The course covers the basic stages of the archaeological process. The topics discussed include: History of methods; Law and Ethics; Desktop Preparation - Problems, Research designs and Budgets; Written sources - Non-intrusive Fieldwork - Field survey and fieldwalking; Aerial photography & Geophysics - Intrusive Fieldwork - Approaches to excavation; Methods of excavation & recording - Post-excavation - Archives, specialist work & conservation; Reports and publications; Storage and Dissemination. The course is taught through lectures and discussions but in the first week of semester the instruction will take place in the field. Other archaeology courses taught in the same semester will start later accordingly

The course aims to prepare students for academic studies in archaeology, with emphasis on writing academic texts, building bibliographies, correct use of citations and data processing.  The course aims to install in students a clear sense of the demands made of them at a university level and of the methods used to fulfill those demands.

Issues in the writing of academic texts are discussed with a focus on the essay form but other types of archaeological output are also introduced, e.g. excavation and survey reports.  Training is provided in finding and using primary and secondary sources as well as in source criticism.  Different types of sources and how they are used by archaeologists in different contexts is discussed and an introduction given to the various means of dissemination available to archaeologists.

Overview and introduction to the aims and methods of archaeology. What is archaeology? The history of the discipline is discussed, its ideological base and its relationship with other disciplines. How are material remains used to shed light on social structure, the environment, economy and trade, religion and ideology, development and change?

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. Common fallacies and stratagems will be discussed, with the aim of learning how to detect and avoid them. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

This course offers a perspective of the history of Iceland from the ninth to the sixteenth century from a historical and archaeological viewpoint. Among themes which will be explored are the Viking Age and research on this period, the settlement of Iceland and its development, the organization of a new society , identities and economic development, Christianization, political conflict and the introduction of executive power in the thirteenth century. In the latter half of the course the focus is on the Church and its economic, political and cultural influence. This will be discussed in view of the general historiography of the period, technical and material developments and the international context. An emphasis is placed on familiarity with primary sources, both written and archeological. Teaching consists of lectures and discussion classes.

Prehistory deals with the cultural history of humankind from the persepctive of material culture, from the first tools of around 2,5 million years ago up to the end of the Iron Age (c. 0-800 AD), i.e. the period for which there are no written sources. This course will cover the basic aspects of prehistory, including chronology and definitions of prehistoric society. In addition, the course will look at different aspects of prehistoric social life such as subsistence patterns, burial customs, craft and technology, trade and livelihood. Emphasis will be placed on human evolution in a global context and on later prehistoric Europe (c. 10.000 BC-800 AD). By the end of the course, the students will be expected to have collated a glossary of terms for prehistoric archaeology and understand the main outlines of prehistoric chronology and European prehistory.

Archaeological Excavation. The aim of the course is to increase the skills and knowledge of students in excavation methods and archaeological research as well as to be able to work independently. Students will be introduced to the archaeological database, Intrasis, as well as how to record archaeological units by using a total station. Registration & treatment of finds from the excavation will be taught. Finds will be registered into the open access database of Icelandic cultural heritage, Sarpur. Excavation site: The farmstead of Árbær at the OpenAir Museum in 110 Reykjavík. The course is four whole weeks and will be held in May after final exams at the School og Humanities on spring semester are finished. 

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

The course is intended as a practical introduction to the post-excavation process: what do you do with all those finds you collect, the records and photographs you make on an excavation? This course takes you through all the stages from archiving to writing a final report. The course is organized around a series of weekly class-based projects under the supervision of the teacher, working on the archive and finds from the excavation course FOR406G; it is recommended that any students taking aðferðafræði II will have taken this field course the previous semester.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensilis, jewellry and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes etc.

The aim of this course is to provide a general background to theoretical archaeology in Europe and North America. The course will look at how theory is involved in all aspects of archaeological work and explore the key themes and major schools of social theory which have been influential in archaeology as well as theories of contemporary relevance today.

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

Introductory course on the history of late medieval Europe. Taught in Icelandic; please see full course description in Icelandic

Individual project.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

The aim of the course is that students obtain understanding of principles and concepts relevant to biogeography and soil, and will be able to apply this knowledge for interpretation of the Icelandic environment. Soil formation and soil properties are discussed, as well as the distribution of soil types and problems of soil erosion and soil pollution. Chemical (e.g. nutrient) cycles, biomes, biological diversity and its protection are discussed. The influence of land use on the state of soils and vegetation, causes and consequences of soil erosion and degradation of vegetation is given special attention. Environmental history is introduced as a tool to examine the impact of people on nature.

Teaching arrangements: Three lectures per week, where the primary subjects of the course are discussed and two slots per week for practical work and projects in classrooms, laboratories and in the field. Introduction to measurements and descriptions of vegetation and collection of soil samples takes place during a half-day fieldwork outside of Reykjavík.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to concepts and theoretical approaches in social science, emphasizing their use in contemporary Human Geography and Tourism Studies. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with concepts in scientific discourse and train them in using concepts in argumentation. Among concepts dealt with in the course are: place, space, global, local, globalisation, sustainable development, nature, landscape, culture, identity, image and society. Teaching is in the form of lectures and discussion in smaller groups about themes in student assignments. To qualify for the written exam students need to participate in discussion sessions and assignments. For a successful course outcome a minimum requirement is needed in both exam and assignments.

This course is suitable for year 2 and 3 undergraduate students.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Soil classification and global distribution.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil erosion and land degradation.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Human impact on soils and vegetation
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

Methodology and Theory of Art History (LIS101G) is an introductory methods course. The concept of art will be discussed and students will be introduced to the historical foundation and development of art history, the theoretical grounds of art history as an independent subject, and its relation to other academic subjects. Key concepts, methodologies of art historical research and analysis, and some of the major theories that have shaped the practice of art history will be introduced. Students receive training in visual analysis and are introduced to some of the most important methodologies of art historical analysis, including formalism, iconography, and Marxist analysis. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking and student's ability to analyse texts and images in a critical manner. 

Plants as organisms. Structure and function of the plant cell. Photosynthesis. The anatomy and morphology of plants. Alternation of generations, the evolution, life cycles and characteristics of mosses and vascular plant groups with emphasis on the flowering plants. The evolution of seeds, flowers and fruits. Vegetation of the earth, the biomes. The vegetation and vegetation history of Iceland. Laboratory work: Cells and tissue types. Examples of the anatomy and morphology of major groups, seeds, flowers and fruits. The diversity of plant form and environment.

Lectures: Introduction. Evolution. Behaviour. Historical and ecological biogeography. Populations: Dispersal, natality and mortality rates, life tables, age composition, population growth, regulation of population size, cyclic fluctuations, migration. Species interactions: Competition, predation, other forms of interactions. Communities: Community description, species composition, species diversity, food webs, stability, succession. Ecosystems: Biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, productivity, trophic efficiency. Marine ecology, fresh-water ecology, terrestrial ecology; introduction to Icelandic ecosystems. Practical work: Exercises are in the lab and in the field. The emphasis is on application of scientific method in ecology, variation and data analysis. The exercises include experimental studies of population growth and competition between Paramecium species, studies of terrestrial communities (plants and animals), zonation of tidal zones and life in streams. Obligatory: all practical exercises. Course evaluation: ractical exercises and seminars 50% including a more extensive written report to be orally presented. Ten written exercises 50%. Minimum grade of 5 required for all parts.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

An overview of the history of Iceland in the period 1500-1800, with a focus on selected themes, based on primary sources. A historiographical view on the period and recent changes and trends will be discussed. Social changes following the reformation will be analyzed, followed by emphasis on witchcraft and religious ideas, means of education, literary culture, policies following the enlightenment, commerce, trade and Iceland´s interaction with the outside world. Students will hand in a assignment based on primary sources.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

This is an introduction to palaeoecology aimed at students in archaeology. The main emphasis is on how past environmental conditions can be read from sedimentary archives (soil and freshwater sediments). The use of different indices (or proxies) will be introduced, including diatoms, Foraminifera, Cladocera, insects, pollen, seeds and pigments. Other topics include: basic limnology, sediment sampling, dating techniques and the history of the biota of Iceland. Problems encountered when extracting environmental information from ancient documents will also be discussed. One field trip to take sediment cores from a lake.

This overview of the Archaeology of Gender will cover the history and development of the field from feminism and post-processualism, as well as the emphases and chief concepts in the discipline. The concept of gender is continually broadening and encompasses research on women, men, and children alike, as well as on specific social groups, age and life-course. The course will use examples taken from archaeological research that is based on the theories and methods of Archaeology of Gender. The objective is to introduce the student to the possibilities that the field offers within the framework of archaeological research in Iceland.

An introduction to the theory and methodology of zooarchaeology. Animal bones will be discussed from a structural, chemical and evolutional point of view. The principles of taphonomy will be introduced as well as the basic methodology of data retrieval and analysis. The uses of zooarchaeology in the study of different social structures will be discussed with a reference to the Nordic cultural area and Iceland in particular.

The course is about landscape and its archaeological study.  The theoretical background of landscape archeology is outlined, methods of landscape analysis and characterization are introduced but the main emphasis is placed on training students in archaeological field survey.

Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Individual project.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This survey course provides a basis for understanding the economic and social development of Iceland since 1800. It seeks to develop both historical and transferable skills building on the course Making History. The main topics are Iceland‘s international relations; rise and decline of the agricultural economy;  causes and consequences of the industrial revolution; class structure and social conditions; women, men and work; demography and family life; effects of two World Wars on economic and social trends, the Great Depression and economic policy; growth and fluctuations; Europeanization and the international economy; rise of welfare society; industries and regions in the post-1945 period; financialization and the economic crisis of 2008.

The aim of this course is to give students a critical understanding of the historiography of Icelandic politics and culture from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. It focuses on the following topics: (i) the origins of the nation state, (ii) democracy (iii) culture and education, (iv) gender, sexuality and class, (v) political parties and social movements and (vi) transnational- and international relations. Emphasis is placed on looking at the history of Iceland in a Nordic, Western and global context. The course provides students with training in reading and discussing primary and secondary sources, as well as in collecting material on and writing short essays about a clearly defined topic.

Students taking UMV401G as a mandatory course have priority for registration. 

Objectives: To enable students from broad backgrounds to apply geographical information systems for map development and geographic analysis in technical reports, project presentations, work, and research. To provide training and enhance student maturity to: 1) manage projects using geographical information, 2) evaluate and select the most appropriate geographic analysis and maps for diverse projects, 3) write text that interprets maps and describes a geographic analysis, and 4) write a professional report to describe a project applying geographic information systems, maps, and geographic analysis. 

Topics: Students get introduced to geographic information systems and geographic data. Learn the development of reference and thematic maps. Use vector and raster data. Learn selection by attributes and location, and creation of map layers from selections. Learn how to join tables and spatial join. Practice in various operations on map layers, e.g. clip, dissolve, transfer data between layers, drawing and developing new map layers. Link aerial photos to maps. Display GPS coordinate data on maps. Perform spatial analysis of data. Emphasis is on developing student ability to select map contents, operations and analysis tools, design maps and interpret maps in written text. 

Teaching: The course is taught in Icelandic. Students learn and receive practice in fundamental use of geographical information systems by completing hands-on projects in a computer lab, homework, and a final project, all based on real-world data. The projects are designed to develop student ability in selecting maps, map contents and analysis tools, along with interpreting maps.

The course is taught in a classroom with live streaming, the recordings are then made available a few days later. The course can be taken on-site, distance learning or mixed. The course is not designed to be taken without real-time participation during class.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is taught in the field at Hofstaðir in Mývatnssveit, northern Iceland.  Students are introduced to Icelandic archaeology and take part in fieldwork which can involve surveying, remote sensing, coring and excavation.  Students receive training in all stages of archaeological fieldwork, from project design to post-excavation and outreach to academia, the public and tourists.  Students learn about dating methods, site formation processes and the material culture of the North Atlantic.  Emphasis is placed on considering localised fieldwork in its broader academic context and introducing students to academic debate within the archaeology of the North Atlantic.   Emphasis is also placed on introducing the methods of heritage management and giving students insight into the challenges and opportunities of cultural heritage tourism. 

The course is intended as a practical introduction to the post-excavation process: what do you do with all those finds you collect, the records and photographs you make on an excavation? This course takes you through all the stages from archiving to writing a final report. The course is organized around a series of weekly class-based projects under the supervision of the teacher, working on the archive and finds from the excavation course FOR406G; it is recommended that any students taking aðferðafræði II will have taken this field course the previous semester.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensilis, jewellry and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes etc.

The aim of this course is to provide a general background to theoretical archaeology in Europe and North America. The course will look at how theory is involved in all aspects of archaeological work and explore the key themes and major schools of social theory which have been influential in archaeology as well as theories of contemporary relevance today.

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

Introductory course on the history of late medieval Europe. Taught in Icelandic; please see full course description in Icelandic

Individual project.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

The aim of the course is that students obtain understanding of principles and concepts relevant to biogeography and soil, and will be able to apply this knowledge for interpretation of the Icelandic environment. Soil formation and soil properties are discussed, as well as the distribution of soil types and problems of soil erosion and soil pollution. Chemical (e.g. nutrient) cycles, biomes, biological diversity and its protection are discussed. The influence of land use on the state of soils and vegetation, causes and consequences of soil erosion and degradation of vegetation is given special attention. Environmental history is introduced as a tool to examine the impact of people on nature.

Teaching arrangements: Three lectures per week, where the primary subjects of the course are discussed and two slots per week for practical work and projects in classrooms, laboratories and in the field. Introduction to measurements and descriptions of vegetation and collection of soil samples takes place during a half-day fieldwork outside of Reykjavík.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to concepts and theoretical approaches in social science, emphasizing their use in contemporary Human Geography and Tourism Studies. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with concepts in scientific discourse and train them in using concepts in argumentation. Among concepts dealt with in the course are: place, space, global, local, globalisation, sustainable development, nature, landscape, culture, identity, image and society. Teaching is in the form of lectures and discussion in smaller groups about themes in student assignments. To qualify for the written exam students need to participate in discussion sessions and assignments. For a successful course outcome a minimum requirement is needed in both exam and assignments.

This course is suitable for year 2 and 3 undergraduate students.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Soil classification and global distribution.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil erosion and land degradation.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Human impact on soils and vegetation
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

Methodology and Theory of Art History (LIS101G) is an introductory methods course. The concept of art will be discussed and students will be introduced to the historical foundation and development of art history, the theoretical grounds of art history as an independent subject, and its relation to other academic subjects. Key concepts, methodologies of art historical research and analysis, and some of the major theories that have shaped the practice of art history will be introduced. Students receive training in visual analysis and are introduced to some of the most important methodologies of art historical analysis, including formalism, iconography, and Marxist analysis. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking and student's ability to analyse texts and images in a critical manner. 

Plants as organisms. Structure and function of the plant cell. Photosynthesis. The anatomy and morphology of plants. Alternation of generations, the evolution, life cycles and characteristics of mosses and vascular plant groups with emphasis on the flowering plants. The evolution of seeds, flowers and fruits. Vegetation of the earth, the biomes. The vegetation and vegetation history of Iceland. Laboratory work: Cells and tissue types. Examples of the anatomy and morphology of major groups, seeds, flowers and fruits. The diversity of plant form and environment.

Lectures: Introduction. Evolution. Behaviour. Historical and ecological biogeography. Populations: Dispersal, natality and mortality rates, life tables, age composition, population growth, regulation of population size, cyclic fluctuations, migration. Species interactions: Competition, predation, other forms of interactions. Communities: Community description, species composition, species diversity, food webs, stability, succession. Ecosystems: Biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, productivity, trophic efficiency. Marine ecology, fresh-water ecology, terrestrial ecology; introduction to Icelandic ecosystems. Practical work: Exercises are in the lab and in the field. The emphasis is on application of scientific method in ecology, variation and data analysis. The exercises include experimental studies of population growth and competition between Paramecium species, studies of terrestrial communities (plants and animals), zonation of tidal zones and life in streams. Obligatory: all practical exercises. Course evaluation: ractical exercises and seminars 50% including a more extensive written report to be orally presented. Ten written exercises 50%. Minimum grade of 5 required for all parts.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

An overview of the history of Iceland in the period 1500-1800, with a focus on selected themes, based on primary sources. A historiographical view on the period and recent changes and trends will be discussed. Social changes following the reformation will be analyzed, followed by emphasis on witchcraft and religious ideas, means of education, literary culture, policies following the enlightenment, commerce, trade and Iceland´s interaction with the outside world. Students will hand in a assignment based on primary sources.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

This class focuses on foods and foodways as a way to better understand past societies. We will examine the role of food in human evolution, address how archaeologists use multiple data sources to reconstruct past foodways, and assess how these data can be integrated and interpreted through a series of case studies. “Food” includes both meat and plant sources, and we will discuss studies of each and their contributions to the understanding of past societies’ food habits. Various food processing technologies, like ceramics and lithics, are also important for deciphering foodways, and we will examine the ways archaeologists gain information from them. The course will cover a wide variety of geographic and temporal areas, and will present an overview of foods and foodways across time and space.

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Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative is helpful but not necessary. Reading ability in German and/or the modern Scandinavian languages is also helpful but, again, not necessary (all mandatory readings are in English). Students produce a paper and lead discussion; no final exam.

This is an introduction to palaeoecology aimed at students in archaeology. The main emphasis is on how past environmental conditions can be read from sedimentary archives (soil and freshwater sediments). The use of different indices (or proxies) will be introduced, including diatoms, Foraminifera, Cladocera, insects, pollen, seeds and pigments. Other topics include: basic limnology, sediment sampling, dating techniques and the history of the biota of Iceland. Problems encountered when extracting environmental information from ancient documents will also be discussed. One field trip to take sediment cores from a lake.

This overview of the Archaeology of Gender will cover the history and development of the field from feminism and post-processualism, as well as the emphases and chief concepts in the discipline. The concept of gender is continually broadening and encompasses research on women, men, and children alike, as well as on specific social groups, age and life-course. The course will use examples taken from archaeological research that is based on the theories and methods of Archaeology of Gender. The objective is to introduce the student to the possibilities that the field offers within the framework of archaeological research in Iceland.

An introduction to the theory and methodology of zooarchaeology. Animal bones will be discussed from a structural, chemical and evolutional point of view. The principles of taphonomy will be introduced as well as the basic methodology of data retrieval and analysis. The uses of zooarchaeology in the study of different social structures will be discussed with a reference to the Nordic cultural area and Iceland in particular.

The course is about landscape and its archaeological study.  The theoretical background of landscape archeology is outlined, methods of landscape analysis and characterization are introduced but the main emphasis is placed on training students in archaeological field survey.

Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Individual project.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This survey course provides a basis for understanding the economic and social development of Iceland since 1800. It seeks to develop both historical and transferable skills building on the course Making History. The main topics are Iceland‘s international relations; rise and decline of the agricultural economy;  causes and consequences of the industrial revolution; class structure and social conditions; women, men and work; demography and family life; effects of two World Wars on economic and social trends, the Great Depression and economic policy; growth and fluctuations; Europeanization and the international economy; rise of welfare society; industries and regions in the post-1945 period; financialization and the economic crisis of 2008.

The aim of this course is to give students a critical understanding of the historiography of Icelandic politics and culture from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. It focuses on the following topics: (i) the origins of the nation state, (ii) democracy (iii) culture and education, (iv) gender, sexuality and class, (v) political parties and social movements and (vi) transnational- and international relations. Emphasis is placed on looking at the history of Iceland in a Nordic, Western and global context. The course provides students with training in reading and discussing primary and secondary sources, as well as in collecting material on and writing short essays about a clearly defined topic.

Students taking UMV401G as a mandatory course have priority for registration. 

Objectives: To enable students from broad backgrounds to apply geographical information systems for map development and geographic analysis in technical reports, project presentations, work, and research. To provide training and enhance student maturity to: 1) manage projects using geographical information, 2) evaluate and select the most appropriate geographic analysis and maps for diverse projects, 3) write text that interprets maps and describes a geographic analysis, and 4) write a professional report to describe a project applying geographic information systems, maps, and geographic analysis. 

Topics: Students get introduced to geographic information systems and geographic data. Learn the development of reference and thematic maps. Use vector and raster data. Learn selection by attributes and location, and creation of map layers from selections. Learn how to join tables and spatial join. Practice in various operations on map layers, e.g. clip, dissolve, transfer data between layers, drawing and developing new map layers. Link aerial photos to maps. Display GPS coordinate data on maps. Perform spatial analysis of data. Emphasis is on developing student ability to select map contents, operations and analysis tools, design maps and interpret maps in written text. 

Teaching: The course is taught in Icelandic. Students learn and receive practice in fundamental use of geographical information systems by completing hands-on projects in a computer lab, homework, and a final project, all based on real-world data. The projects are designed to develop student ability in selecting maps, map contents and analysis tools, along with interpreting maps.

The course is taught in a classroom with live streaming, the recordings are then made available a few days later. The course can be taken on-site, distance learning or mixed. The course is not designed to be taken without real-time participation during class.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

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Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is taught in the field at Hofstaðir in Mývatnssveit, northern Iceland.  Students are introduced to Icelandic archaeology and take part in fieldwork which can involve surveying, remote sensing, coring and excavation.  Students receive training in all stages of archaeological fieldwork, from project design to post-excavation and outreach to academia, the public and tourists.  Students learn about dating methods, site formation processes and the material culture of the North Atlantic.  Emphasis is placed on considering localised fieldwork in its broader academic context and introducing students to academic debate within the archaeology of the North Atlantic.   Emphasis is also placed on introducing the methods of heritage management and giving students insight into the challenges and opportunities of cultural heritage tourism. 

The course covers the basic stages of the archaeological process. The topics discussed include: History of methods; Law and Ethics; Desktop Preparation - Problems, Research designs and Budgets; Written sources - Non-intrusive Fieldwork - Field survey and fieldwalking; Aerial photography & Geophysics - Intrusive Fieldwork - Approaches to excavation; Methods of excavation & recording - Post-excavation - Archives, specialist work & conservation; Reports and publications; Storage and Dissemination. The course is taught through lectures and discussions but in the first week of semester the instruction will take place in the field. Other archaeology courses taught in the same semester will start later accordingly

The course aims to prepare students for academic studies in archaeology, with emphasis on writing academic texts, building bibliographies, correct use of citations and data processing.  The course aims to install in students a clear sense of the demands made of them at a university level and of the methods used to fulfill those demands.

Issues in the writing of academic texts are discussed with a focus on the essay form but other types of archaeological output are also introduced, e.g. excavation and survey reports.  Training is provided in finding and using primary and secondary sources as well as in source criticism.  Different types of sources and how they are used by archaeologists in different contexts is discussed and an introduction given to the various means of dissemination available to archaeologists.

Overview and introduction to the aims and methods of archaeology. What is archaeology? The history of the discipline is discussed, its ideological base and its relationship with other disciplines. How are material remains used to shed light on social structure, the environment, economy and trade, religion and ideology, development and change?

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. Common fallacies and stratagems will be discussed, with the aim of learning how to detect and avoid them. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

This course offers a perspective of the history of Iceland from the ninth to the sixteenth century from a historical and archaeological viewpoint. Among themes which will be explored are the Viking Age and research on this period, the settlement of Iceland and its development, the organization of a new society , identities and economic development, Christianization, political conflict and the introduction of executive power in the thirteenth century. In the latter half of the course the focus is on the Church and its economic, political and cultural influence. This will be discussed in view of the general historiography of the period, technical and material developments and the international context. An emphasis is placed on familiarity with primary sources, both written and archeological. Teaching consists of lectures and discussion classes.

Prehistory deals with the cultural history of humankind from the persepctive of material culture, from the first tools of around 2,5 million years ago up to the end of the Iron Age (c. 0-800 AD), i.e. the period for which there are no written sources. This course will cover the basic aspects of prehistory, including chronology and definitions of prehistoric society. In addition, the course will look at different aspects of prehistoric social life such as subsistence patterns, burial customs, craft and technology, trade and livelihood. Emphasis will be placed on human evolution in a global context and on later prehistoric Europe (c. 10.000 BC-800 AD). By the end of the course, the students will be expected to have collated a glossary of terms for prehistoric archaeology and understand the main outlines of prehistoric chronology and European prehistory.

Archaeological Excavation. The aim of the course is to increase the skills and knowledge of students in excavation methods and archaeological research as well as to be able to work independently. Students will be introduced to the archaeological database, Intrasis, as well as how to record archaeological units by using a total station. Registration & treatment of finds from the excavation will be taught. Finds will be registered into the open access database of Icelandic cultural heritage, Sarpur. Excavation site: The farmstead of Árbær at the OpenAir Museum in 110 Reykjavík. The course is four whole weeks and will be held in May after final exams at the School og Humanities on spring semester are finished. 

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

The course is intended as a practical introduction to the post-excavation process: what do you do with all those finds you collect, the records and photographs you make on an excavation? This course takes you through all the stages from archiving to writing a final report. The course is organized around a series of weekly class-based projects under the supervision of the teacher, working on the archive and finds from the excavation course FOR406G; it is recommended that any students taking aðferðafræði II will have taken this field course the previous semester.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensilis, jewellry and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes etc.

The aim of this course is to provide a general background to theoretical archaeology in Europe and North America. The course will look at how theory is involved in all aspects of archaeological work and explore the key themes and major schools of social theory which have been influential in archaeology as well as theories of contemporary relevance today.

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

Introductory course on the history of late medieval Europe. Taught in Icelandic; please see full course description in Icelandic

Individual project.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

The aim of the course is that students obtain understanding of principles and concepts relevant to biogeography and soil, and will be able to apply this knowledge for interpretation of the Icelandic environment. Soil formation and soil properties are discussed, as well as the distribution of soil types and problems of soil erosion and soil pollution. Chemical (e.g. nutrient) cycles, biomes, biological diversity and its protection are discussed. The influence of land use on the state of soils and vegetation, causes and consequences of soil erosion and degradation of vegetation is given special attention. Environmental history is introduced as a tool to examine the impact of people on nature.

Teaching arrangements: Three lectures per week, where the primary subjects of the course are discussed and two slots per week for practical work and projects in classrooms, laboratories and in the field. Introduction to measurements and descriptions of vegetation and collection of soil samples takes place during a half-day fieldwork outside of Reykjavík.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to concepts and theoretical approaches in social science, emphasizing their use in contemporary Human Geography and Tourism Studies. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with concepts in scientific discourse and train them in using concepts in argumentation. Among concepts dealt with in the course are: place, space, global, local, globalisation, sustainable development, nature, landscape, culture, identity, image and society. Teaching is in the form of lectures and discussion in smaller groups about themes in student assignments. To qualify for the written exam students need to participate in discussion sessions and assignments. For a successful course outcome a minimum requirement is needed in both exam and assignments.

This course is suitable for year 2 and 3 undergraduate students.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Soil classification and global distribution.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil erosion and land degradation.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Human impact on soils and vegetation
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

Methodology and Theory of Art History (LIS101G) is an introductory methods course. The concept of art will be discussed and students will be introduced to the historical foundation and development of art history, the theoretical grounds of art history as an independent subject, and its relation to other academic subjects. Key concepts, methodologies of art historical research and analysis, and some of the major theories that have shaped the practice of art history will be introduced. Students receive training in visual analysis and are introduced to some of the most important methodologies of art historical analysis, including formalism, iconography, and Marxist analysis. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking and student's ability to analyse texts and images in a critical manner. 

Plants as organisms. Structure and function of the plant cell. Photosynthesis. The anatomy and morphology of plants. Alternation of generations, the evolution, life cycles and characteristics of mosses and vascular plant groups with emphasis on the flowering plants. The evolution of seeds, flowers and fruits. Vegetation of the earth, the biomes. The vegetation and vegetation history of Iceland. Laboratory work: Cells and tissue types. Examples of the anatomy and morphology of major groups, seeds, flowers and fruits. The diversity of plant form and environment.

Lectures: Introduction. Evolution. Behaviour. Historical and ecological biogeography. Populations: Dispersal, natality and mortality rates, life tables, age composition, population growth, regulation of population size, cyclic fluctuations, migration. Species interactions: Competition, predation, other forms of interactions. Communities: Community description, species composition, species diversity, food webs, stability, succession. Ecosystems: Biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, productivity, trophic efficiency. Marine ecology, fresh-water ecology, terrestrial ecology; introduction to Icelandic ecosystems. Practical work: Exercises are in the lab and in the field. The emphasis is on application of scientific method in ecology, variation and data analysis. The exercises include experimental studies of population growth and competition between Paramecium species, studies of terrestrial communities (plants and animals), zonation of tidal zones and life in streams. Obligatory: all practical exercises. Course evaluation: ractical exercises and seminars 50% including a more extensive written report to be orally presented. Ten written exercises 50%. Minimum grade of 5 required for all parts.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

An overview of the history of Iceland in the period 1500-1800, with a focus on selected themes, based on primary sources. A historiographical view on the period and recent changes and trends will be discussed. Social changes following the reformation will be analyzed, followed by emphasis on witchcraft and religious ideas, means of education, literary culture, policies following the enlightenment, commerce, trade and Iceland´s interaction with the outside world. Students will hand in a assignment based on primary sources.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

This is an introduction to palaeoecology aimed at students in archaeology. The main emphasis is on how past environmental conditions can be read from sedimentary archives (soil and freshwater sediments). The use of different indices (or proxies) will be introduced, including diatoms, Foraminifera, Cladocera, insects, pollen, seeds and pigments. Other topics include: basic limnology, sediment sampling, dating techniques and the history of the biota of Iceland. Problems encountered when extracting environmental information from ancient documents will also be discussed. One field trip to take sediment cores from a lake.

This overview of the Archaeology of Gender will cover the history and development of the field from feminism and post-processualism, as well as the emphases and chief concepts in the discipline. The concept of gender is continually broadening and encompasses research on women, men, and children alike, as well as on specific social groups, age and life-course. The course will use examples taken from archaeological research that is based on the theories and methods of Archaeology of Gender. The objective is to introduce the student to the possibilities that the field offers within the framework of archaeological research in Iceland.

An introduction to the theory and methodology of zooarchaeology. Animal bones will be discussed from a structural, chemical and evolutional point of view. The principles of taphonomy will be introduced as well as the basic methodology of data retrieval and analysis. The uses of zooarchaeology in the study of different social structures will be discussed with a reference to the Nordic cultural area and Iceland in particular.

The course is about landscape and its archaeological study.  The theoretical background of landscape archeology is outlined, methods of landscape analysis and characterization are introduced but the main emphasis is placed on training students in archaeological field survey.

Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Individual project.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This survey course provides a basis for understanding the economic and social development of Iceland since 1800. It seeks to develop both historical and transferable skills building on the course Making History. The main topics are Iceland‘s international relations; rise and decline of the agricultural economy;  causes and consequences of the industrial revolution; class structure and social conditions; women, men and work; demography and family life; effects of two World Wars on economic and social trends, the Great Depression and economic policy; growth and fluctuations; Europeanization and the international economy; rise of welfare society; industries and regions in the post-1945 period; financialization and the economic crisis of 2008.

The aim of this course is to give students a critical understanding of the historiography of Icelandic politics and culture from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. It focuses on the following topics: (i) the origins of the nation state, (ii) democracy (iii) culture and education, (iv) gender, sexuality and class, (v) political parties and social movements and (vi) transnational- and international relations. Emphasis is placed on looking at the history of Iceland in a Nordic, Western and global context. The course provides students with training in reading and discussing primary and secondary sources, as well as in collecting material on and writing short essays about a clearly defined topic.

Students taking UMV401G as a mandatory course have priority for registration. 

Objectives: To enable students from broad backgrounds to apply geographical information systems for map development and geographic analysis in technical reports, project presentations, work, and research. To provide training and enhance student maturity to: 1) manage projects using geographical information, 2) evaluate and select the most appropriate geographic analysis and maps for diverse projects, 3) write text that interprets maps and describes a geographic analysis, and 4) write a professional report to describe a project applying geographic information systems, maps, and geographic analysis. 

Topics: Students get introduced to geographic information systems and geographic data. Learn the development of reference and thematic maps. Use vector and raster data. Learn selection by attributes and location, and creation of map layers from selections. Learn how to join tables and spatial join. Practice in various operations on map layers, e.g. clip, dissolve, transfer data between layers, drawing and developing new map layers. Link aerial photos to maps. Display GPS coordinate data on maps. Perform spatial analysis of data. Emphasis is on developing student ability to select map contents, operations and analysis tools, design maps and interpret maps in written text. 

Teaching: The course is taught in Icelandic. Students learn and receive practice in fundamental use of geographical information systems by completing hands-on projects in a computer lab, homework, and a final project, all based on real-world data. The projects are designed to develop student ability in selecting maps, map contents and analysis tools, along with interpreting maps.

The course is taught in a classroom with live streaming, the recordings are then made available a few days later. The course can be taken on-site, distance learning or mixed. The course is not designed to be taken without real-time participation during class.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is taught in the field at Hofstaðir in Mývatnssveit, northern Iceland.  Students are introduced to Icelandic archaeology and take part in fieldwork which can involve surveying, remote sensing, coring and excavation.  Students receive training in all stages of archaeological fieldwork, from project design to post-excavation and outreach to academia, the public and tourists.  Students learn about dating methods, site formation processes and the material culture of the North Atlantic.  Emphasis is placed on considering localised fieldwork in its broader academic context and introducing students to academic debate within the archaeology of the North Atlantic.   Emphasis is also placed on introducing the methods of heritage management and giving students insight into the challenges and opportunities of cultural heritage tourism. 

The course is intended as a practical introduction to the post-excavation process: what do you do with all those finds you collect, the records and photographs you make on an excavation? This course takes you through all the stages from archiving to writing a final report. The course is organized around a series of weekly class-based projects under the supervision of the teacher, working on the archive and finds from the excavation course FOR406G; it is recommended that any students taking aðferðafræði II will have taken this field course the previous semester.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensilis, jewellry and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes etc.

The aim of this course is to provide a general background to theoretical archaeology in Europe and North America. The course will look at how theory is involved in all aspects of archaeological work and explore the key themes and major schools of social theory which have been influential in archaeology as well as theories of contemporary relevance today.

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

Introductory course on the history of late medieval Europe. Taught in Icelandic; please see full course description in Icelandic

Individual project.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

The aim of the course is that students obtain understanding of principles and concepts relevant to biogeography and soil, and will be able to apply this knowledge for interpretation of the Icelandic environment. Soil formation and soil properties are discussed, as well as the distribution of soil types and problems of soil erosion and soil pollution. Chemical (e.g. nutrient) cycles, biomes, biological diversity and its protection are discussed. The influence of land use on the state of soils and vegetation, causes and consequences of soil erosion and degradation of vegetation is given special attention. Environmental history is introduced as a tool to examine the impact of people on nature.

Teaching arrangements: Three lectures per week, where the primary subjects of the course are discussed and two slots per week for practical work and projects in classrooms, laboratories and in the field. Introduction to measurements and descriptions of vegetation and collection of soil samples takes place during a half-day fieldwork outside of Reykjavík.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to concepts and theoretical approaches in social science, emphasizing their use in contemporary Human Geography and Tourism Studies. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with concepts in scientific discourse and train them in using concepts in argumentation. Among concepts dealt with in the course are: place, space, global, local, globalisation, sustainable development, nature, landscape, culture, identity, image and society. Teaching is in the form of lectures and discussion in smaller groups about themes in student assignments. To qualify for the written exam students need to participate in discussion sessions and assignments. For a successful course outcome a minimum requirement is needed in both exam and assignments.

This course is suitable for year 2 and 3 undergraduate students.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Soil classification and global distribution.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil erosion and land degradation.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Human impact on soils and vegetation
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

Methodology and Theory of Art History (LIS101G) is an introductory methods course. The concept of art will be discussed and students will be introduced to the historical foundation and development of art history, the theoretical grounds of art history as an independent subject, and its relation to other academic subjects. Key concepts, methodologies of art historical research and analysis, and some of the major theories that have shaped the practice of art history will be introduced. Students receive training in visual analysis and are introduced to some of the most important methodologies of art historical analysis, including formalism, iconography, and Marxist analysis. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking and student's ability to analyse texts and images in a critical manner. 

Plants as organisms. Structure and function of the plant cell. Photosynthesis. The anatomy and morphology of plants. Alternation of generations, the evolution, life cycles and characteristics of mosses and vascular plant groups with emphasis on the flowering plants. The evolution of seeds, flowers and fruits. Vegetation of the earth, the biomes. The vegetation and vegetation history of Iceland. Laboratory work: Cells and tissue types. Examples of the anatomy and morphology of major groups, seeds, flowers and fruits. The diversity of plant form and environment.

Lectures: Introduction. Evolution. Behaviour. Historical and ecological biogeography. Populations: Dispersal, natality and mortality rates, life tables, age composition, population growth, regulation of population size, cyclic fluctuations, migration. Species interactions: Competition, predation, other forms of interactions. Communities: Community description, species composition, species diversity, food webs, stability, succession. Ecosystems: Biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, productivity, trophic efficiency. Marine ecology, fresh-water ecology, terrestrial ecology; introduction to Icelandic ecosystems. Practical work: Exercises are in the lab and in the field. The emphasis is on application of scientific method in ecology, variation and data analysis. The exercises include experimental studies of population growth and competition between Paramecium species, studies of terrestrial communities (plants and animals), zonation of tidal zones and life in streams. Obligatory: all practical exercises. Course evaluation: ractical exercises and seminars 50% including a more extensive written report to be orally presented. Ten written exercises 50%. Minimum grade of 5 required for all parts.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

An overview of the history of Iceland in the period 1500-1800, with a focus on selected themes, based on primary sources. A historiographical view on the period and recent changes and trends will be discussed. Social changes following the reformation will be analyzed, followed by emphasis on witchcraft and religious ideas, means of education, literary culture, policies following the enlightenment, commerce, trade and Iceland´s interaction with the outside world. Students will hand in a assignment based on primary sources.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

This class focuses on foods and foodways as a way to better understand past societies. We will examine the role of food in human evolution, address how archaeologists use multiple data sources to reconstruct past foodways, and assess how these data can be integrated and interpreted through a series of case studies. “Food” includes both meat and plant sources, and we will discuss studies of each and their contributions to the understanding of past societies’ food habits. Various food processing technologies, like ceramics and lithics, are also important for deciphering foodways, and we will examine the ways archaeologists gain information from them. The course will cover a wide variety of geographic and temporal areas, and will present an overview of foods and foodways across time and space.

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Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative is helpful but not necessary. Reading ability in German and/or the modern Scandinavian languages is also helpful but, again, not necessary (all mandatory readings are in English). Students produce a paper and lead discussion; no final exam.

This is an introduction to palaeoecology aimed at students in archaeology. The main emphasis is on how past environmental conditions can be read from sedimentary archives (soil and freshwater sediments). The use of different indices (or proxies) will be introduced, including diatoms, Foraminifera, Cladocera, insects, pollen, seeds and pigments. Other topics include: basic limnology, sediment sampling, dating techniques and the history of the biota of Iceland. Problems encountered when extracting environmental information from ancient documents will also be discussed. One field trip to take sediment cores from a lake.

This overview of the Archaeology of Gender will cover the history and development of the field from feminism and post-processualism, as well as the emphases and chief concepts in the discipline. The concept of gender is continually broadening and encompasses research on women, men, and children alike, as well as on specific social groups, age and life-course. The course will use examples taken from archaeological research that is based on the theories and methods of Archaeology of Gender. The objective is to introduce the student to the possibilities that the field offers within the framework of archaeological research in Iceland.

An introduction to the theory and methodology of zooarchaeology. Animal bones will be discussed from a structural, chemical and evolutional point of view. The principles of taphonomy will be introduced as well as the basic methodology of data retrieval and analysis. The uses of zooarchaeology in the study of different social structures will be discussed with a reference to the Nordic cultural area and Iceland in particular.

The course is about landscape and its archaeological study.  The theoretical background of landscape archeology is outlined, methods of landscape analysis and characterization are introduced but the main emphasis is placed on training students in archaeological field survey.

Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Individual project.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This survey course provides a basis for understanding the economic and social development of Iceland since 1800. It seeks to develop both historical and transferable skills building on the course Making History. The main topics are Iceland‘s international relations; rise and decline of the agricultural economy;  causes and consequences of the industrial revolution; class structure and social conditions; women, men and work; demography and family life; effects of two World Wars on economic and social trends, the Great Depression and economic policy; growth and fluctuations; Europeanization and the international economy; rise of welfare society; industries and regions in the post-1945 period; financialization and the economic crisis of 2008.

The aim of this course is to give students a critical understanding of the historiography of Icelandic politics and culture from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. It focuses on the following topics: (i) the origins of the nation state, (ii) democracy (iii) culture and education, (iv) gender, sexuality and class, (v) political parties and social movements and (vi) transnational- and international relations. Emphasis is placed on looking at the history of Iceland in a Nordic, Western and global context. The course provides students with training in reading and discussing primary and secondary sources, as well as in collecting material on and writing short essays about a clearly defined topic.

Students taking UMV401G as a mandatory course have priority for registration. 

Objectives: To enable students from broad backgrounds to apply geographical information systems for map development and geographic analysis in technical reports, project presentations, work, and research. To provide training and enhance student maturity to: 1) manage projects using geographical information, 2) evaluate and select the most appropriate geographic analysis and maps for diverse projects, 3) write text that interprets maps and describes a geographic analysis, and 4) write a professional report to describe a project applying geographic information systems, maps, and geographic analysis. 

Topics: Students get introduced to geographic information systems and geographic data. Learn the development of reference and thematic maps. Use vector and raster data. Learn selection by attributes and location, and creation of map layers from selections. Learn how to join tables and spatial join. Practice in various operations on map layers, e.g. clip, dissolve, transfer data between layers, drawing and developing new map layers. Link aerial photos to maps. Display GPS coordinate data on maps. Perform spatial analysis of data. Emphasis is on developing student ability to select map contents, operations and analysis tools, design maps and interpret maps in written text. 

Teaching: The course is taught in Icelandic. Students learn and receive practice in fundamental use of geographical information systems by completing hands-on projects in a computer lab, homework, and a final project, all based on real-world data. The projects are designed to develop student ability in selecting maps, map contents and analysis tools, along with interpreting maps.

The course is taught in a classroom with live streaming, the recordings are then made available a few days later. The course can be taken on-site, distance learning or mixed. The course is not designed to be taken without real-time participation during class.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

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Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is taught in the field at Hofstaðir in Mývatnssveit, northern Iceland.  Students are introduced to Icelandic archaeology and take part in fieldwork which can involve surveying, remote sensing, coring and excavation.  Students receive training in all stages of archaeological fieldwork, from project design to post-excavation and outreach to academia, the public and tourists.  Students learn about dating methods, site formation processes and the material culture of the North Atlantic.  Emphasis is placed on considering localised fieldwork in its broader academic context and introducing students to academic debate within the archaeology of the North Atlantic.   Emphasis is also placed on introducing the methods of heritage management and giving students insight into the challenges and opportunities of cultural heritage tourism. 

The course covers the basic stages of the archaeological process. The topics discussed include: History of methods; Law and Ethics; Desktop Preparation - Problems, Research designs and Budgets; Written sources - Non-intrusive Fieldwork - Field survey and fieldwalking; Aerial photography & Geophysics - Intrusive Fieldwork - Approaches to excavation; Methods of excavation & recording - Post-excavation - Archives, specialist work & conservation; Reports and publications; Storage and Dissemination. The course is taught through lectures and discussions but in the first week of semester the instruction will take place in the field. Other archaeology courses taught in the same semester will start later accordingly

The course aims to prepare students for academic studies in archaeology, with emphasis on writing academic texts, building bibliographies, correct use of citations and data processing.  The course aims to install in students a clear sense of the demands made of them at a university level and of the methods used to fulfill those demands.

Issues in the writing of academic texts are discussed with a focus on the essay form but other types of archaeological output are also introduced, e.g. excavation and survey reports.  Training is provided in finding and using primary and secondary sources as well as in source criticism.  Different types of sources and how they are used by archaeologists in different contexts is discussed and an introduction given to the various means of dissemination available to archaeologists.

Overview and introduction to the aims and methods of archaeology. What is archaeology? The history of the discipline is discussed, its ideological base and its relationship with other disciplines. How are material remains used to shed light on social structure, the environment, economy and trade, religion and ideology, development and change?

The aim of this course is to show students the importance of critical thinking by introducing its main concepts and methods as well as different understandings of the notion. Furthermore, the aim is to train students in critical thinking and argumentation, both in a philosophical and an everyday context. Special emphasis will be placed on analysing arguments. Common fallacies and stratagems will be discussed, with the aim of learning how to detect and avoid them. The relationship between critical thinking and ethics will be thoroughly examined.

The teaching involves both lectures and discussion sessions. Assignments will primarily be aimed at practical tasks relevant to everyday experiences.

This course offers a perspective of the history of Iceland from the ninth to the sixteenth century from a historical and archaeological viewpoint. Among themes which will be explored are the Viking Age and research on this period, the settlement of Iceland and its development, the organization of a new society , identities and economic development, Christianization, political conflict and the introduction of executive power in the thirteenth century. In the latter half of the course the focus is on the Church and its economic, political and cultural influence. This will be discussed in view of the general historiography of the period, technical and material developments and the international context. An emphasis is placed on familiarity with primary sources, both written and archeological. Teaching consists of lectures and discussion classes.

Prehistory deals with the cultural history of humankind from the persepctive of material culture, from the first tools of around 2,5 million years ago up to the end of the Iron Age (c. 0-800 AD), i.e. the period for which there are no written sources. This course will cover the basic aspects of prehistory, including chronology and definitions of prehistoric society. In addition, the course will look at different aspects of prehistoric social life such as subsistence patterns, burial customs, craft and technology, trade and livelihood. Emphasis will be placed on human evolution in a global context and on later prehistoric Europe (c. 10.000 BC-800 AD). By the end of the course, the students will be expected to have collated a glossary of terms for prehistoric archaeology and understand the main outlines of prehistoric chronology and European prehistory.

Archaeological Excavation. The aim of the course is to increase the skills and knowledge of students in excavation methods and archaeological research as well as to be able to work independently. Students will be introduced to the archaeological database, Intrasis, as well as how to record archaeological units by using a total station. Registration & treatment of finds from the excavation will be taught. Finds will be registered into the open access database of Icelandic cultural heritage, Sarpur. Excavation site: The farmstead of Árbær at the OpenAir Museum in 110 Reykjavík. The course is four whole weeks and will be held in May after final exams at the School og Humanities on spring semester are finished. 

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

The course is intended as a practical introduction to the post-excavation process: what do you do with all those finds you collect, the records and photographs you make on an excavation? This course takes you through all the stages from archiving to writing a final report. The course is organized around a series of weekly class-based projects under the supervision of the teacher, working on the archive and finds from the excavation course FOR406G; it is recommended that any students taking aðferðafræði II will have taken this field course the previous semester.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensilis, jewellry and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes etc.

The aim of this course is to provide a general background to theoretical archaeology in Europe and North America. The course will look at how theory is involved in all aspects of archaeological work and explore the key themes and major schools of social theory which have been influential in archaeology as well as theories of contemporary relevance today.

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

Introductory course on the history of late medieval Europe. Taught in Icelandic; please see full course description in Icelandic

Individual project.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

The aim of the course is that students obtain understanding of principles and concepts relevant to biogeography and soil, and will be able to apply this knowledge for interpretation of the Icelandic environment. Soil formation and soil properties are discussed, as well as the distribution of soil types and problems of soil erosion and soil pollution. Chemical (e.g. nutrient) cycles, biomes, biological diversity and its protection are discussed. The influence of land use on the state of soils and vegetation, causes and consequences of soil erosion and degradation of vegetation is given special attention. Environmental history is introduced as a tool to examine the impact of people on nature.

Teaching arrangements: Three lectures per week, where the primary subjects of the course are discussed and two slots per week for practical work and projects in classrooms, laboratories and in the field. Introduction to measurements and descriptions of vegetation and collection of soil samples takes place during a half-day fieldwork outside of Reykjavík.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to concepts and theoretical approaches in social science, emphasizing their use in contemporary Human Geography and Tourism Studies. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with concepts in scientific discourse and train them in using concepts in argumentation. Among concepts dealt with in the course are: place, space, global, local, globalisation, sustainable development, nature, landscape, culture, identity, image and society. Teaching is in the form of lectures and discussion in smaller groups about themes in student assignments. To qualify for the written exam students need to participate in discussion sessions and assignments. For a successful course outcome a minimum requirement is needed in both exam and assignments.

This course is suitable for year 2 and 3 undergraduate students.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Soil classification and global distribution.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil erosion and land degradation.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Human impact on soils and vegetation
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

Methodology and Theory of Art History (LIS101G) is an introductory methods course. The concept of art will be discussed and students will be introduced to the historical foundation and development of art history, the theoretical grounds of art history as an independent subject, and its relation to other academic subjects. Key concepts, methodologies of art historical research and analysis, and some of the major theories that have shaped the practice of art history will be introduced. Students receive training in visual analysis and are introduced to some of the most important methodologies of art historical analysis, including formalism, iconography, and Marxist analysis. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking and student's ability to analyse texts and images in a critical manner. 

Plants as organisms. Structure and function of the plant cell. Photosynthesis. The anatomy and morphology of plants. Alternation of generations, the evolution, life cycles and characteristics of mosses and vascular plant groups with emphasis on the flowering plants. The evolution of seeds, flowers and fruits. Vegetation of the earth, the biomes. The vegetation and vegetation history of Iceland. Laboratory work: Cells and tissue types. Examples of the anatomy and morphology of major groups, seeds, flowers and fruits. The diversity of plant form and environment.

Lectures: Introduction. Evolution. Behaviour. Historical and ecological biogeography. Populations: Dispersal, natality and mortality rates, life tables, age composition, population growth, regulation of population size, cyclic fluctuations, migration. Species interactions: Competition, predation, other forms of interactions. Communities: Community description, species composition, species diversity, food webs, stability, succession. Ecosystems: Biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, productivity, trophic efficiency. Marine ecology, fresh-water ecology, terrestrial ecology; introduction to Icelandic ecosystems. Practical work: Exercises are in the lab and in the field. The emphasis is on application of scientific method in ecology, variation and data analysis. The exercises include experimental studies of population growth and competition between Paramecium species, studies of terrestrial communities (plants and animals), zonation of tidal zones and life in streams. Obligatory: all practical exercises. Course evaluation: ractical exercises and seminars 50% including a more extensive written report to be orally presented. Ten written exercises 50%. Minimum grade of 5 required for all parts.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

Introduction to the studies of human origin, the evolution of humans and their place in nature. Some aspects of human genetics are discussed. The prehistory of Homo Sapiens and the most important theories about human evolution and the living human groups are the central subject of the course, including a discussion of the Ice Age, the beginnings of cultivation and animal husbandry,the different living conditions in the world, the formation of cities and the beginning of states. The anthropology of Iceland also forms an important part of the course.

An overview of the history of Iceland in the period 1500-1800, with a focus on selected themes, based on primary sources. A historiographical view on the period and recent changes and trends will be discussed. Social changes following the reformation will be analyzed, followed by emphasis on witchcraft and religious ideas, means of education, literary culture, policies following the enlightenment, commerce, trade and Iceland´s interaction with the outside world. Students will hand in a assignment based on primary sources.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

This is an introduction to palaeoecology aimed at students in archaeology. The main emphasis is on how past environmental conditions can be read from sedimentary archives (soil and freshwater sediments). The use of different indices (or proxies) will be introduced, including diatoms, Foraminifera, Cladocera, insects, pollen, seeds and pigments. Other topics include: basic limnology, sediment sampling, dating techniques and the history of the biota of Iceland. Problems encountered when extracting environmental information from ancient documents will also be discussed. One field trip to take sediment cores from a lake.

This overview of the Archaeology of Gender will cover the history and development of the field from feminism and post-processualism, as well as the emphases and chief concepts in the discipline. The concept of gender is continually broadening and encompasses research on women, men, and children alike, as well as on specific social groups, age and life-course. The course will use examples taken from archaeological research that is based on the theories and methods of Archaeology of Gender. The objective is to introduce the student to the possibilities that the field offers within the framework of archaeological research in Iceland.

An introduction to the theory and methodology of zooarchaeology. Animal bones will be discussed from a structural, chemical and evolutional point of view. The principles of taphonomy will be introduced as well as the basic methodology of data retrieval and analysis. The uses of zooarchaeology in the study of different social structures will be discussed with a reference to the Nordic cultural area and Iceland in particular.

The course is about landscape and its archaeological study.  The theoretical background of landscape archeology is outlined, methods of landscape analysis and characterization are introduced but the main emphasis is placed on training students in archaeological field survey.

Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Individual project.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. The course is intended for students at the masters and diploma levels (but is open to BA students in their final year).

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

This survey course provides a basis for understanding the economic and social development of Iceland since 1800. It seeks to develop both historical and transferable skills building on the course Making History. The main topics are Iceland‘s international relations; rise and decline of the agricultural economy;  causes and consequences of the industrial revolution; class structure and social conditions; women, men and work; demography and family life; effects of two World Wars on economic and social trends, the Great Depression and economic policy; growth and fluctuations; Europeanization and the international economy; rise of welfare society; industries and regions in the post-1945 period; financialization and the economic crisis of 2008.

The aim of this course is to give students a critical understanding of the historiography of Icelandic politics and culture from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present. It focuses on the following topics: (i) the origins of the nation state, (ii) democracy (iii) culture and education, (iv) gender, sexuality and class, (v) political parties and social movements and (vi) transnational- and international relations. Emphasis is placed on looking at the history of Iceland in a Nordic, Western and global context. The course provides students with training in reading and discussing primary and secondary sources, as well as in collecting material on and writing short essays about a clearly defined topic.

Students taking UMV401G as a mandatory course have priority for registration. 

Objectives: To enable students from broad backgrounds to apply geographical information systems for map development and geographic analysis in technical reports, project presentations, work, and research. To provide training and enhance student maturity to: 1) manage projects using geographical information, 2) evaluate and select the most appropriate geographic analysis and maps for diverse projects, 3) write text that interprets maps and describes a geographic analysis, and 4) write a professional report to describe a project applying geographic information systems, maps, and geographic analysis. 

Topics: Students get introduced to geographic information systems and geographic data. Learn the development of reference and thematic maps. Use vector and raster data. Learn selection by attributes and location, and creation of map layers from selections. Learn how to join tables and spatial join. Practice in various operations on map layers, e.g. clip, dissolve, transfer data between layers, drawing and developing new map layers. Link aerial photos to maps. Display GPS coordinate data on maps. Perform spatial analysis of data. Emphasis is on developing student ability to select map contents, operations and analysis tools, design maps and interpret maps in written text. 

Teaching: The course is taught in Icelandic. Students learn and receive practice in fundamental use of geographical information systems by completing hands-on projects in a computer lab, homework, and a final project, all based on real-world data. The projects are designed to develop student ability in selecting maps, map contents and analysis tools, along with interpreting maps.

The course is taught in a classroom with live streaming, the recordings are then made available a few days later. The course can be taken on-site, distance learning or mixed. The course is not designed to be taken without real-time participation during class.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 40 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is comprised solely of work experience connected to archaeology undertaken by the student. Work can include participation on an archaeological fieldschool, excavation (uppgröftur), survey project (fornleifaskráning), post-excavation analysis (urvinnsla) including finds or conservation work (forvarsla) and work at a museum or heritage agency. If you are in doubt about what might count, contact the head of the department. The work must entail a minimum of 20 full-working days. At the end of the work, students must ask for a report form to be filled out by their employer/supervisor and this form must then be returned to the head of department. The form is available on the departmental website and can be downloaded here: https://fornleifafraedi.hi.is/?attachment_id=741.

This course is taught in the field at Hofstaðir in Mývatnssveit, northern Iceland.  Students are introduced to Icelandic archaeology and take part in fieldwork which can involve surveying, remote sensing, coring and excavation.  Students receive training in all stages of archaeological fieldwork, from project design to post-excavation and outreach to academia, the public and tourists.  Students learn about dating methods, site formation processes and the material culture of the North Atlantic.  Emphasis is placed on considering localised fieldwork in its broader academic context and introducing students to academic debate within the archaeology of the North Atlantic.   Emphasis is also placed on introducing the methods of heritage management and giving students insight into the challenges and opportunities of cultural heritage tourism. 

The course is intended as a practical introduction to the post-excavation process: what do you do with all those finds you collect, the records and photographs you make on an excavation? This course takes you through all the stages from archiving to writing a final report. The course is organized around a series of weekly class-based projects under the supervision of the teacher, working on the archive and finds from the excavation course FOR406G; it is recommended that any students taking aðferðafræði II will have taken this field course the previous semester.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensilis, jewellry and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes etc.

The aim of this course is to provide a general background to theoretical archaeology in Europe and North America. The course will look at how theory is involved in all aspects of archaeological work and explore the key themes and major schools of social theory which have been influential in archaeology as well as theories of contemporary relevance today.

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

Introductory course on the history of late medieval Europe. Taught in Icelandic; please see full course description in Icelandic

Individual project.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

The aim of the course is that students obtain understanding of principles and concepts relevant to biogeography and soil, and will be able to apply this knowledge for interpretation of the Icelandic environment. Soil formation and soil properties are discussed, as well as the distribution of soil types and problems of soil erosion and soil pollution. Chemical (e.g. nutrient) cycles, biomes, biological diversity and its protection are discussed. The influence of land use on the state of soils and vegetation, causes and consequences of soil erosion and degradation of vegetation is given special attention. Environmental history is introduced as a tool to examine the impact of people on nature.

Teaching arrangements: Three lectures per week, where the primary subjects of the course are discussed and two slots per week for practical work and projects in classrooms, laboratories and in the field. Introduction to measurements and descriptions of vegetation and collection of soil samples takes place during a half-day fieldwork outside of Reykjavík.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to concepts and theoretical approaches in social science, emphasizing their use in contemporary Human Geography and Tourism Studies. The aim of the course is to make students familiar with concepts in scientific discourse and train them in using concepts in argumentation. Among concepts dealt with in the course are: place, space, global, local, globalisation, sustainable development, nature, landscape, culture, identity, image and society. Teaching is in the form of lectures and discussion in smaller groups about themes in student assignments. To qualify for the written exam students need to participate in discussion sessions and assignments. For a successful course outcome a minimum requirement is needed in both exam and assignments.

This course is suitable for year 2 and 3 undergraduate students.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• Soil classification and global distribution.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil erosion and land degradation.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Human impact on soils and vegetation
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

Methodology and Theory of Art History (LIS101G) is an introductory methods course. The concept of art will be discussed and students will be introduced to the historical foundation and development of art history, the theoretical grounds of art history as an independent subject, and its relation to other academic subjects. Key concepts, methodologies of art historical research and analysis, and some of the major theories that have shaped the practice of art history will be introduced. Students receive training in visual analysis and are introduced to some of the most important methodologies of art historical analysis, including formalism, iconography, and Marxist analysis. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking and student's ability to analyse texts and images in a critical manner. 

Plants as organisms. Structure and function of the plant cell. Photosynthesis. The anatomy and morphology of plants. Alternation of generations, the evolution, life cycles and characteristics of mosses and vascular plant groups with emphasis on the flowering plants. The evolution of seeds, flowers and fruits. Vegetation of the earth, the biomes. The vegetation and vegetation history of Iceland. Laboratory work: Cells and tissue types. Examples of the anatomy and morphology of major groups, seeds, flowers and fruits. The diversity of plant form and environment.

Lectures: Introduction. Evolution. Behaviour. Historical and ecological biogeography. Populations: Dispersal, natality and mortality rates, life tables, age composition, population growth, regulation of population size, cyclic fluctuations, migration. Species interactions: Competition, predation, other forms of interactions. Communities: Community description, species composition, species diversity, food webs, stability, succession. Ecosystems: Biogeochemical cycles, energy flow, productivity, trophic efficiency. Marine ecology, fresh-water ecology, terrestrial ecology; introduction to Icelandic ecosystems. Practical work: Exercises are in the lab and in the field. The emphasis is on application of scientific method in ecology, variation and data analysis. The exercises include experimental studies of population growth and competition between Paramecium species, studies of terrestrial communities (plants and animals), zonation of tidal zones and life in streams. Obligatory: all practical exercises. Course evaluation: ractical exercises and seminars 50% including a more extensive written report to be orally presented. Ten written exercises 50%. Minimum grade of 5 required for all parts.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.