Focusing on the archaeological record and beginning in Scandinavia, examine the period known as the Viking Age (~750-1050 CE). This was a time of cultural and political expansion beginning with raiding and trading, and later with settlement, in the British Isles, across the North Atlantic, into Europe and along the Asian steppe. Vikings are well-known as innovative shipbuilders, but raising sheep and weaving was arguably just as important to their success. The Viking period may be long past, but Vikings were rediscovered during the Enlightenment and then recast by the Romantics, the Victorians, the Nazis and continue to be part of our culture today. We will dig through the archaeological evidence, focusing on who the Vikings were, how they lived and what drove their expansion. NOTE: This is a hybrid course and will be offered simultaneously online via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent in advance of the first session to all students.
