Conflict and Society in Viking Age Scandinavia

Though significant advances have been made in the study of Viking Age Scandinavian societies, much of our knowledge continues to be governed by long-established theoretical and methodological approaches. Despite this, several aspects of Viking Age society have recently been subject to extensive re-evaluation. New and continuing developments in the isotopic, genetic and palaeopathological analysis of skeletal assemblages have, for example, shed considerable light on the origins, demography and lifestyles of both Viking and insular populations. The reconsideration of material culture, historical and anthropological data has similarly provided new insights into the mechanisms underpinning the raiding, conquest, colonization and state formation that characterize the Viking Age both within and outside of Scandinavia.This session provides a multi-disciplinary forum for the appraisal of new and innovative studies into the origins and evolution of the Viking Age in addition to the accompanying violence that so often defines the period. The long-term implications of these developments will also be considered, providing further insight into the development of societies both in Scandinavia and across the Viking world.