Colors surround us and are a defining feature in how we perceive and order the world. Yet we know little of colors of the past. Artifacts change, and color terms are unstable. This talk will introduce an international effort to understand the colors of the Viking Age (800-1100 CE) through a unique combination of chemical traces from textile dyes, color data preserved in necklace beads, and suggestive linguistic clues. This project pursues not only a vivid picture of the Viking Age but also a set of methods applicable to the many contexts in which people manipulate color through fashion.
Event Speaker
Matthew Delvaux, Assistant Professor of History at Barnard College
Event Information
Free and open to the public; registration required. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Hosted by the Center for Science and Society. This event is part of the Faculty Spotlight Event Series. This series highlights the work of Advisory Committee members.
