Location: Visby, Gotland, Sweden

Season Dates: July 8, 2013 - August 9, 2013
Application Deadline: April 15, 2013

Website: http://www.gotland-fieldschool.com

Program Type
Field school

Affiliation: Gotland Archaeological Field School

Project Director: Associate Professor Dan Carlsson, RPA certified

Project Description

Situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea, the island of Gotland has a tremendously rich heritage from the Viking Age. Over 700 silver hoards have been found and every year at least one new hoard is discovered. Archaeological investigations show that the hoards have been placed inside houses or close to houses and that every farm on Gotland has at least one silver hoard from the Viking Age. Along the shoreline of Gotland some 60 Viking Age harbours of varying sizes have been found. For several years, Gotland Archaeological Field school, led by Associate Professor Dan Carlsson, has been running a research programme with the aim to investigate the question about Viking age trade and harbour sites on Gotland, as an example, extensive excavations was carried out at the Viking Port of Trade at Fröjel, some 30 km south of Visby along the western coast of Gotland.

From summer 2013, Gotland Archaeological Field school, once again will return to the question of trade, manufacturing and harbours in Viking Age, by starting a new 3 year's research project connected to one of the most important harbour and manufacturing Viking Age site on Gotland, meaning what is generally known as Paviken. The excavations will be concentrated to the settlement and manufacturing part of the site, but we will also investigate some newly discovered burials at the site, probably from early Viking Age.

The course is interdisciplinary and comparable with 7,5 ETCS credits according to the European system of university studies in archaeology, with most lectures and teaching of investigation techniques carried out by university personnel. The course runs eight hours a day, five days a week. Students will receive an introduction to basic aspects of field excavation techniques, which will be applied during excavation. In the field, students will process, classify, register and study excavated material. In addition to the daily excavations, students will further learn about the history of Gotland by way of organised excursions to cultural sites on the island. Courses will be taught in English.

Period(s) of Occupation: Viking Age

Project Size: 25-49 participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 5 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: No experience is required

Room and Board Arrangements

Full board is available at the school in Hemse, in double rooms, with bed linen, access to TV, Internet and laundry room. All meals are included, as well as transport to and from the excavation site and all field equipment and lectures. Also excursion and entrance fee to the regional museum.

Cost: $3150 for the 5 weeks course and full board

Academic Credit
Name of institution offering credit: Dan Carlsson
Number of credits offered: 7,5 ETCS credits

Contact Information
Associate Professor Dan Carlsson
Färjeleden 5
Visby, Sverige 62158
Sweden
dancarlsson@me.com
Phone: +46-70318032

Recommended Bibliography

Brink, S, and Price, N, (2008). The Viking World. Routledge, London and New York.

Pettersson, A-M, (ed) (2009). The Spillings Hoard – Gotland´s Role in Viking Age World Trade.

Carlsson, D. (2013). Viking Age Västergarn - a complicated story. Will be published in spring 2013

Lundström, P. De kommo vida... Vikingars hamn i Paviken. Stockholm 1984

Sperber, E. 1989. The weights found at the Viking Age site of Paviken, a metrological Study. Fornvännen 1984.