Paying with small change in the Viking Age? The identification of non-silver currencies in the Birka grave material.

It is well established that different means of payment were accepted in the Viking Age beside silver. The list includes a wide range of commodities, such as cattle, butter and metal bullion. In this presentation, an attempt will be made to identify archaeologically some of these non-silver currencies and to offer a detailed picture of how they were used in daily transactions. Our point of departure will be the purses deposited in the Birka graves, where bronze, amber and beads occur frequently. What can the content of purses tell us about the Viking-age means of payment and more generally about the Viking-age economy?

Dag: 21 mars

Plats: Uppsala Eng/2-2033

Tid: 10:15-12:00

Föreläsare: Florent Audy