Welcome to the lecture with free admission from 5:45 PM! NOTE – the lecture is in English. The Nordenstedtska seminar is a lecture series funded by the Nordenstedtska Foundation.
Some scholars seek the Viking Age in National Romantic literature; others turn to modern DNA in presumed Viking-descended communities. Focusing on Islay in the Inner Hebrides, this paper examines both the potential and the methodological pitfalls of using modern genetic data as historical evidence, including rhetorical overreach and statistical mistakes. It questions whether DNA analysis truly clarifies the past – or risks obscuring it behind an aura of scientific objectivity.
Dr Alan Macniven is Senior Lecturer and Head of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh, where he teaches on a range of courses covering the language, literature and culture of modern and medieval Scandinavia. He is particularly interested in areas where aspects of Nordic history and culture intersect with those of Scotland. Alan's research has focused on the identification, interpretation and implications of the evidence for Viking activity in Scotia Scandinavica.
In the Auditorium. No pre-booking. Free entry to the talk from 15.45pm.
About the Nordenstedt seminar:
The Nordenstedt seminar is arranged by Kulturen in Lund and is a series of independent and scientifically based lectures with a connection to Kulturen's activities and motto: the forms of human culture in ancient times and the future. The lecturers consist of PhD staff/doctoral students at Kulturen as well as invited researchers and experts. Each lecture is 60 minutes long, including approximately 10–15 minutes of question and answer time. The lectures are open to the public, free of charge and do not require registration. We will be held in the Auditorium, Kulturen's large lecture hall, and there are usually 50–150 attendees. Therefore, please arrive 15 minutes before the start to guarantee a place.