19. February 2021

New Ph.D. dissertation from UrbNet brings insight into the Viking Age through an interdisciplinary approach

Combining geochemistry and micromorphology can create a strong analytical tool. Ph.D. student Pernille Lærke Krantz Trant from the Center of Excellence UrbNet at Aarhus University has done exactly that in her Ph.D. dissertation ”Indoor use of a Viking Age house: Combining geochemistry and multi-spectral methods in Ribe, Denmark.” In her research, she focused on the microscopic level to get a better understanding of indoor activities in the Viking Age.

Ph.D. student Pernille Lærke Krantz Trant. Photo: Aarhus University
Ph.D. student Pernille Lærke Krantz Trant. Photo: Aarhus University

Ph.D. student Pernille Lærke Krantz Trant from the Center of Excellence UrbNet at Aarhus University has combined geochemistry and micromorphology in her Ph.D. dissertation:  “Indoor use of a Viking Age house: Combining geochemistry and multi-spectral methods in Ribe, Denmark.” Using an interdisciplinary approach, she focused on the microscopic level  to get a better understanding of indoor activities in the Viking Age.

“The results of my Ph.D. study can help optimize the sampling strategy and the subsequent analyses at future excavations. Furthermore, I hope that my results will make people in the field consider how they sample and why they do it in this way. I also hope that they will reflect more upon their choice of analysis method,” said Trant.

An insight into another time

All human activity leaves a trail behind in a set of representative chemical markers, and these trails can be found during excavations by using different methods from the natural sciences. Trant’s study discovered a lot of important details, but most importantly, she discovered that using geochemistry and micromorphology together creates a strong tool for analyzing ancient deposits.

The study revealed how different areas of the houses were used for certain things. There was an area for textile processing, as well as other work areas, and you could also see which areas were used as storage, food preparation, and eating areas.

Read more about the study at UrbNet here

More information about UrbNet here

 

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