Excellence initiative for Viking research

Professor Neil Price will direct the new centre of Excellence The World in the Viking Age, which will be inaugurated on 3 September. The centre is one of five research environments at the University to receive grants in the Swedish Research Council’s 2022 excellence initiative.

Each research environment will receive SEK 4–6 million per year for five years, with a possible further five years of funding following an evaluation.

Clearer picture of the Viking world

One task for the new centre of excellence is to clarify the true scale of the Viking world. For it is quite clear that this Norse people travelled much further east and south than was previously known, as researchers have gradually begun to understand.

“There are several parts of Eurasia that have not really received attention. We know that they penetrated far into the steppes of Central Asia. We know they were in the Middle East, Baghdad for example. However, their trade contacts encompassed a much wider world, and this dimension remains relatively unexplored. They had contacts with East Asia, probably western parts of China. We’re working on the idea that Scandinavians travelled there as well, at least to some extent,” says Price.

Packed programme for the autumn

There is a reason behind the centre being inaugurated in September: nine was the sacred number for the Norse people of the Viking Age, appearing time and again in their mythology. The World in the Viking Age (WIVA) is now nine months old, and it will be celebrated with lectures and discussions. For example, researchers will discuss the Viking Age in different parts of the world, such as Asia, the Eastern Baltic and Iberia.

Activities have got under way throughout the spring and the programme for the autumn is packed, to say the least.

“We have advertised a number of postdoctoral positions which are now being filled, as well as eight international visiting researcher positions. More posts will be filled next year,” adds Price.

Meeting with international panel

In connection with the inauguration, a meeting will be held with an international advisory panel to discuss various new initiatives. Future plans include research trips and collaboration meetings in both the Nordic countries and the UK.

“We are planning future workshops in several countries, including Singapore and Mongolia. In the autumn, I will be lecturing at the Swedish History Days (De Svenska Historiedagarna) in Falun. We will run a doctoral course at the Swedish Institute in Athens and lecture at several international conferences in London, Athens, Kiel and Sapporo. Our seminar activities are also up and running and we have already had several speakers,” says Price.

Annica Hulth