16th Viking Congress – Iceland 2009
17th – 23rd August
Preliminary program
Note:
Because of a very tight schedule all presentations have to be limited to 15-20 minutes in length. To ensure a smooth flow in the presentations, all pictures, maps and drawings must be presented in PowerPoint, and not on slides or an overhead projector.
When travelling in Iceland you can expect all kinds of weather within a short period of time. So, it is always good to be prepared. For our excursions to Krýsuvík, Reykholt and Breiðafjörður we recommend warm and water repellent clothes – but of course we hope for the best!
August 16 - Sunday
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15.00-18.00 |
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Congress members arrive in Reykjavik |
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17.00-18.00 |
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Congress documents delivered in the National Museum |
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17.00-18.00 |
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Reception at the National Museum. Welcome by Guðný Helgadóttir, Ministry of Education and Culture and Margrét Hallgrímsdóttir Director of the National Museum of Iceland. |
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20.00 |
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Public lecture in the University of Iceland, Hátíðarsalur, main building:
Birgitta Wallace, archaeologist emeritus, Parks Canada:
L’Anse aux Meadows: Different Disciplines, Divergent Views |
Day 1 August 17 - Monday
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Theme 1: Viking Settlements and Viking Society
All lectures will be held in the large lecture hall at Háskólatorg
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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09.00-09.15 |
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Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, President of Iceland: Opening of the Congress |
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Session 1: Chair: Guðmundur Ólafsson |
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09.15-10.30 |
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Christopher Callow: Landnámabók and territorial organisation in Iceland |
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Anne Pedersen: Jelling and the Jelling Project |
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Kevin Edwards: Is there a Norse 'footprint' in the North Atlantic pollen record? |
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Discussion |
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10.30-10.50 |
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Coffee |
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Session 2: Chair: Jette Arneborg |
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10.50-12.00 |
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David Griffiths: Landscapes of power in northern and western Britain |
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Nancy Edwards: Viking Age Settlement and Society in North-West Wales: the Sculptural Evidence |
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Andres S. Dobat: Danevirke revisited - or - how powerful were the Viking Age kings? |
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Discussion |
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12.10-13.00 |
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Public lecture in Háskólatorg, University of Iceland:
Else Roesdahl, professor in Medieval Archaeology in Aarhus, Denmark:
Scandinavia in the Melting Pot, c. 950-1000 |
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13.00-14.00 |
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Lunch |
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Session 3: Chair: Kevin Edwards |
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14.00-15.30 |
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Gareth Williams: My cup runneth over. |
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Julie Bond: Excavations at Hamar and Underhoull, Unst, Shetland |
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Mark Blackburn: Torksey: Finds from the Viking wintercamp of 872/3 |
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Richard Hall: New Discoveries in Viking Age York |
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Discussion |
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15.30-16.00 |
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Coffee |
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Session 4: Chair: Jón Viðar Sigurðsson |
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16.00-17.30 |
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Frode Iversen: Bona patrimonium and bona regalia. Royal manors in Scandinavia in the Viking Age |
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Claus Feveile: How can we define a manor from archaeological sources? A case study near Ribe, Denmark |
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Dagfinn Skre: Kaupang - Where did the settlers come from? |
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Barbara Crawford: The 'stofa'; a feature of North Atlantic society |
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Discussion |
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17.40 |
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Buses leave for Bessastaðir |
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18.00-19.00 |
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Reception by the President of Iceland, at Bessastaðir |
Day 2 August 18 - Tuesday
| Theme 1: Viking Settlements and Viking Society |
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08.00 |
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Breakfast |
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Session 5: Chair: Else Roesdahl |
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09.00-10.30
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Joachim Schultze: Aspects of the settlement structure and house construction in Hedeby |
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Eva Andersson Strand: Textile Production in Hedeby and Birka |
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Sven Kalmring: The harbour of Hedeby |
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Volker Hilberg: Hedeby's fall and Slesvig's rise - continuities and changes in the 11th century |
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Discussion |
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10.30-10.50 |
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Coffee |
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Session 6: Chair: Helgi Þorláksson |
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10.50-12.00
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Frans-Arne Stylegar: Dendrochronology and Viking ships in Norway - new evidence |
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Ingvild Øye: Settlements and agrarian landscapes - chronological issues and archaeological challenges. Norwegian cases |
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Lesley Abrams: Monumental Identity: the hogback in the British Isles |
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Discussion |
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12.10-13.00
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Public lecture in Háskólatorg, lecture hall 102 - University of Iceland:
Prezemyslav Urbanczyk, professor in archaeology, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw: Formation of the Icelandic identity viewed with the help of archaeological evidence |
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13.00-14.00 |
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Lunch
Congress council meeting in meeting room HT303 (3rd floor Háskólatorg) |
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14.00-17.00 |
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Excursion to Reykjanes |
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Krýsuvík - Geothermal area |
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Húshólmi - Viking Age farm site. The Archaeological Heritage Agency |
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18.00-19.00
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Reception at the Settlement Exhibition: 871 ±2. Welcome by Guðný Gerður Gunnarsdóttir, director of Reykjavik City Museum |
Day 3 August 19 – Wednesday
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Theme 1: Viking Settlements and Viking Society
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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Session 7: Chair: Richard Hall |
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09.00-10.30
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Clare Downham: Viking memory in the Scottish Statistical Accounts |
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Søren Sindbæk: Innovation and social networks in Viking period towns |
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Torun Zachrison: The Archaeology of Rimbert |
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Birgitta Hårdh: Uppåkra and Lund. A central place and a town |
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Discussion |
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10.30-10.50 |
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Coffee |
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Session 8: Chair: Anton Holt |
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10.50-12.00 |
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John Sheehan: Weighty matters: silver wealth distribution in Viking Age Ireland |
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Kenneth Jonsson: Coin circulation on Iceland and the North Atlantic |
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Svein Harald Gullbekk: Money and its use in the saga society |
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Discussion |
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12.10-13.00 |
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Public lecture in Háskólatorg - University of Iceland: |
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James Graham-Campbell: Emeritus Professor of Medieval Archaeology, University College London:
'The dragon's bed': Gold and Silver in Viking-Age Iceland - and Beyond |
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13.00-14.00 |
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Lunch |
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Theme 2: Viking Age Iceland |
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Session 9: Chair: Guðrún Sveinbjarnardóttir |
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14.00-15.30
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Jón Viðar Sigurðsson: The Free State Constitution and dispute settlement |
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Jesse Byock: The Longhouse at Hrísbrú in Mosfelldalur |
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Haki Antonsson: Memories of the Conversion: Missionary Saints and the Christianization of Scandinavia |
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Guðrún Nordal: The meaning of the settlement stories in the sagas of Icelanders |
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Discussion |
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16.00-17.00 |
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Visit to the Manuscript exhibition in the Culture house |
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17.00-18.00
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Reception at the Numismatic collection of the Central Bank of Iceland and the National Museum |
Day 4 August 20 – Thursday
Tour to Reykholt
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07.00-08.00 |
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Breakfast |
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08:00
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Departure from Reykjavik (The buses will pick you up at Fosshótel Suðurgata, Hótel Saga and Garður Inn. Those staying at other hotels are asked to come to Hótel Saga or Garður Inn). |
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08.30-09.30 |
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Þingnes by Elliðavatn. Viking assembly site |
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10.00-11.00 |
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Hrísbrú in Mosfellsdalur. Viking age site |
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11.30-14.00 |
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Thingvellir. National assembly site |
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14.00-15.30 |
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Húsafell |
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16.00-17.30 |
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Surtshellir cave. Viking age outlaw shelter |
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18.00-19.00 |
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Hraunfossar. Waterfalls |
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19.30 |
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Dinner in Reykholt |
Day 5 August 21 – Friday
All themes
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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Theme 2: Viking Age Iceland |
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Session 10: Chair: Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir |
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09.00-10.30
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Helgi Þorláksson: A seat of a settler? A centre of a magnate. Breiðabólstaðr and Reykholt |
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Guðrún Sveinbjarnardóttir: The Reykholt shieling project: some preliminary results |
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Gavin Lucas: Excavations at Hofstaðir |
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Colleen Batey: Hofstadir: can its status be determined by the artefacts? |
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Discussion |
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10.30-10.50 |
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Coffee |
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Theme 3: Sickness, Death and Belief in the Viking Age - Parallel sessions |
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Session 11 A: Chair: Ingvild Øye |
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10.50-12.00
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Sæbjørg Walaker Nordeide: Where did all the people go? Looking for burials from the 11th century |
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Dawn Hadley: Protecting the dead in Viking-Age England |
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Silke Eisenschmidt: The graves from Hedeby |
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Discussion |
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Session 11 B: Chair: Judith Jesch |
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10.50-12.00 |
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Else Mundal: Death as omen in Sagas of Icelanders |
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Dniel Sävborg: Haugbúar, haugbrot and sagas. |
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Christina Lee: Sickness and society in Old Icelandic sources |
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Discussion |
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12.10-13.00
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Public lecture: Thomas McGovern, professor, Hunter College, CUNY, New York: Vikings in the International Polar Year: bloodthirsty, sustainable, and educational |
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13.00-14:00 |
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Lunch |
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Theme 4: Memories and Viking Identities |
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Session 12: Chair: Adolf Friðriksson |
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14.00-15.30 |
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Donnchadh O'Corrain: Irish annals and ON texts: examples |
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John Hines: Raiding and Trade along the Bristol Channel in the Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh Centuries |
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Máire Ní Mhaonaigh: What Vikings became: the transformation of Vikings in Medieval Irish Literary Texts |
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Neil Price: Pirates of the Atlantic: revolution and resistance in the Viking Age |
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Discussion |
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15.30-16.00 |
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Coffee |
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Mixed themes |
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Session 13: Chair: Olwyn Owen |
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16.00-17.30
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Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir: The Vikings as a Diaspora - Cultural and Religious Identities in Early Medieval Iceland |
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Staffan Fridell: Graphic variation and change in the younger futhark |
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James Knirk: The Viðey rune-stick: Iceland's earliest runic inscription |
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Þórgunnur Snædal: What kind of name is Jafnakollr?
A newly found runic inscription in Sweden and a by-name in Landnámabók |
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Discussion |
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17.30-18.00
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Reykholt - historic walk: Rev. Geir Waage and Guðrún Sveinbjarnardóttir |
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19.30 |
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Dinner |
Day 6 August 22 – Saturday
Tour to Snæfellsnes
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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09.00-11.00 |
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Eiríksstaðir. Viking age farm site and reconstructed hall |
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11.00-13.00 |
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Bus to Stykkishólmur |
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13.00-14.00 |
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Lunch in Stykkishólmur |
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14.00-16.00 |
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Boat trip on Breiðafjörður |
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16.00-17.30 |
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Borg - Reykholt |
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17.30-19.00 |
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Congress Council Meeting |
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20.00 |
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Congress dinner |
Day 7 August 23 – Sunday
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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Mixed themes |
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Session 14: Chair: John Sheehan
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09.00-10.30
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Anne-Sofie Gräslund: Similarities or Differences - Reflections on Viking Identity |
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Mogens Skaaning Høegsberg: Indications of identity? The cultural identity of the Greenland Norse |
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Lisbeth Imer: Ave Maria – Christian runic inscriptions from Greenland |
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Discussion |
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10.30-10.50 |
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Coffee |
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Session 15: Colleen Batey
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10.50-12.00
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Olwyn Owen: Norse influence at Govan on the Firth of Clyde |
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Gunnar Karlsson: Love in Early Iceland |
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Judith Jesch: The Norse Gods in England |
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Adolf Friðriksson: Viking Archaeology in Iceland - Another Half Century |
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Discussion |
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14.10 |
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Invitation to the next congress/End of Congress |
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15.00 |
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Bus leaves for Reykjavik |
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16.30-17.30 |
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Bus to hotels in Reykjavik or Keflavik |
Post-Congress tour to North Iceland
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15.00 |
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Bus leaves for Post-Congress tour |
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17.30-18.30 |
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Borgarvirki. Natural hillfort, Viking age remains |
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20.00 |
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Hólar í Hjaltadalur |
Day 1 August 24 – Monday
Skagafjörður
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09.00-10.00 |
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Breakfast |
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10.00-11.00 |
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Hegranes. Medieval assembly site |
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11.00-12.00 |
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Keldudalur, archaeological site |
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12.00-12.30 |
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Víðimýri. Small turf church |
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12.30-15.00
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Glaumbær. Large turf farm - Archaeological site. Welcome by Guðný Zoega from the Skagafjörður Museum |
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15.00-16.30 |
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Kolkuós. Medieval harbour |
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16.30-19.00 |
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Hofsstaðir, Hólar Archaeological site, and Auðunarstofa |
Day 2 August 25 – Tuesday
Eyjafjörður
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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09.00-10.00 |
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Coffee at Möðruvellir, Hörgárdalur |
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10.00-12.00 |
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Gásir. Medieval harbour- trading place |
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12.00-13.00 |
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Lunch - Akureyri |
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13.00-14.00 |
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Akureyri City Museum |
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14.00-15.00 |
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Laufás |
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15.00-16.00 |
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Goðafoss |
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16.00-18.00 |
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Hofstaðir. Viking/Early medieval site |
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18.00-19.00 |
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Narfastaðir in Reykjadalur - Dinner |
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20.00 |
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Mývatn geothermal baths |
Day 3 August 26 – Wednesday
Mývatnssveit
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08.00-09.00 |
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Breakfast |
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09.00-10.00 |
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Námaskarð. Geothermal area |
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10.00-12.30 |
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Dimmuborgir. Lava formations/Höfði |
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12.30-14.00 |
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Þverá í Laxárdal. Old turfhouse farm |
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14.00-15.00 |
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Grenjaðarstaður. Old turfhouse farm |
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15.00-17.00 |
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Bus to Akureyri |
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17.00-18.00
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Dinner - BBQ garden party in Akureyri.
End of Post Congress tour |
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18.00-24.00 |
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Bus to Reykjavík or |
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18.00-19.00 |
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Flight to Reykjavík (not included) |
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24.00-01.00 |
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Bus to hotels in Reykjavik or Keflavik |
NOTE:
The bus will take us from Akureyri (on the 26th) back to hotels in Reykjavik or Keflavik. The drive takes aprox. 6 hours so we will arrive late in Reykjavik. You need to book accommodation for this night.
If you would rather want to book a flight back to Reykjavík (the flight takes ca. 45 min) you can easily do that online at http://www.flugfelag.is/ (there you find information in Icelandic, English and Danish).
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