Captivity and Enslavement during the Viking Age
The taking, trading, and exploitation of enslaved peoples was a routine aspect of daily life across the Viking world. Many elements of these practices, however, remain unclear.
Archaeological studies of Viking-Age society have long-been dominated by a focus on elites and members of other high-status groups. Scholars have largely failed to account for and study the lives of subaltern social groups, in particular those of captives and enslaved peoples who may have comprised a significant portion of the population.
In this talk, Ben Raffield will move beyond the romanticised clichés of raiding and exploration which so often govern our perspectives of Viking-Age life, in order to situate the practice of slavery against the political, social, and cultural backdrop of Scandinavian society.
In other words, what do we actually know about captivity and enslavement during the Viking Age?
Ingår i serien Vikingar 2.0 där vi dyker ned i den senaste spännande forskningen om vikingatiden med hjälp av forskarna själva. Ett samarbete med forskningsprojektet The Viking Phenomenon vid Uppsala universitet.