Theme evening: "The Kingdom of the Outback" with archaeologist Kjetil Loftsgarden

On February 17th, we invite you to a theme evening with archaeologist Kjetil Loftsgarden who will present his new book, The Kingdom of Utmarksriksriket, Telemark in the period 400 to 1400Here you will gain insight into society in the Iron Age and the Middle Ages, with particular focus on Vinje and Rauland.

What was life like in Telemark during these thousand years? What were the social and political conditions like?

We get the answer, among other things, through objects from graves and burial finds. During this period, both the forests and the mountains were exploited to the fullest, and it is not without reason that the area is referred to as the "outback kingdom". We know about the large-scale iron production in upper Telemark, and we know that combs were made from antlers and that there was trade in furs, bridle and skins. Through archaeological investigations and finds, we see what they chose to put in the graves of their ancestors, what houses they built and lived in, how they forged iron into precious weapons and work tools.

It was a world where bloody horse fights were entertainment, where honor, combat, and drunkenness went hand in hand with trade in marketplaces, and where ideas and goods flowed in and out of the mountain villages.

Kjetil is a familiar face to many. He grew up in Nesland and became interested in finds from ancient times at an early age. For much of his academic career, he has worked with materials from his home region: "It's nice to work with archaeological traces and finds from upper Telemark, and to be a bit on home turf," says Kjetil, who is often at home in Rauland.

In 2017, Kjetil completed a doctoral degree at the University of Bergen with the title Marketplaces around the Hardangervidda plateau – an archaeological and historical analysis of the inland economy and networks in the Viking Age and the Middle AgesKjetil now works as a professor at the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo and, among other things, leads the research project «Eidsborg rock – production and trade of whetstones in the Viking AgeHe has written over 25 research papers on the Iron Age and the Middle Ages, many based on his local research. The book The Outback was released in 2025.

After the lecture there will be coffee, cake and pastries and you will also have the opportunity to purchase the book. The Outback.

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