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An Archaeology of the Invisible? Tracing Poverty and its Ideology in the Viking Age and Urban Settlements

Tudor, Andra LU (2022) ARKM21 20221
Archaeology
Abstract
Publications have recently drawn attention to archaeology’s historically predominant focus on prestige items and the elite, highlighting the need for a greater focus on society’s lower classes. A few studies have discussed how, or even whether poverty can be addressed in historical archaeology. However, the phenomenon has not seen the same attention in Viking Age studies, despite the great deal of research into social hierarchies and the various identities within them. This study will discuss poverty in Medieval and Viking Age ideology and investigate whether these ideologies are expressed archaeologically in Viking Age urban settlements. Considering the nature of this topic as a study of a social phenomenon that is presumably tied to a... (More)
Publications have recently drawn attention to archaeology’s historically predominant focus on prestige items and the elite, highlighting the need for a greater focus on society’s lower classes. A few studies have discussed how, or even whether poverty can be addressed in historical archaeology. However, the phenomenon has not seen the same attention in Viking Age studies, despite the great deal of research into social hierarchies and the various identities within them. This study will discuss poverty in Medieval and Viking Age ideology and investigate whether these ideologies are expressed archaeologically in Viking Age urban settlements. Considering the nature of this topic as a study of a social phenomenon that is presumably tied to a lack of material remains, the goal of this study is not to find single criteria that is indicative of poverty, but rather to provide a theoretical toolkit and an aggregate of criteria which can be used to investigate poverty. Social structures and ideologies will be examined through a literature study
of existing research on various Early Medieval written sources of the Viking Age, an analysis of existing discourses on Christian ideology of the Middle Ages, as well as a survey of existing archaeological research that is relevant to consider for this topic or future studies. The case study of Kaupang will be used to test whether the perspectives can be applied in practice to specific urban sites in order to conclude what aspects of poverty can be discussed archaeologically. (Less)
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author
Tudor, Andra LU
supervisor
organization
course
ARKM21 20221
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
poverty, subaltern, Viking Age, urban spaces, identity, social hierarchies, medieval, early medieval Scandinavia, housing, Kaupang
language
English
id
9096355
date added to LUP
2022-08-29 18:39:49
date last changed
2022-08-29 18:39:49
@misc{9096355,
  abstract     = {{Publications have recently drawn attention to archaeology’s historically predominant focus on prestige items and the elite, highlighting the need for a greater focus on society’s lower classes. A few studies have discussed how, or even whether poverty can be addressed in historical archaeology. However, the phenomenon has not seen the same attention in Viking Age studies, despite the great deal of research into social hierarchies and the various identities within them. This study will discuss poverty in Medieval and Viking Age ideology and investigate whether these ideologies are expressed archaeologically in Viking Age urban settlements. Considering the nature of this topic as a study of a social phenomenon that is presumably tied to a lack of material remains, the goal of this study is not to find single criteria that is indicative of poverty, but rather to provide a theoretical toolkit and an aggregate of criteria which can be used to investigate poverty. Social structures and ideologies will be examined through a literature study
of existing research on various Early Medieval written sources of the Viking Age, an analysis of existing discourses on Christian ideology of the Middle Ages, as well as a survey of existing archaeological research that is relevant to consider for this topic or future studies. The case study of Kaupang will be used to test whether the perspectives can be applied in practice to specific urban sites in order to conclude what aspects of poverty can be discussed archaeologically.}},
  author       = {{Tudor, Andra}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{An Archaeology of the Invisible? Tracing Poverty and its Ideology in the Viking Age and Urban Settlements}},
  year         = {{2022}},
}