Archaeology and the Sea in Scandinavia and Britain. Ole Crumlin-Pedersen. Viking Ship Museum. Distributed by Oxbow Books, Oxford, 184p. £45. ISBN: 978-87-85180-05-6.
More than 10 years ago when, together with Brian Williams, I was establishing the Centre for Maritime Archaeology in Northern Ireland, we looked for examples of successful operations elsewhere. That search took us inevitably to Roskilde in Denmark, which we visited in 1999. There, a similar centre had been established at the Viking Ship Museum in 1993 (it continued in existence until 2003). Under the directorship of Ole Crumlin-Pedersen, the Roskilde Centre achieved worldwide acclaim for its work in maritime archaeology and its combination of maritime archaeological fieldwork, experimental archaeology in reconstructing (using ancient methods) and sailing ancient vessels, and interpreting the maritime history of Scandinavia, particularly during the Viking Age. At a breakfast meeting in the freezing midwinter, we were treated to a presentation by Ole Crumlin-Pedersen...
