Entering the Viking Age

Summary

Often depicted as a time of local but powerful chieftains, mounted elite warriors and spectacular boat inhumation burials, the Vendel period preceded the Viking Age in Swedish history writing. While contacts with Central Europe and beyond were extensive the societal structure in Scandinavia was still small scale, spread out and built on personal relations. But times were changing and from the mid 8th century several new features evolve: the emergence of town like structures, changes in scale and organization of the martial aspects of society and most famously the introduction of campaigns outside the Scandinavian homelands; warfare, raids and trade. It is the start of a new phenomenon that we have come to know as the Viking Age. But what do we know about the people that took part in this development and change? Where did they come from? How did they move? By combining archaeological evidence with DNA and isotopic data a more complex image is starting to emerge. This presentation aims at presenting and discussing some of the individuals that took an active part in the process of the 8th century that could be described as entering the Viking Age.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Viking Phenomenon   •
• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 14300