The Vikings have always been a source of mystery and intrigue, ever since the 1800s, when Richard Wagner premiered his opera Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Cycle) and introduced the world to the (entirely fabricated) view of the Vikings. While we have moved beyond the image of rapacious raiders and their horned helmets (although the former part still rings true), many are still enamored with the culture that began in the very late 700s AD and, in many ways, continues to this day in some form or another.
Nowadays, it’s contemporary movies and TV shows from the likes of Netflix that have reawakened the urge of many to explore the culture and who they were and the echoes they left behind to this day. And, with an uptick in curious archaeology students seeking firsthand knowledge of that age, it seems as though many institutions have either expanded their departments or opened completely new ones. But this trend brings up the question for all budding Viking archaeologists: “Where do I study?” In this post, we will cover a few options from Scandinavia, the UK, and North America, beginning with the factors you ought to consider before engaging with these courses.
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Factors To Consider When Choosing A Program
It’s easy to get overexcited about taking a deep dive into something you find thoroughly fascinating, but before you dive in at the deep end, it pays to take some time to consider what you’re getting into and whether you’re willing to last the course or turn what was a captivating personal interest into an expense that you could have done without by turning a fun hobby into a dry academic pursuit.
You will also have to contemplate how you’re going to attend your studies. Will you choose to travel far to engage in the very best options and contend with the cost of doing so, or will you opt for something closer to home? If the former, then you will need to think about how you’ll store your student paraphernalia. Fortunately, Sparefoot has student storage with various options to select based on personal needs and circumstances. Let’s take a look at a few of the major considerations to contemplate before you make a decision on where you will study:
Academic And Practical Considerations
- Language requirements: As you will see later in the post, many of the top institutions are based in Scandinavia for obvious reasons. While not all require proficiency in these languages, some skills will help enormously.
- Funding opportunities: University courses, particularly in archaeology, can be pricier. Finding an institution that offers scholarships or other kinds of funding can soften the sharp edges slightly.
- Career trajectory: Although this might not be completely on your mind, you are probably going to dedicate a large portion of your life to the topic and will want to work somewhere afterwards related to Vikings. Think about which options offer the best options based on what you want (museum work, academic roles, etc.).
- Geographic focus: The Vikings notoriously spread far and wide, from Iceland to the Kievan Rus. This range means that there will be differences in the cultures, and thus, you should think carefully about which regions interest you the most.
- Emphasis: Are you more interested in getting hands-on with fieldwork or prefer laboratory or theoretical research? The answer to this question will help to guide you.
Practicalities
- Cost of living in different countries: If you are moving abroad to study, even with a scholarship, you may still have to dip your hand into your pocket for living expenses outside the scope of the program. Countries like the UK, Norway, and Sweden can be very expensive places to live.
- Visa and residency requirements: Studying in a different country will involve a visa process that you may or may not want to add to your list of things to do.
- Access to archives and firsthand artifacts: While many of the counties we will list later have plenty of artifacts to study, those connected to the Vikings will inevitably have more along with firsthand historical settlements and buildings to visit.
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Top Institutions Offering Viking Archaeology Studies
| Institution | Location | Key advantages |
| University of Oslo | Norway | This institution has the most direct connection with the Norwegian Vikings and a particular focus on fieldwork. |
| Uppsala University | Sweden | As the university with the oldest archaeology department (as defined by having the world’s first professorships in archaeology in 1662), it is the ideal place to learn about this subject. |
| University of Aarhus | Denmark | Aarhus specializes in Viking Age urbanization and has a direct link to Danish Viking expansion (towards England and the overall UK). |
| University of Iceland | Iceland | Unmatched primary sources for Viking expansion and colonial settlements. |
| University of York | England | As the place where the Danish Vikings first made contact with the Anglo-Saxons of England, it contains the best source of knowledge and access to Anglo-Scandinavian archaeology. |
| University of the Highlands and Islands | Scotland | Because of the area’s well-preserved Norse sites, the region is a remarkable place to discover more about Viking Scotland and a focus on the North Atlantic circular economy. |
| Cornell University | USA | Cornell prides itself on a strong theoretical approach, and what it lacks in real-world sites, it makes up for with its world-class approach to learning. |
| University of California, Berkeley | USA | This university has strong partnerships with various Scandinavian institutions and has a more global perspective on how the Vikings influenced the Western world. |
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What Makes A Viking Archaeology Program Stand Out?
There are myriad factors that make any university program stand out, and the more deeply you inspect your shortlist, the easier it will be to narrow your choices down. Some criteria to assess include the following:
- Access to primary sources and real-world artifacts: The closer you can get to the real source of information, the purer it will be, offering you a better insight into the culture.
- Faculty expertise: Are the faculty regularly publishing papers? Are they regarded as experts in the field? What access will you have with them? These are all questions you need to be asking yourself.
- Fieldwork opportunities: Even the more academically inclined students want to get out into the field at some point. Those institutions offering the best access in this regard ought to be placed higher up on your list.
Interdisciplinary approach: Integrating topics such as maritime archaeology, linguistics, material culture, and bioarchaeology can create a much deeper well of knowledge than if you were to focus on just one aspect.
The Viking Age was undoubtedly a giant moment in the history of Europe and indeed, the entire Western world. It’s no wonder that there are now so many students interested in learning more about it. The tips in this article should provide all budding Viking archaeology students with all they need to get their search started.
