Theme:
5. (Extreme) Environments – Islands, Coasts, Margins, Centres
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
CANCELLED Living on the Edge: Seasonal Maritime Sites in the North Atlantic
Content:
Acquisition and utilisation of marine resources has always been of great importance for past societies in the North Atlantic region: for economic strategies and subsistence as well as in exchange and long-distance trade systems. Furthermore, marine resources played a vital role in the Norse expansion during the Viking Age. Remains of these activities are found along coastlines throughout the North Atlantic and are characterised by structures such as seasonal booths, boathouses and various other associated features. These sites are orientated towards the procurement and exploitation of maritime products like dried fish, seals, train oil, drift timber, whalebone, walrus ivory and eiderdown. However, compared to studies on terrestrial Iron Age and Early Medieval sites, relatively little research has been directed towards specialised coastal sites. This is partly due to their often inaccessible locations on the outer coast or remote islands, and leads to such sites being underrepresented within the archaeological record. These sites and structures make up nodal points in a complex web of maritime technology, interaction and development that spans large parts of the North Atlantic.
This session invites contributions from researchers whose studies are focused on Viking Age and Early Medieval maritime sites in the North Atlantic. These might be ongoing projects, case studies, or research projects on both a local and regional scale. The aim is to create a platform where we can find common ground and contribute to a greater, more holistic and nuanced understanding of seasonal coastal living, and marine resource management and exploitation in the North Atlantic.
Keywords:
Viking Age, North Atlantic, coastal, seasonal, marine resources
Session associated with MERC:
yes
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
Main organiser:
morten ramstad (Norway) 1
Co-organisers:
Lísabet Guðmundsdóttir (Iceland) 2
Dawn Mooney (Norway) 3
Affiliations:
1. University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen
2. Institute of Archaeology, Iceland
3. University of Stavanger
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