During recent decades, numerous large-scale archaeological excavations have taken place in many towns and cities in the Nordic countries. Most have been rescue excavations which were not initiated  by research questions or research projects. Many have nonetheless contributed to a significant  increase in the volume and range of archaeological data. In addition to these new and substantial  additions to the urban archaeological record, artefacts and data already stored in university and  museum archives are being increasingly revisited. Despite the challenges associated with dealing with  older data, this material holds a great potential for providing new results and insights relating to urban  life in the past.

The conference “Nordic Urban Archaeology – experiences and new directions” is a new initiative that  aims to explore the current status of urban archaeology. It will provide a forum for the presentation of  papers and posters which will discuss the outcomes of excavations, research projects and other  experiences rooted in urban archaeology and – not least – look ahead to see what the future holds.  The conference’s goal is to enable the various experiences to generate mutual inspirations, synergies,  and new collaborations and research.

Organisers

The organisers behind the conference are a group of archaeologists and researchers employed within research institutions in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden: Hanna Dahlström from Museum of Copenhagen and Kirstine Haase from Museum Odense and UrbNet, Georg Haggrén from Turku University, Chris McLees from The Norwegian Institute for Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU) and Joakim Kjellberg from Upplandsmuseet/Medeltidsmuseet.

The format emphasises the Nordic perspective as the starting point for the conference and highlights the aim to create a Nordic network of urban archaeology and ensure a strong relationship between field archaeology, collections and research.

More information

For more information on registration, conference fee and venue, visit the conference webpage. There you will also find preliminary programme and abstracts.