Proposal a) “Scandinavian” warriors and merchants in the Lower Danube and Black Sea regions according to archaeological sources
Repeated references to Varangians in the Byzantine Empire caused 20th century archaeologists to search for Scandinavian material in the findings in South East Europe, hoping to find links with these Varangians. In addition, in the last 70 years our image of vikings as warriors has been increasingly superseded by the image of merchants. However, in South East Europe(on the far side of the Kievan Rus), archaeological finds related to Scandinavians are often integrated uncritically into a regional history of events. A reassessment of these finds in a much wider context promises new results. The PhD project will therefore analyse and evaluate the existing archaeological material anew, focussing on the correlation between archaeological and written sources.
Proposal b) “Consecrated weapons”. Swords with inscriptions in the High Middle Ages
From the Carolingian period onwards sword blades have often been “consecrated” by means of inscriptions. Inlaid Latin characters such as INNOMINEDOMINI, ScS BENEDCITVS, ACCIPE SCM GLADIVM MVNVS ADEO bear witness to this practice. They date mainly to the 12th-14th century and are found from Ireland to Finland and as far as the Lower Danube. Christian inscriptions are also found on Byzantine swords (e.g. +ΘΕOΤΟΚΕ ΒΟΗΘΕΙ +ΘΕΡΔΑΤΟΥ ΜΕΓΙΣΤΑΝΟΥ). This PhD project intends to compile and evaluate these swords archaeologically, in order to make information concerning dating, origin, dissemination and finding accessible. The focus will lie on the classification of the inscriptions.