Husebyer - status quo, open questions and perspectives

Since the early 20th century the more than 130 hamlets or farms in Scandinavia and Orkney known by the name Husaby, Huseby, Husby, Husebø etc. have been a key topic in historical, archaeological and onomastic research into the Viking Age and early Medieval Period, closely linked to the discussion of kingship and political administration. As a prelude to plans for a systematic investigation of the Danish Husebyer in conjunction with those in Sweden, Norway and Orkney, the National Museum Jelling Project in March 2014 invited a group of scholars to take part in a interdisciplinary workshop. The aim was to focus on the current status quo of the Huseby-research and identify core targets for the future. The participants were therefore encouraged to suggest new paths of research, whether historical, onomastic or archaeological. During the workshop the following key themes were addressed:

- The current status and evidence for a dating of the Husebyer
- The origin of the presumed Huseby-system
- Possible explanations of the uneven distribution of the Husebyer
- Current interpretations of the background and the functions of the Husebyer
- Identification of Husebyer in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Orkney which hold promise for further archaeological field investigations.