| Title | Chapter 3. A Series of Unfortunate Events |
|---|---|
| Subtitle | Two Central Norwegian Settlements Facing the Climatic Downturn after ad536–540 |
| Contributor | Ingrid Ystgaard(author) |
| Raymond Sauvage(author) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.63308/63881023874820.ch03 |
| Landing page | https://www.whpress.co.uk/publications/2025/05/02/nordicclimatehistories/ |
| License | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/deed.en |
| Copyright | Ingrid Ystgaard and Raymond Sauvage |
| Publisher | The White Horse Press |
| Published on | 2025-08-15 |
| Long abstract | This chapter explores the impact of the mid-sixth century climatic downturn, triggered by volcanic eruptions in ad 536 and 540, on two settlements in central Norway: Vik in Ørland and Vinjeøra in Vinjefjord. The study examines how these communities, with differing geographical and cultural contexts, responded to the cooling event. Vik, situated on the outer coast, experienced a decline due to its vulnerable position and the retraction of its harbour. In contrast, Vinjeøra, located in a fjord, showed resilience and adaptability, quickly re-establishing itself after a brief period of abandonment. The analysis highlights the concepts of resilience, vulnerability and adaptation, demonstrating how local geographi- cal conditions and pre-existing social structures influenced the communities’ ability to cope with climatic stress. The findings underscore the importance of multi-scalar approaches in understanding the varied human responses to global climatic events. |
| Page range | pp. 77–102 |
| Print length | 26 pages |
| Language | English (Original) |
| Media | 10 illustrations |
Ingrid Ystgaard is Associate Professor in Archaeology in the Department of Historical and Classical Studies at the Norwegian University of Technology and Science in Trondheim, Norway. Her research centres around pre-Viking Age settlement and conflict archaeology in Scandinavia, in addition to environmental archaeology. She managed the archaeological excavations prior to the extension of the Norwegian main Air base at Ørland in 2015–2016, which uncovered extensive settlement traces with faunal, vegetational and geographical data from ca. 500 bc to ad 1050. Her Ph.D. from 2014 explores relations between weapon graves, hill forts, boat houses and military behaviour in a long-time perspective from ad 100–900 in central Norway.
Raymond Sauvage is an archaeologist in the Department of Archaeology and Cul- tural History at the NTNU University Museum, which is part of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim. His research includes early Medieval and Viking Age studies, with a particular focus on mortuary practices and settlement studies. He has led several large archaeological excavation projects in central Norway and managed the excavations in Vinjefjord during 2019–2020, which uncovered extensive evidence of settlements and pre-Christian cemeteries from ca. ad 350–1350.