Undervisningsplan

Trade and towns in the Early Viking period

The organisation of trade and crafts in the post-Roman world, contacts with Islam, the history of currency and the development of towns have been discussed in archaeology, history and numismatics for a long time. The latest excavations carried out at the Viking Age urban site of Kaupang in Vestfold gave new insights into these topics from a Scandinavian point of view. In its early phase from about 800 AD Kaupang sustained close contacts with the Frankish kingdom and Frisian trading networks. Also other towns in South-Western Scandinavia like Hedeby and Ribe participated in the North Sea trade. In the second half of the 9th century contacts shifted to the East, to the Baltic and Russia. Huge amount of dirhems were imported and new ideas on how to use silver as means of payment were adopted. Contacts with the East seem also to have affected social and political structures in Scandinavian society. The aim of this course is to give an introduction into Dark Age and Early Viking Age economics covering the period from about 600 to 950 AD. The archaeology of Kaupang and research made on the Skiringssal central place will serve as a point of departure.