Adaptation and Resilience of the Norse Greenland: RESPONSE Project Preliminary Results
Researcher at the University Museum of Bergen, Konrad Smiarowski, will present novel research on the Norse settlers in Greenland.
Main content
This presentation from the Greenland RESPONSE Project, an international and interdisciplinary initiative addressing the urgent loss of organic cultural heritage and scientific data due to climate change. Focusing on Norse settlements in Greenland (ca. 985–1450 AD), the research applies a Historical Ecology framework and zooarchaeological analysis from newly excavated sites to explore how these communities adapted to the extreme and shifting Arctic environment.
The study reveals a rapid transformation in subsistence strategies. Norse settlers, initially reliant on livestock-based economies, transitioned to communally organized seasonal seal hunting expeditions and adapted herding practices to the marginal pastures of southwest Greenland. These strategies continued to evolve in response to climatic fluctuations, including the onset of the Little Ice Age, reflecting a resilient and flexible approach to environmental stress.
By integrating archaeological research with local collaboration, student training, and multimedia outreach, RESPONSE promotes sustainability and public engagement. This project contributes to broader discussions on human resilience in marginal environments—highlighting that, despite centuries of successful adaptation, the Norse settlements ultimately did not survive. It examines the limits of resilience and the complex interplay between environment, economy, and climate.
Museplass 3, Tårnsalen kl. 11:00-11:30, gratis inngang
OM MIDDELALDERUKEN
Middelalderuken blir arrangert av samarbeidspartnerne i Middelalderklyngen, som består av et bredt fagmiljø innenfor og utenfor UiB.
I Bergen blir middelalderen forsket på og formidlet i mange ulike fagmiljø. Hvert år går vi sammen og inviterer til en middelalderuke i Bergen der du får møte en spennende og fargerik tidsalder, og lære mer om middelalderens kultur og historie. Det blir arrangementer for både store og små.
200-årsjubileum
I 2025 feires 200-årsjubileet for etableringen av Bergen Universitetsmuseum, og dermed for Universitetet i Bergen. Samlingene ved museet og forskning på disse får et særlig fokus under årets Middelalderuke.
