Viking Dynasties – The Royal Families of Lejre and Uppsala Between Archaeology and Text explores two of the most iconic royal sites in Scandinavian history: Lejre in Denmark and Gamla Uppsala in Sweden.
by: Tom Christensen, John Ljungkvist & Neil Price
Publisher: Aarhus University Press / Jutland Archaeological Society
Publication date: 2025
Language: English
Pages: 622, illustrated, hardcover
ISBN: 978-87-93423-10-7
The royal sites of Lejre and Gamla Uppsala loom large in Nordic history and folklore, as aristocratic power centres founded by descendants of the gods. This book, and the six-year project of which it is the result, presents a unique Danish-Swedish interdisciplinary collaboration between historians, saga scholars, and archaeologists to explore these iconic sites and the roots of Scandinavia’s earliest kingdoms.
With almost no contemporary records from within Scandinavia, the histories of the early Viking Age kings of Denmark and Sweden have largely been shaped by foreign chroniclers and medieval legends – each adding layers of myth and bias. The team of authors examines these elusive records alongside striking new archaeological discoveries at both sites, revealing high-status environments.
Deliberately embracing debate without necessarily reaching consensus, the authors present the state of the art in our understanding of the dynasties that would reshape the Northern world.
Viking Dynasties – The Royal Families of Lejre and Uppsala Between Archaeology and Text is published in collaboration with the National Museum of Denmark and Uppsala University. The publication initiated and funded by the Krogager Foundation.
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