Archaeological Survey (FOR702F)

The student will undertake an independent project relating to landscape archaeology involving i.a. field survey.

Excavation 1 (FOR703F)

The student will read an approved list of texts relating to the theory and method of excavation and carry out assignments involving the application of theoretical understanding to practical problems.

Post-excavation 2 (FOR704F)

The student will read an approved list of texts relating to the theory and method of post-excavation and analysis,  and carry out assignments involving the application of theoretical understanding to practical problems.

Reseach Design (FOR706F)

The student will develop a detailed research design around a proposed project. This could be connected to their final project.

Theories in Humanities (FOR709F)

The aim of the course is to provide students with a more comprehensive and deeper insight into the different theoretical approaches within the humanities. In the course, the main theories that have influenced theoretical discussion in the humanities over the last decades will be presented and discussed, and the students are taught how to apply them in their own research.

Entangled Worlds: Medieval People and Nature (FOR501M)

To many, the Middle Ages (approx. 1000 to 1550) in Europe are known as “the Dark Ages,” a period of intellectual and social stagnation amid plague and religious conflict. Materials from this time do not support this myth; Moreso, illuminated manuscripts, embroidered textiles, and architecture demonstrate the opposite viewpoint. These examples show particularly well the relationship between people and nature, as much of the material used in these artworks and structures utilized plants, animal products, and the landscape itself very effectively. Environmental events like the Medieval Climatic Optimum (MCO) and the “little ice age” of the 14^th century caused people to respond to the changing environment. In addition, as Christianity becomes the dominant religion of Western Europe, the meaning of nature changes, and there is interesting evidence of hybrid approaches to maintaining and changing landscape as religious traditions blend. Nature is not just a resource for medieval people, but a means of conveying identity, belonging, gender, class, and spirituality.

This class will cover in detail the theoretical ways of understanding medieval human relationships with nature and present case studies of medieval people and societies living in and distinguishing themselves from the natural order. Theoretical frames like phenomenology, entanglement, more-than-human, and sense of place will be discussed and explained through stories of artifacts and archaeological sites. Likewise, the methods for understanding past relationships with nature including hydrogeomorphology, paleontology, forensic archaeology, and more will be explored through readings. Class structure will be 40 minutes of lecture, 10-minute break, and 40 minutes of discussion of reading with lecturer and other students. One lecture will be a walk through a space with practical and social uses of nature (i.e. a graveyard).

Workshop: Current Research in Icelandic Archaeology (FOR712F)

The course is arranged around weekly readings and meetings. Each week, a different student will select a number of readings for the rest of the class to read and discuss. These readings should relate to the student’s research and the class will provide a forum for in-depth discussion of the readings. Depending on the number of students enrolled, it is anticipated that students will have a chance to select readings twice during the course. Meetings will be chaired on rotation by one of the teachers who may also select readings one week.

A description of the course format, i.e. workshop, can be found here.

Excavation 2 (FOR804F)

The student will participate in the departmental training excavations for undergraduates.

Post-excavation 2 (FOR808F)

The student receives training in working with different types of post-fieldwork projects and creates a portfolio of small reports.

Presentation (FOR810F)

The student receives training in working with image production (maps, plans, etc.) and in the different media available for the dissemination of archaeological results.

Workshop: Materiality and Embodiment in Medieval Archaeology (FOR302M)

How did people in the Middle Ages understand the world around them?
This workshop introduces students to key methods and theoretical frameworks for exploring medieval worldviews and lived experiences through material culture. Central to this approach is the concept of materiality, which examines how the physical properties of objects shape human perception and interaction with the world. It has been argued that the medieval period was marked by an especially heightened awareness of the power of material things; matter was often understood as alive, with objects functioning as conduits for holy intervention or as protections against illness and disaster. In addition to materiality, the workshop examines medieval ideas about the body and the senses, granting students a deeper understanding of how people experienced their environment.

A description of the course format, i.e. workshop, can be found here.

Viking Age Archaeology (FOR102F)

Overview of the history of the Viking age and history of Viking research. Emphasis is placed on the archaeological evidence, the sites and the objects, and discussing how archaeological data has contributed to our understanding of this period. Particular attention is given to economic patterns, issues of ethnicity and state formation.

Landscape archaeology (FOR405M)

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.

Postmedieval archaeology (FOR702M)

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.

Medieval Archaeology (FOR812F)

During the last decades, medieval archaeology has experienced significant growth as a discipline concerned with material culture. Initially, the use of material culture was marginalized to the role of confirming or refuting historical knowledge about this period but today it is understood as having equal historical importance to the archived material. The course is thus intended to improve student’s understanding of Medieval Europe during the period 800–1600 AD through the study of material culture. It deals with general themes in medieval archaeology, such as identity, social status, rural and urban landscapes, religion, life and death, rather than the historical development of the Middle Ages in chronological order. The aim is to give students insight into the different fields of theory and method of medieval archaeology through both material and documentary evidences in accordance with the current state of research. A special emphasis will be put on medieval Iceland, as a part of European culture and society, but even on how medieval archaeologists gather their sources, analyse them and reach conclusions of historical importance.

Final project (FOR431L)

The Master’s project for 30 credits will include as a core part, a practical project involving fieldwork, archival analysis or lab work which will have been defined through a prior project design. The project design is expected to have a clearly defined question, methodology and work plan. The student is expected to execute the practical work independently. The results of the project are to be written up in a report of no less than 10,000 words and no more than 30,000 words. The report will be written in a clear and accessible manner. The report will be written either in Icelandic or English and will include an abstract in both English and Icelandic.

Archaeological Field School at Hofstaðir (FOR004M)

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.