CfP: Pre-Christian Beliefs of Central and Northern Europe. Interdisciplinary Investigations

I have the pleasure to inform that, together with Dr Paweł Szczepanik (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) and Anna Jelicic (Stockholm University), I am co-organising the session entitled “Pre-Christian Beliefs of Central and Northern Europe. Interdisciplinary Investigations” which will take place during EAA Conference in Budapest (26-30 August 2020).

Abstract

The proposed session is intended to provide an overview of the recent studies dealing with diverse research questions regarding pre-Christian religions and beliefs of the Central and Northern Europe from the 6th to the 13th centuries. Matters of the conversion, transition from traditional beliefs to Christianity, human-animal relations, rituals practices and landscape studies could be some of the most interesting themes. During the session we hope to present innovative interdisciplinary methods used in the research concerning pre-Christian beliefs and how results of these analyses changed our understanding of the period. We also intend to demonstrate how in these investigations we can, and rather must, use theories and methods gathered from other disciplines. In archaeological study of religion, we draw upon a wide range of sources and methods, but the fundamental question is: how to use them successfully in archaeological research of pagan beliefs? Through presentations and discussions, we´ll attempt to offer some answers to this question. Moreover, we would also like to present multiple innovative methods which combine different branches of humanities (e.g. cultural anthropology, history, religion studies) with various fields of natural sciences (e.g. zoology, osteology, landscape studies). We would like to encourage not only humanist scholars to take part in this session but also specialists in different branches of archaeology (e.g. zooarchaeology, osteology, paleoethnobotany) who are interested in pre-Christian religions and beliefs. Contributions from all these research fields are highly welcome.

Deadline: 14 February 2020

Further details on the EAA website.

We are really looking forward to your proposals!  

Member of the Centre for Viking-Age Studies

I have the pleasure to inform that on 3rd December 2019, I officially started to be a member of the Centre for Viking-Age Studies in the Museum of Cultural History.

Aim of this captivating research group is to discuss and analyse various aspects of the Viking Age. Members of the Centre for Viking-Age Studies published widely on various topics concerning this fascinating period. Moreover, they also collaborated with researchers from different universities and museums on various projects. It should be also mentioned that this research group also co-organising exhibitions.

Further details concerning activities of ViS can be found on the website.

PhD Project at the Museum of Cultural History

I had the pleasure to inform that in October I was awarded the PhD scholarship at the Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo. During three following years, I will conduct my project entitled “On Wings to the Otherworld: Bird Remains in Viking Age Graves from Scandinavia and the British Isles”. Its aim is to analyse bird bones which were discovered in various Viking Age cremation and inhumation graves.

In the background, it is a renowned and majestic ship which was discovered under the mound in Gokstad. In this fascinating and very complex grave of a man were not only documented numerous wooden objects (e.g. small boats, wooden axe, shields), richly decorated mounts (parts of a bridle or harness) but also remains of various species of animals. Near ship were found skeletons of eight dogs (six dogs were long-legged and two were small) and twelve horses (they were the size of Fjord horse). What is interesting, under the deck of the ship, between second and third frame from the stern, were found bones of probably two peacocks. During the reanalyses of osteological material were discovered also bones of the two hawks, which were probably buried with peacocks.

Grave from Gokstad is one of the most important graves which I will analyse during my PhD project.

Currently, this majestic ship is preparing for 3D scanning. This documentation is conducted by Bjarte Aarseth (in the background in the first photo).

I would like to thank Professor Jan Bill for special photo permission.