Program Overview

The Viking Age - The Archaeology of a Sea-Bound World

Course Description

The Viking Age (c. 750 – 1050 AD) was a formative period of history. During this time, Scandinavians were to leave their mark across Europe and beyond, and contributed to shaping the world we live in today. Maritime interactions tied together people and societies in new ways, spurring cultural encounters and economic transformation. With the discovery of sailing routes to Iceland, Greenland, and America, these maritime communities expanded the reach of global interactions. Archaeology shows the Viking Age as a transformation of societies within and beyond Scandinavia.

The course gives an in-depth introduction to the archaeology of Northern European societies in the Viking Age, and frames this in the perspective of theme-based case studies and interdisciplinary research. The focus is on the cultural and societal transformation of Scandinavia and its neighbors in the period c. CE in the context of the catalyzing expansion of maritime interactions. Themes include: The expansion of maritime activities and ship-building, diaspora communities and identities, martial society and gender roles, colonization and climate, urban networks and globalization, and cultural interactions with communities from Russia and the Baltic to the British Isles and the west.

Course Details

• ECTS: 10
• Forms of instruction: Lecture, practical, and supervision
• Form of examination: Take-home assignment (Assign)
• Language of instruction: English
• Level: Bachelor
• Location: Aarhus
• Maximum number of participants: Maximum 50 participants. 25 seats are reserved for international exchange students from AU partner universities.

Teaching

• The course consists of a series of lectures by the course coordinators and other leading specialists.
• These are combined with exercises and student-led seminars with presentations and discussions on key problems and debates in Viking-age archaeology based on the most recent research literature.
• In addition, archaeological material and sources are introduced in small-group study of Viking-age artefacts, museum experiences, and excursions to key Viking-age sites in Denmark.

Examination

• Ordinary examination: The exam consists of a portfolio that contains 3-8 assignments.
• The number of assignments in the portfolio, their form (individual and/or group-based, written, oral, product, reflection, peer feedback, set question or student’s choice of question, etc.) and their length is announced in writing in Brightspace and orally by the teacher at the beginning of the course.
• The portfolio can be completed individually or, if specified by the teacher, in groups of up to 6 students.
• It must be possible to assess the student individually and therefore it is important that, for portfolios prepared in groups, it is clearly stated which sections the individual students are responsible for and which sections the group is responsible for.
• The complete portfolio must be submitted for assessment in WISEflow before the deadline set in the examination plan.

Literature

• Brink, S. and Price, N. eds., 2008. The Viking World. Routledge.
• Jesch, J., 2015. The Viking Diaspora. Routledge.
• Loveluck, C., 2013. Northwest Europe in the early middle ages, c. AD 600–1150: a comparative archaeology. Cambridge University Press.
• McKitterick, R. (2010). The early Middle Ages: Europe. Oxford, Oxford Univ. Press

Description of Qualifications

• Purpose: The purpose of the internationalisation electives is to provide students with the opportunity to use a foreign language in an academic setting, and to work with an academic theme within the humanities.
• Academic objectives: In the evaluation of the student’s performance, emphasis is placed on the extent to which the student is able to demonstrate a critical understanding of the archaeological source material and research practices pertaining to Viking-age Scandinavia and neighboring regions.

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Department and Faculty

• Department: Department of Culture and Society
• Faculty: Arts

Additional Information

• Course registration: Registration for courses takes place in Student Self-Service. Sign in via mystudies.au.dk.
• Credit module: If you are studying for a university degree, you can replace some of the compulsory or elective courses in your degree programme with individual courses from Aarhus University.
• Continuing and further education: Read more about how you can take a single-subject course under the vacant place scheme on au.dk/evu (in Danish).
• Exchange and vacant place scheme: Under "Course type" you can search for courses that are available under the exchange or vacant place scheme. Please note that this does not guarantee admission to the course.