Atlantic. C.
Batey, J. Jesch and C. Morris (eds.) Edinburgh University Press, UK. |
| |
|
| Martens, Irmelin |
| 1992 |
Some Aspects of Marginal Settlement in Norway during the Viking Age and the
Middle Ages. In Norse and Later Settlement and Subsistence in the North Atlantic.
C. D. Morris and D. J. Rackham (eds.) |
| |
|
| Skjelstad, Reidulv |
| 1980 |
ULLANHAUG: A Farm from the Iron Age. Arkeologisk museum i Stavanger
(AMS) - Smatrykk #7, Norway. |
| |
|
| Hastrup, K. |
| 1981 |
Cosmology and Society in Medieval Iceland. A Social Anthropological Perspective
on World-View. Ethnologia Scandinavica: A journal for Nordic Ethnology pp.63-77. |
Week 3 Technological Innovations: Ships and Sea
| Bill, Jan |
| 1997 |
Ships and Seamanship. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. Peter Sawyer (ed.) Oxford University Press. Oxford - New York 1997 |
| |
|
| Sjovold, Thorleif |
| 1985 |
The Viking Ships in Oslo. Universitetets Oldsaksamling. Norway. |
| |
|
| Godal, Jon |
| 1990 |
Measurements, Figures and Formulas for the Interpretation of Western
Norwegian Boats and Viking Ships. Acta Borealia Vol. 2-1990:56-80 |
Week 4 Raiding and Trading
| Callmer, Johan |
| 1981 |
Production Site and Market Area: Some Notes on Fieldwork in Progress. MHDHM
1981-82:135-164. Lund. |
| |
|
| Graham-Campbell, James
A. |
| 1995 |
The Northern Hoards of Viking-Age Scotland. In The Viking Age in Caithness,
Orkney and the North Atlantic. C. E. Batey, J. Jesch and C. D. Morris (eds.)
Pp: 173-186. |
| |
|
| Griffith, Paddy |
| 1995 |
Battle. In The Viking Art of War. Greenhill Books, pp. 182-208 |
| |
|
| Hall, Richard |
| 1994 |
Trade and Industry. In Viking Age York. Batsford Ltd, UK pp 82-107. |
| |
|
| Hauken, A.
D. |
| 1991 |
Gift-Exchange in Early Iron Age Norse Society. In Social Approaches to Viking
Studies. Ross Samson (ed.) Cruithne Press, UK. |
| |
|
| Kruse, Susan
E. |
| 1995 |
Silver Storage and Circulation in Vikinge-Age Scotland. In In The Viking Age in
Caithness, Orkney and the North Atlantic. C. E. Batey, J. Jesch and C. D. Morris
(eds.) Pp: 187-203 Randsborg |
| |
|
| Sawyer
Samson, R. |
| 1991 |
Fighting with Silver: Rethinking Trading, Raiding and Hoarding. In Social
Approaches to Viking Studies. Ross Samson (ed.) Cruithne Press, UK. |
| |
|
| Vestergaard,
E. |
| 1991 |
Gift-Giving, Hoarding, and Outdoings. In Social Approaches to Viking Studies.
Ross Samson (ed.) Cruithne Press, UK. |
Week 5 Paganism, Conversion and Christianity
****Hofstadir Exercise
| Buchholz, Peter |
| 1972 |
The Religious Geography of Pagan Scandinavia: A New Research Project.
Mediaeval Scandinavia 5-1972:89-91 |
| |
|
| Campbell, James Graham |
| 1989 |
From Oddin to Christ: Christianity. In The Viking World. Francis Lincoln
Publishers, UK 188-193. |
| |
|
| Davidson, Hilda Ellis |
| 1992 |
Human Sacrifice in the Late Page Period in North West Europe. In The Age of
Sutton Hoo |
| |
|
| Myhre, Bjorn |
| 1987 |
Chieftain's graves and chiefdom territories in South Norway in the Migration
Period. Universitetets Oldsaksamling. Oslo |
| |
|
| Myhre, Bjorn |
| 1992 |
The Royal Cemetery at Borre, Vestfold: A Norwegian centre in a European
periphery. In The Age of Sutton Hoo. |
| |
|
| Sorensen,
P. M. |
| 1997 |
Religions Old and New. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings. Peter Sawyer (ed.) Oxford University Press. Oxford - New York 1997 |
| |
|
| Sturlusson, Snorri |
| |
|
| Poetic Edda |
Week 6 Urbanization
| Callmer, Johan |
| 1994 |
Urbanization in Scandinavia and the Baltic Region c. AD 700-1100: Trading
Places, Centres and Early Urban Sites. In Developments Around the Baltic and the North Sea in the Viking Age. Birka Studies: The Twelfth Viking Congress.
Patron: H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf. Bjorn Ambrosiani and Helen Clarke (eds) Stockholm 1994:50-90. |
| |
|
| Gilman, Antonio |
| 1995 |
Prehistoric European Chiefdoms: Rethinking "Germanic Societies". In Foundations
of Social Inequality, ed by T. Douglas Price and Gary M. Feinman. Plenum Press,
New York. |
| |
|
| Hefferman, Thomas Farel |
| 1988 |
Wood Quay: The Clash over Dublin's Viking Past. University of Texas Press.
Austin. |
| |
|
| Hall, Richard |
| 1994 |
Jorvik-The city evolves. In Viking Age York. Batsford Ltd. pp 31-41. |
| |
|
| Perdikaris,
S. World Arch paper |
| |
|
| McGovern - Vatnaverfi |
Week 7 Social Organization and Gender issues
| Hedeager, Lotte |
| 1992 |
Kings, Ethnicity and material Culture: Denmark in a European Perspective. In The
Age of Sutton Hoo. The Seventh Century in North-Western Europe. M.O.H. Carver (ed.). pp. 279-300. The Boydell Press. Suffolk. |
| |
|
| Jesch, Judith |
| 1991 |
Women in the Viking Age. The Boydell pp. 9-41 and 96-123. |
| |
|
| Lindkvist, Thomas |
| 1991 |
Social and Political Power in Sweden 1000-1300: Predatory Incursions, Royal
Taxation, and the Formation of a Feudal State |
| |
|
| Myhre, Bjorn |
| 197? |
Agrarian Development, Settlement History, and Social Organization in Southwest
Norway in the Iron Age. Historical Museum, University of Bergen, Norway. |
| |
|
| Sorensen, Marie Louise |
| 1992 |
Gender Archaeology and Scandinavian Bronze Age Studies. Norw. Arch. Rev.
Vol. 25, No. 1 pp. 31-49 |
| |
|
| Vestergaard, T. A. |
| 1988 |
The System of Kinship in Early Norwegian Law. In Mediaeval Scandinavia
1988:160-193. Odense University Press. |
| |
|
| Havamal |
| |
|
| Viking Romances |
Week 8 Art and Artisans
| Campbell |
| |
|
| Hall, Richard |
| 1994 |
Arts and crafts in Jorvik. In Viking Age York. Bratsford Ltd. pp. 108-118. |
Week 9 Viking Settlement in Britain and Ireland
| Hines, John |
| 1992 |
The Scandinavian Character of Anglian England: An Update.In The Age of Sutton
Hoo. The Seventh Century in North-Western Europe. M.O.H. Carver (ed.). pp.315-329. The Boydell Press. Suffolk. |
| |
|
| Keynes, S. |
| 1997 |
The Vikings in England c. 790-1016 |
| |
|
| Myhre, Bjorn |
| 1992 |
The Beginning of the Viking Age - Some Current Archaeological Problems.
Universitetets Oldsaksamling, lecture series. |
| |
|
| O Corrain, D. |
| 1997 |
Ireland, Wales, Man, and the Hebrides |
| |
|
| Hall, Richard |
| 1994 |
Everyday life in Jorvik. In Viking Age York. Bratsford Ltd. pp.119 - 123. |
Week 10 Viking Expansion North and East
| Nelson, J. L. |
| 1997 |
The Frankish Empire |
| |
|
| Noonan. T. S. |
| 1997 |
Scandinavians in European Russia. |
| |
|
| Noonan, T. S. |
| 1991 |
The Vikings and Russia: Some New Directions and Approaches to an Old
Problem.(?)In Social Approaches to Viking Studies. Ross Samson (ed.) Cruithne Press, UK. |
| |
|
| Sabo, D. and G. Sabo, III |
| 1978 |
A Possible Thule Carving of a Viking from Baffin Island, N.W.T.Canadian Journal
of Archaeology. No 2-1978: 33-42. |
Week 11 Iceland, Faroes, Human Impact
| Bigelow volume / mahler/ stumman hansen/ orri/ sadler/ dugmore |
Week 12 Greenland and Climate Change
| Buckland, P. C.; Jon P. Sadles & David N. Smith |
| 1993 |
An Insect's Eye-View of the Norse Farm. In The Viking Age in Caithness, Orkney
and the North Atlantic. C. Batey, J. Jesch and C. Morris (eds.) Edinburgh University Press, UK. |
| |
|
| Buckland, P.C.; G. Sveinbjarnardottir, D. Savory, T. H. McGovern, P. Skidmore, C. Andreasen |
| 1983 |
Norsemen at Nipaitsoq, Greenland: A Palaeoecological Investigation. Norwegian
Archaeological Review, Vol. 16, No. 2: 86-98. Universitetsforlaget. Norway. |
| |
|
| McGovern, T. |
| 1992 |
Bones, Buildings, and Boundaries: Palaeoeconomic Approaches to Norse
Greenland. In Norse and Later Settlement and Subsistence in the North Atlantic.
C. D. Morris and D. J. Rackham (eds.) |
| |
|
| Hansen, Birger Ulf |
| 1991 |
Using climate and vegetation studies in southern Greenland to estimate the
natural resources during the Norse Period. Acta Borealia 1-1991:40-55 |
Week 13 Vinland, Fakes and Forgerers
| McGovern ,
T. |
|
Vinland Adventures |
| |
|
| Snow, Dean |
| 1981 |
Martians and Vikings, Madoc and Runes: A seasoned campaigner's look at the
never-ending war between archaeological fact and archaeological fraud. In American Heritage 32(6):102-108. |
| |
|
| Wallace, Birgitta |
| 1991 |
The Vikings in North America: Myth and Reality. In Social Approaches to Viking
Studies. Ross Samson (ed.) Cruithne Press, UK. |
|