Research project Tradition, innovation and pragmatism - maritime technology in Viken
Tradition, innovation and pragmatism. Social perspectives on the driving forces behind changes in maritime technology in Viken (AD1050-1700).
Can crafts and boat- and shipbuilding techniques function as a source to understand social dynamics in a society? This is one of the key questions asked in the project.
Project description
The working title of the project is Tradition, innovation and pragmatism. Social perspectives on driving forces behind changes in maritime technology in Viken (AD1050-1700).
The dissertation discusses technical changes in boat- and shipbuilding from the Middle Ages to around 1700. Historical sources together with archaeological finds provides knowledge about the construction of larger ships connected to the Crown and the financial elite. When it comes to the building of vernacular boats and small cargo ships the written sources are sparse. This makes the archaeological sources important, but also creates a different and material point of departure for discussions. A growing archaeological material will be documented and discussed in the dissertation and emphasise will be put on the great variation it demonstrates. The empirical foundation is the historical area of Viken, which includes the Oslofjord and Agder counties in Norway, and which historically also includes Bohuslän on the western coast of Sweden. During the period, boat building undergoes major changes, which can be linked to the introduction of a market economy and trade, urbanisation, internationalisation and the consolidation of the nation state. It is a goal of the dissertation to understand these changes in the light of social dynamics and the transfer of knowledge. Craft as a practice is a fundamental topic, along with social dynamics that creates, motivates, or delays change through the building and use of vessels.
