Pre-Modern Seminar No 15: Daniel Sävborg, Ragnar Saage and Kristo Siig

On Monday May 21st at 18.15 at the library of Skandinavistika 
Daniel Sävborg, Ragnar Saage and Kristo Siig will give a co-presentation over the theme:

"The Salme Excavations - archaeology and sagas."

The seminar took place in the library of Skandinavistika (Ülikooli 17) at 18.15.

A short presentation of the lecture:

"The small village of Salme in the island of Saaremaa has revealed two ancient ship finds form the 8th century. The ships were buried with 43 men, swords, shields, gaming pieces and other artifacts that seem to indicate their Scandinavian origin. Some of the skeletons show brutal injuries, the shields and the ship planks contain arrowheads. Some of the swords are exquisite works of art and similar swords have been found from the high nobility’s graves from Scandinavia.

This site is proving to be interesting in many aspects: it might have the oldest ship with a sail in the Baltic sea, it can seriously affect the chronology based on typology in Scandinavia and being the first battle grave from the period, it can produce new information about warfare. This archaeological site has raised many questions and speculations, whether the event can be traced in sagas or it might be written on some rune stones?

At the seminar Ragnar Saage and Kristo Siig will present the excavations and Daniel Sävborg will give a presentation of the Old Nordic sources of King Ingvar's campaign and death and discuss the possibilities and methodological problems of connecting the archaeological finds with the later Old Norse texts."

Welcome!