Csete Katona

Bernadotte Fellowship Award

I’m a historian and archaeologist fascinated by the movement, encounters, and entanglements of people during the Viking Age—especially those that took place far beyond Scandinavia. My work focuses on Scandinavian and Rus’ activity in the East, where they engaged in trade, travel, warfare, and diplomacy along routes that formed part of the western branches of the Silk Roads.

Often thought of only as linking China with the Mediterranean, the Silk Roads were a vast and dynamic system of overland and riverine routes stretching across Eurasia. These ancient networks connected distant regions through the exchange of goods, ideas, technologies, and beliefs—and during the early medieval period, Scandinavians and steppe peoples were very much part of this story. The encounters between the viking diaspora and groups like the Magyars along these routes offer a fascinating glimpse into a more interconnected early Middle Ages.

My academic background in both Scandinavian and steppe history reflects this dual interest. I hold a doctorate in history and medieval studies from the University of Debrecen (Hungary) and Central European University (Austria). My research has increasingly turned toward the underexplored role of steppe cultures in Viking history, particularly in relation to the Magyars. My book, Vikings of the Steppe: Scandinavians, Rus’ and the Turkic World (c. 750–1050) (Routledge, 2023), reflects this interest.

At WiVA, I’m excited to contribute to a broader, more connected understanding of the Viking Age—one that looks beyond traditional geographic boundaries. My work supports WiVA’s mission to bring the Silk Roads and the ‘Viking Age East’ into the forefront of scholarly attention, helping to reframe how we understand early medieval global connections. With support from the Bernadotte scholarship, I’m currently spending six months investigating the eastern contacts of Viking Age Birka through its rich grave material. For me, this is a unique opportunity to engage directly with artefacts that speak to cultural connections between Sweden and the steppe world—connections that have rarely been studied from a Hungarian perspective. I hope to uncover the identities and stories of those buried in Birka with mounted oriental belt sets, sabretaches, caftans, and other remarkable traces of eastern connection.