Date of Award
Spring 5-2-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Megan Hicks
Second Advisor
Thomas McGovern
Academic Program Adviser
Marc Edelmam
Abstract
Enslavement was almost certainly a reality in Viking Age Iceland. However, the fields of Norse Studies and archaeology have traditionally used different lines of evidence to explore enslavement, and for archaeologists, the phenomenon has been left underexplored, and sometimes considered "invisible." While Norse Studies relies primarily on written texts, such as sagas and poems, archaeology focuses more on material remains, including burials and shackles. In Iceland, the archaeological evidence is more subtle - houses with annexes or pit houses, as well as signs of intensive farming and weaving, for example. The presence of any one of these could be otherwise explained, but by combining the insights archaeology offers - both from within and outside the region, results from DNA studies of Icelanders, and the information provided by the sagas and written sources about Viking Age settlement and enslavement, we can tell a richer story about the lives of enslaved individuals in Iceland. By mapping locations using GIS where enslaved people may have lived, this thesis also aims to identify locations for future archaeological (re)exploration.
Recommended Citation
Moore, Caitlin, "Searching for Enslavement in Viking Age Iceland: An Exploration of Making the “Invisible” Visible" (2025). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1305
