Course description The Aarhus University International Summer University (1. - 21. August 2011) VIKING AGE SCANDINAVIA Course description Welcome Welcome to the Aarhus University International Summer University course VIKING AGE SCANDINAVIA! The course will give you the chance to follow in the steps of the Vikings for three weeks of intensive studies together with fellow international students and renowned lecturers on the field. As an intensive short session program, the course is designed to give you a brief but challenging introduction to the fascinating world of the Vikings. This course description is intended to provide you with an overview of the course, including the program, literature, excursions and other activities. If you have any questions concerning the contents of the course please contact me via email: [email protected] On behalf of the team, Andres S. Dobat (coordinator) Level of course: MA Location 1: Aarhus (Campus) building (bygning) 1323, room (lokale) 118 Location 2: Moesgård (see how to get there below) Period: 1. - 21. August 2011 Language: Applicants to the summer school are expected to have a good command of the English language (able to read the relevant literature, write and follow the teaching). Background During the Viking Age (c. 700 – 1050 AD), Scandinavians suddenly enter the scene of the world known at that time. They were to leave their mark all over Europe and beyond, and contributed to shaping the world we live in today. The Viking Age (c. 700 - 1050 AD) stands as an essentially formative period of European history. The Scandinavians enter the world known at that time in many different ways. With their discovery and colonization of Iceland, Greenland and America the Vikings expand the borders of the known world. At the same time, the societies in the Viking homelands (Denmark, Norway and Sweden) go through a process of fundamental transformations, leading to the development of important places and institutions. In this way, the Vikings have left their mark and contributed to shaping the world that we are living in today, both in Scandinavia and most of Europe. Subjects include various aspects of Viking history and society: social structures and social change gender economy and trade culture, art and technology the new societies of the North Atlantic settlements and towns ships and travel rune-stones and oral traditions sagas and mythology weapons and warfare religion and early Christianity etc. Teaching We shall examine Viking-Age Scandinavia as an interdisciplinary area study, concentrating on archaeology and textual sources. The course will focus on current research and discoveries as well as ongoing debates. Instructions will include lectures by leading Viking scholars as well as group work, exercises and discussions. In addition, we will have some practical exercises and ’hands-on’ demonstrations of original artifacts. Excursions and museum visits will take us to some of the most famous sites and monuments of the Viking Age. Preparation for the course: Although it is not a pre-requisite for attending the course, a basic knowledge of Viking Age Scandinavia is recommended. We recommend the following book: S. Brink (ed.) 2008: The Viking World. London/New York: Routledge. The book provides an up to date overview of the present state of knowledge on all aspects of Viking culture and society! Many chapters are included in the reading list of the course. Definitely the first choice for those who want to study the subject of the course! Until recently it was only available as a handy – but extremely expensive – hardback version. Now, you can also purchase a much cheaper paperback edition. In the list of reading materials for the course the book is referred to as: S. Brink (ed.) 2008 [XX-XX] http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415333153/ Examination Attendance at lectures is compulsory (except excursions), and students are expected to participate actively in discussions. Full participation in the course and a written examination will earn 10 ECTS. The written examination will have the form of a free individual take-home assignment. Grading is based on the academic regulations under the auspices of the Board of Studies for the Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Linguistics according to the 7-point grading scale, with internal co-examiner. Upon request, and with the permission of both examiners, the exam paper may be written in one of the Scandinavian languages; otherwise papers must be in English. In the evaluation, graders assess to what extent the student: has a thorough knowledge of the core material is able to identify and present an analysis of an issue based on the core material critically assesses the key theses in a complex of issues demonstrates the ability to question data pattern results in a source-critical manner and assesses the consequences of the proposed interpretation. The teachers Responsible for the course is assistant professor Andres S. Dobat from the Department of Anthropology, Archaeology and Linguistics at Aarhus University. For more information see http://person.au.dk/en/[email protected] Other lecturers from Aarhus University are: Agnes Arnórsdóttir (AA) Sarah Croix (SC) Mads K. Holst (MKH) Mads D. Jessen (MDJ) Jens Peter Schjødt (JPS) Rolf Stavnem (RS) In addition you will meet guest lecturers from Denmark and abroad: Eva Birgitta Andersson Strand (EAS) Steven Ashby (SA) Pauline Asingh (PA) Jan Bill (JB) Lisbeth Imer (LI) Social program AU International Center has arranged a social program for the participants of the summer university courses. Sign up for the different activities here: http://www.au.dk/en/summeruniversity/socialprogramme/sign-up/ NB! Check the program for days on which the course program might overlap with the social program! Facebook We have opened the Facebook group for the course: AU Summer University Viking Age Scandinavia. It is primarily meant to provide a forum for you (the students) to meet each other prior to the course. The course coordinator Andres S. Dobat acts as administrator of the group. Program (may be subject to minor changes): Monday 01/07: Introduction to the course (AD) Viking Age Scandinavia: an introduction (AD) After 13:00: International Center’s AU Summer University welcome and intro tour Tuesday 02/07 All day: Excursion I to Fyrkat and Lindholm Høje (see the excursion program below) Wednesday 03/07 Viking Age settlements (MKH) Hands on (material culture) The Viking society: Social structure in Viking Age Scandinavia (SC) Viking Women: Gender perspectives on Viking society (SC) Thursday 04/07 Old Norse mythology: the written evidence (JPS) Viking religion: the written evidence (JPS) Viking religion: the archaeological evidence (AD) The Christianization of Scandinavia (AD) Friday 05/07 Trade and trading-places (AD) Hedeby/Ribe and other towns (AD) The hall (MD) Jelling: A Danish Royal seat from the age of Harrold Bluetooth (MD) Evening: guided tour through Viking and Medieval Aarhus (AD) Saturday 06/07 The Viking warrior (AD) Military infrastructure and warfare (AD) Kings, aristocracy and state formations (AD) Afternoon: Visit at Moesgård Museum Sunday 07/07 Day off Monday 08/07 Viking ships (JB) Harbours and communication routes across land and sea (JB) War at sea (JB) Ship burials in Scandinavia (JB) Tuesday 09/07 Old Norse oral culture and sagas I (RS) Old Norse oral culture and sagas II (RS) Sagas and poetry as historical sources (AA) The North Atlantic adventure (PBH) Wednesday 10/07 An Introduction to Scandinavian activity in the British Isles (SA) Case study: The Danelaw (SA) Case study: The Danelaw (SA) Preparation of next day’s excursion Thursday 11/07 All day: Excursion II to Jelling and Ribe (see the excursion program below) Friday 12/07 Viking craftsmen and technology (AD) Runes and rune-stones (LI) Dress and textile production (EAS) Hands on (Viking technology-park) at Moesgård (NB. We might stay at Moesgård a little longer this evening) Saturday 12/07 The Vikings in modern culture and art (MBD) The Vikings in a museum context – a curator’s reflections (PA) Afternoon: Student projects Sunday 14/07 Day off Monday 15/7 Writing of examination paper Supervision between 14:00 and 16:00 Tuesday 16/7 Writing of examination paper Supervision between 14:00 and 16:00 Wednesday 17/7 Writing of examination paper Supervision between 14:00 and 16:00 Thursday 18/7 Writing of examination paper Supervision between 14:00 and 16:00 Friday 19/7 12:00: Deadline for submission of examination paper Excursions The Viking Age can be studied in various ways – through interpretation of the earliest Scandinavian written sources, through investigating material remains, or to ‘read’ the Viking Age landscape. The Viking Age landscapes were complex, consisting of various types of sites and monuments, all with a very different functional background and very different meaning. Today, these complex landscapes are gone forever, and we can only try to reconstruct them on the basis of various cultural historical sources: Of primary importance are of cause the archaeological finds and monuments with settlements, graves, rune-stones etc. But we can also apply old maps and place names or a retro-perspective from later monuments and conditions in our attempt to ‘read’ the Viking Age landscape. What would it have looked like, to the right and left of the highway we are traveling on today? What kind of sources can we use to reconstruct at least a shadowy image of this landscape? These are some of the questions we will try to address during our two excursions…. As buses are expensive in Denmark we have to ask you to contribute to the total costs with a payment of 300 DKK for each trip (500 DKK in total for both excursions). Remember to bring a lunch-packet for the trip! The weather in Denmark can change from day to day so bring proper footwear and clothes for both sunny and rainy days.