Traders, looters or settlers? Constructing a chronology for the westward Viking expansion

Reconstruction Viking boats at the Lofotr Vikingmuseum, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Copyright D. Starley

Welcome to ‘Viking Chronologies’

The image of Viking raiders is familiar from popular television and film, and evidence for migration from Scandinavia in the Viking period is found on archaeological sites across the North Atlantic from Shetland to North America. Historical documents have been used to indicate the timing and nature of this migration, but scientific dating evidence from archaeological sites increasingly suggests complex behaviour over an extended period of time.

This project, funded by the British Academy, aims to evaluate and reinterpret the scientific and archaeological dating evidence, in order to discuss the timing, duration, nature and impact of the migration. In addition to addressing academic questions, the project is also developing resources for teachers and children, using archaeological evidence to explore Viking migration and settlement.

The project started in October 2012 and is currently under development. Over the next months the website will be supplemented with resources that will be of interest to a variety of people:

• For archaeologists: There will be a database of published scientific dating evidence from across the region, including dated distribution maps, and discussion of the latest developments in relevant dating techniques

• For school teachers and children: There will be lesson plans and sample activities for exploring movement and settlement, with particular emphasis on Vikings. These are targeted at 5-11 year olds and include imaginative ways of using Vikings in science, maths, history, science and geography, both in school and at home

• For anyone interested in Vikings: Workshops are planned at a series of events in 2013, including the Jorvik Viking Festival and the Festival of British Archaeology, where you can see Viking archaeological finds and discuss the latest research with archaeologists

More material will be added to the website soon, but in the meantime please do keep up-to-date via the project blog.

You can also contact the project co-ordinator, Dr Cathy Batt or email her at C.M.Batt@bradford.ac.uk. 

Project sponsor

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