Docent John Ljungkvist

Co-Director of the WIVA Centre and Associate Professor at the University of Uppsala in Sweden. Specializing in trade and exchange patterns during and before the Viking Age, he is a part of the Viking Phenomenon project. John has a background in maritime archaeology and has for many years directed field and research projects, not least in Gamla Uppsala. His focus on the changing flows of imports and production started early in his career, and for several years he improved his skills by studying the material culture of contemporary Europe and beyond in relation to the burial and settlement data of Sweden and Scandinavia, while working for SHM and Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (RGZM) in Mainz, Germany. Today, a significant part of his research interests lie in understanding the complexity of exchange and material culture during and before the Viking Age. This approach spans a range from local networks and resources to the global sphere, and is strongly interdisciplinary, from the identification of animal proteins to the alloys in metals. John has a long-standing interest in research-based 3D-reconstructions, which for example resulted in several innovation awards to his company Disir Productions. He has regularly participated as expert, reviewer or member of advisory board for national and international projects, exhibitions and UNESCO applications.