Steinar Solheim

• Bukkemoen, Grethe Bjørkan; Rødsrud, Christian Løchsen; Loftsgarden, Kjetil; Solheim, Steinar; Mjærum, Axel & Gjerpe, Lars Erik (2026). Registrering og utgravning av agrarbosetninger - kunnskapsstatus og potensial. In Mjærum, Axel; Gjerpe, Lars Erik & Eriksen, Marianne Hem (Ed.), Hus og gård gjennom fire tusen år. Faglig program for undersøkelser av bosetnings- og landbruksspor fra senneolitikum til middelalder ved Kulturhistorisk museum. Cappelen Damm Forskning/NOASP. ISSN 9788202632243. p. 67–105. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I dette kapittelet belyses den arkeologiske kunnskapsproduksjonen fra registrering via utgravning til etterarbeid og magasinering, og det er lagt vekt på hvordan de ulike leddene virker sammen. Kapittelet redegjør for gjeldende registrerings- og utgravningspraksis, samtidig som det utdyper hvordan registrerings-, utgravnings og etterarbeidsstrategier kan bidra til fremtidig kunnskapsvekst. Det blir særlig trukket frem potensialet i kvalitative undersøkelser og lokaliteter med gode bevaringsforhold for å rette skjevheten i datamaterialet. Betydningen av gode naturvitenskapelige strategier understrekes, samt behovet for gode dokumentasjonsstandarder og databaser som gjør datamaterialet fra forvaltningsundersøkelser, inkludert fylkeskommunens registreringer, mest mulig tilgjengelig og gjenbrukbart for videre forskning og formidling.

• Damlien, Hege; Rosenvinge, Carine Sofie; Solheim, Steinar & Magnell, Ola (2026). Between broad spectrum and specialization: Revisiting the Late Mesolithic (c. 6300–3900 BC) Skoklefall site, Oslo Fjord region, Norway. Journal of Island & Coastal Archaeology. ISSN 1556-4894. doi: 10.1080/15564894.2026.2693850. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is a general assumption that the Mesolithic (ca. 9300–3900 BC) population in the Skagerrak region was highly dependent on marine resources. Due to taphonomic processes, faunal remains from the excavated settlement sites in the region are sparse, with preservation limited to burned bones on most sites. This has resulted in restricted and biased evidence for reconstructing the subsistence economy. In this paper, we present results from archaeological excavations at the Late Mesolithic (ca. 6300–3900 BC) Skoklefall site, located in the inner part of the Oslo Fjord, in southeast Norway. The site yielded well-preserved faunal material from a settlement area and an associated shell midden. We include data from 17 additional sites from southeast Norway and western Sweden with preserved faunal remains, to discuss subsistence and resource exploitation in the Skagerrak region during the Late Mesolithic. We conclude that the aggregated material from the Late Mesolithic sites in this region points to the importance of marine resources within a broad spectrum of species. Skoklefall is an exceptional site in this context, reflecting a clear specialization toward fowling, as well as local adaptation to herring fishing and shellfish harvesting.

• Dimabayao, Julius John; Lara, Javier L.; Canoura, Laro González & Solheim, Steinar (2025). Integrating Climate Risk in Cultural Heritage: A Critical Review of Assessment Frameworks. Heritage. 8(312). doi: 10.3390/heritage8080312. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar; Roalkvam, Isak; Ødegaard, Marie Kjærnet; Loftsgarden, Kjetil; Damlien, Hege & Nielsen, Svein Vatsvåg [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). Assessing the Development in Open Access Publishing in Archaeology: A Case Study from Norway. Open Archaeology. 11(1). doi: 10.1515/opar-2025-0044. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article examines open access (OA) publishing within archaeology by using Norway as a case study. The authors present data on research publications (n = 1,517) produced by archaeologists at Norwegian universities between 2010 and 2021 and classified according to their OA status. The aim is to analyze trends in OA publishing during this period and assess how it aligns with official policies and initiatives from lawmakers, funders, and institutions. The findings indicate a growing proportion of OA publications, with scientific journals emerging as the primary publishing platform during the period. The archaeological publications are also compared with other academic sectors, and the study reveals that the field of archaeology is progressing toward OA at a fast rate compared to the broader humanities sector but slower compared to other academic sectors. The authors suggest that the increasing prevalence of OA publications can primarily be attributed to national and institutional guidelines, rather than changes in researcher behavior, although this works in tandem.

• Roalkvam, Isak & Solheim, Steinar (2025). Comparing Summed Probability Distributions of Shoreline and Radiocarbon Dates from the Mesolithic Skagerrak Coast of Norway. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory. ISSN 1072-5369. 32(1). doi: 10.1007/s10816-025-09696-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar; Zilmer, Kristel; Zawalska, Judyta; Vasshus, Krister S.K.; Sand-Eriksen, Anette & Kimball, Justin [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Inscribed sandstone fragments of Hole, Norway: radiocarbon dates provide insight into rune-stone traditions. Antiquity. ISSN 0003-598X. 99(404), p. 422–439. doi: 10.15184/aqy.2024.225. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The development of runic writing (the early Germanic alphabetic script) and the practice of inscribing runes on stone are difficult to trace, particularly as rune-stone inscriptions are rarely found in original and/or datable contexts. The discovery of several inscribed sandstone fragments at the grave field at Svingerud, Norway, with associated radiocarbon dates of 50 BC–AD 275, now provide the earliest known context for a runestone. An unusual mixture of runes and other markings are revealed as the fragments are reconstructed into a single standing stone, suggesting multiple episodes of inscription and providing insight into early runic writing practices in Iron Age Scandinavia.

• Solheim, Steinar (2024). Population Dynamics and Socio-ecological Trajectories Explain the Emergence of Farming in Late Neolithic Southeast Norway. Journal of Neolithic Archaeology. ISSN 2364-3676. 26, p. 147–164. doi: 10.12766/jna.2024.6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper examines the emergence of farming in Late Neolithic Southeast Norway. A summed probability distribution of radiocarbon dates is used to infer population dynamics and together with a chronological model using dated samples from post-built houses, cultivation layers and cereal grains, it is argued that the introduction of farming was swift and caused by incoming farmers. It is further explored how a low population during the Middle Neolithic period, cause by shifting environmental conditions, was central to the rapid population shift and economic change seen in the Late Neolithic, from ca. 2200 cal BC.

• Arthur, Frank; Hatlestad, Kailin; Lindholm, Karl-Johan; Loftsgarden, Kjetil; Löwenborg, Daniel & Solheim, Steinar [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). The impact of volcanism on Scandinavian climate and human societies during the Holocene: Insights into the Fimbulwinter eruptions (536/540 AD). The Holocene. ISSN 0959-6836. 34(5), p. 619–633. doi: 10.1177/09596836231225718. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent paleoclimatic research has revealed that volcanic events around 536–540 AD caused severe, short-term global cooling. For this same period, archeological research from various regions evidences significant cultural transformation. However, there is still a lack of understanding of how human societies responded and adapted to extreme climate variability and new circumstances. This study focuses on the effects of the 536/540 AD volcanic event in four Scandinavian regions by exploring the shift in demographic and land use intensity before, during, and after this abrupt climate cooling. To achieve this, we performed climate simulations with and without volcanic eruptions using a dynamically downscaled climate model (iLOVECLIM) at a high resolution (0.25° or ~25 km). We integrated the findings with a comprehensive collection of radiocarbon dates from excavated archeological sites across various Scandinavian regions. Our Earth System Model simulates pronounced cooling (maximum ensemble mean −1.1°C), an abrupt reduction in precipitation, and a particularly acute drop in growing degree days (GDD0) after the volcanic event, which can be used to infer likely impacts on agricultural productivity. When compared to the archeological record, we see considerable regional diversity in the societal response to this sudden environmental event. As a result, this study provides a more comprehensive insight into the demographic chronology of Scandinavia and a deeper understanding of the land-use practices its societies depended on during the 536/540 AD event. Our results suggest that this abrupt climate anomaly amplified a social change already in progress.

• Riris, Philip; Silva, Fabio; Crema, Enrico; Palmisano, Alessio; Robinson, Erick & Siegel, Peter E. [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2024). Frequent disturbances enhanced the resilience of past human populations. Nature. ISSN 0028-0836. p. 837–842. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07354-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The record of past human adaptations provides crucial lessons for guiding responses to crises in the future1,2,3. To date, there have been no systematic global comparisons of humans’ ability to absorb and recover from disturbances through time4,5. Here we synthesized resilience across a broad sample of prehistoric population time–frequency data, spanning 30,000 years of human history. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of population decline show that frequent disturbances enhance a population’s capacity to resist and recover from later downturns. Land-use patterns are important mediators of the strength of this positive association: farming and herding societies are more vulnerable but also more resilient overall. The results show that important trade-offs exist when adopting new or alternative land-use strategies.

• Roalkvam, Isak & Solheim, Steinar (2024). Comparing summed probability distributions of shoreline and radiocarbon dates from the Mesolithic Skagerrak coast of Norway. Peer Community in Archaeology. ISSN 2742-1929. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/2f8ph. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2023). Uncovering population dynamics in Southeast Norway from 1300 BC to AD 800 using summed radiocarbon probability distributions. In Ødegaard, Marie Kjærnet & Ystgaard, Ingrid (Ed.), Complexity and dynamics : Settlement and landscape from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance in the Nordic Countries (1700 BC–AD 1600). Sidestone Press. ISSN 9789464270426. p. 99–112. Full text in Research Archive
• Schülke, Almut; Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Mjærum, Axel Johan; Roalkvam, Isak & Solheim, Steinar (2023). New Perspectives on Old Shores: Current Approaches to the Mesolithic in South-Eastern Norway and their Potential. Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research on coastal societies in Mesolithic south-eastern Norway (9300-3900 cal. BC) has increased significantly in recent years, against the backdrop of a much larger, more substantial and constantly growing source material over the last two decades, but also through the adoption of different theoretical frameworks and methodological tools. Thus, various new insights into Mesolithic coastal living have been gathered. However, the diversity in theoretical and methodological approaches has received rather little theoretical reflection concerning the aims and potential of these various ways of dealing with the archaeological material. This article presents and discusses a number of current approaches on human relations with the shore in the Mesolithic in south-eastern Norway. It reflects on differences and similarities with respect to underlying concepts, theory, and methodology within these approaches. We ask which aspects of our topic do the different approaches actually shed light on, and whether the approaches are compatible. By comparing these approaches this article aims at clarifying the investigatory breadth present, but also at highlighting challenges and limitations pertaining to individual analytical perspectives. This can contribute a better understanding of hunter-gatherer lifeways on the Mesolithic coast, potentially through a combination of approaches that have so far been applied separately. We will focus on five thematic areas and on the potential for combining them: population dynamics and radiocarbon dates, settlement patterns and site location, adaptation and choice of place, moving and dwelling, and technology as tradition.

• Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Mjærum, Axel; Roalkvam, Isak; Solheim, Steinar & Schülke, Almut (2023). Coast-concepts in Norwegian Stone Age archaeology. Bulletin de la Société Préhistorique Française. 19, p. 45–60. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The sea and coast have always been central to Norwegian Stone Age research, and most of the archaeological sites we know from the period are located along the coast. Natural conditions associated with the land uplift after the last Ice Age have provided unique opportunities for exploring the coastal settlement of the Stone Age. The general sentiment in the literature is that the Stone Age hunter-gatherers on the Scandinavian Peninsula mainly hunted, moved and settled along the coastline. Less attention has been paid to the areas behind the coast – the coastal hinterland –, although a number of sites are also known further inland and in mountain areas. Central to this perception is the ‘shoreline model’, which has developed gradually over a century of research. While this model has resulted in the identification of thousands of sites, it does have a simplistic eco-functional foundation. Is it possible that such a conceptual starting point in some ways limits our opportunities to explore the coastal landscape from other perspectives, or even prevents us from discovering archaeological material in other landscape settings? To explore this possibility, we ask whether there are conditions in our research, or circumstances in its underlying framework that have contributed to the strong coastal focus. How did today’s concepts and knowledge of the Stone Age coastal settlement come about, and what roles have been played by the natural environment and topographical character of the landscape? How has this influenced our perception of Stone Age settlement, and what other factors have been important? We identify five main factors that each work toward strengthening the coastal focus in different ways. Furthermore, we examine strengths and challenges of the coastal concepts employed in present research and suggest possible future exploration of Stone Age coasts within a broader perspective of a ‘landscape of practice’. Although the coast was central to the people of the Stone Age, this article argues that a one-sided focus on the coast and coastline may hinder a broader knowledge of Stone Age society and human life. Keywords: Stone Age, Mesolithic, shoreline displacement, coastal adaption, archipelago landscape, hinterland, site location, archaeological survey methods, site concepts, Norway.

• Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Hårstad, Silje; Granados, Tina Jensen; Reitan, Gaute; Romundset, Anders & Johannessen, Linnea Syversætre [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Enculturating Coastal Environments in the Middle Mesolithic (8300-6300 cal BCE)-Site Variability, Human-Environment Relations, and Mobility Patterns in Northern Vestfold, SE-Norway. Open Archaeology. 8(1), p. 634–669. doi: 10.1515/opar-2022-0251. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The coastal settlement in Middle Mesolithic (MM) Southeast Norway is generally described as a dynamic system of small, short-lived sites and large sites that were visited repeatedly over a long time. It has been suggested that in this period – compared to the preceding Early Mesolithic (EM) – an increased attraction towards the large archipelagos along the Norwegian coast, and their broad spectrum of both marine and terrestrial food sources, took place. This has, however, been debated. An important background for the discussion is the documented population influx and the abrupt shift in tool technology around 8300 cal BCE. The question remains whether this great social and technological upheaval was followed by a transformation or break in the environmental knowledge and changes in the ways of living, such as new human–environment relations, settlement systems, and mobility patterns. We propose that the continuous process of enculturation of the land and environment would have played a decisive role in the societal development. In this article, we therefore investigate details of site construction and mobility patterns, as well as the marking of the land by the establishment of settlement sites and exploitation of lithic raw materials on a larger scale. We concentrate our investigation on the on-site activity, site location, lithic raw material economy, and technological organisation, which brings renewed opportunities for discussing enculturation processes in the period. Our results document a diverse settlement pattern, as well as diachronic variation, suggesting an internal duality within the sociocultural development process in the area. The article presents the new results from the InterCity Vestfold project, situated by the Oslofjord west coast. Our data comprise a total of eight excavated and 69 surveyed sites from 4 municipalities. A strong isostatic land uplift caused continuous and rapid changes in the shoreline configuration and its nearby environments, in the Oslofjord area throughout the Mesolithic. To enable the discussion of human–environment relations, we therefore present a new relative sea level (RSL) curve, supplying detailed data on the shoreline development in the project area.

• Mjærum, Axel; Loftsgarden, Kjetil & Solheim, Steinar (2022). Human-vegetation dynamics in Holocene south-eastern Norway based on radiocarbon dated charcoal from archaeological excavations. The Holocene. ISSN 0959-6836. 32(7), p. 690–702. doi: 10.1177/09596836221088242. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Charcoal from archaeological contexts differs from off-site pollen samples as it is mainly a product of intentional human action. As such, analysis of charcoal from excavations is a valuable addition to studies of past vegetation and the interaction between humans and the environment. In this paper, we use a dataset consisting of 6186 dated tree species samples from 1239 archaeological sites as a proxy to explore parts of the Holocene forest development and human-vegetation dynamics in South-Eastern Norway. From the middle of the Late Neolithic (from c. 2000 BC) throughout the Early Iron Age (to c. AD 550) the region’s agriculture is characterized by fields, pastures and fallow. Based on our data, we argue that these practices, combined with forest management, clearly altered the natural distribution of trees and favoured some species of broadleaved trees. The past distribution of hazel (Corylus avellana) is an example of human impact on the vegetation. Today, hazel is not even among the 15 most common tree species, while it is one of the most prevalent species in the archaeological record before AD 550. The data indicate that this species was favoured already by the region’s Mesolithic hunter-fisher-gatherers, and that it was among the species that thrived extremely well in the early farming landscape. Secondly, our analysis also indicates that spruce (Picea abies) first formed large stands in the south-eastern parts of Norway c. 500 BC, centuries earlier than previously assumed. It is argued that this event, and a further westward expansion of spruce, was partly a consequence of a specific historical event – the first millennium BC farming expansion.

• Bird, Darcy; Miranda, Lux; Linden, Marc Vander; Robinson, Erick; Nicholson, CHris & Bocinsky, R. Kyle [Show all 20 contributors for this article] (2022). p3k14c, a synthetic global database of archaeological radiocarbon dates. Scientific Data. 9(27). doi: 10.1038/s41597-022-01118-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Archaeologists increasingly use large radiocarbon databases to model prehistoric human demography (also termed paleo-demography). Numerous independent projects, funded over the past decade, have assembled such databases from multiple regions of the world. These data provide unprecedented potential for comparative research on human population ecology and the evolution of social-ecological systems across the Earth. However, these databases have been developed using diferent sample selection criteria, which has resulted in interoperability issues for global-scale, comparative paleodemographic research and integration with paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental data. We present a synthetic, global-scale archaeological radiocarbon database composed of 180,070 radiocarbon dates that have been cleaned according to a standardized sample selection criteria. This database increases the reusability of archaeological radiocarbon data and streamlines quality control assessments for various types of paleo-demographic research. As part of an assessment of data quality, we conduct two analyses of sampling bias in the global database at multiple scales. This database is ideal for paleo-demographic research focused on dates-as-data, bayesian modeling, or summed probability distribution methodologies.

• Solheim, Steinar (2021). Timing the emergence and development of arable farming in Southeastern Norway by using summed probability distribution of radiocarbon dates and a Bayesian age model. Radiocarbon: An International Journal of Cosmogenic Isotope Research. ISSN 0033-8222. 63(5), p. 1503–1524. doi: 10.1017/RDC.2021.80. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The paper explores the emergence and development of arable farming in southeastern Norway by compiling and analyzing directly dated cereals from archaeological contexts. By using summed probability distributions of radiocarbon dates and Bayesian modeling, the paper presents the first comprehensive analysis of the directly dated evidence for farming in the region. The models provide a more precise temporal resolution to the development than hitherto presented. The results demonstrate that the introduction of arable farming to southeastern Norway was a long-term development including several steps. Three different stages are pointed out as important in the process of establishing arable farming: the Early and Middle Neolithic, the Late Neolithic, and the Early Iron Age.

• Solheim, Steinar; Glørstad, Håkon & Persson, Per (2020). Culture and context of the Scandinavian Neolithic. In Gron, Kurt J.; Sørensen, Lasse & Rowley-Conwy, Peter (Ed.), Farmers at the Frontier: A Pan-European Perspective.. Oxbow Books. ISSN 9781789251401. p. 363–379. doi: 10.2307/j.ctv13gvh1g.21. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In the 1990s, Christopher Prescott (1996) asked if there really was a Neolithic in Norway, by questioning the meaning of the term ‘Neolithic’. Prescott’s main point was to critically examine when farming practices were integrated in the region’s prehistory. He stated that in Norwegian research the Neolithic was treated as an economic stage in the evolutionary cultural development, but was defined by typological and chronological traits. As direct evidence for early farming was, and still is, scarce, focus was given to finds of artefacts that could be connected to farming cultures in southern Scandinavia. Pottery and polished flint axes were...

• Solheim, Steinar (2020). Mesolithic coastal landscapes: Demography, settlement patterns and subsistence economy in southeastern Norway. In Schülke, Almut (Eds.), Coastal landscapes of the Mesolithic : Human engagement with the coast from the Atlantic to the Baltic Sea. Routledge. ISSN 9781138303607. p. 44–72. doi: 10.4324/9780203730942. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Norway offers good opportunities to study coastal adaptation in human societies during the early and mid-Holocene. This chapter aims to demonstrate how the coastal region of southeastern Norway and its resources were of central importance for the people who settled here during the Mesolithic. In order to investigate settlement strategies a case from the western coast of the Oslo fjord region is presented. Here settlement strategies and site location are discussed in terms of location near the shoreline by correlating radiocarbon dated contexts of anthropogenic origin with the shoreline displacement curve. Furthermore, the relative population size during the Mesolithic and Neolithic is studied by using radiocarbon dates as proxy. Finally, the subsistence economy is investigated by looking at the available faunal data from excavated sites in the region as well as isotopic evidence of human remains from Norway and the neighbouring regions.

• Solheim, Steinar; Damlien, Hege & Fossum, Guro (2020). Technological transitions and human-environment interactions in Mesolithic southeastern Norway, 11 500–6000 cal. BP. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 246. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106501. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In Northern Europe, the Holocene is characterized by climatic and environmental variations. A central question is how hunter-gatherer in different regions coped with these changes. In this article, we explore the temporal co-variance between environmental change and transitions in lithic technology during the Mesolithic of southeastern Norway. The empirical starting point comprises technological analysis of lithic assemblages from sites dated between 11 500 and 6000 cal. BP. We focus on two transitions identified in the lithic assemblages: 1) the introduction of the conical core pressure blade technology and ground macro tool technology, c. 10 300–10 100 cal. BP, and 2) the introduction of microblade production on handle cores and changes in the macro tool assemblage, c. 7700-7500 cal. BP. The main objective is to investigate the factors influencing transitions in material culture, and contribute to the discussion of the complexity and diversity of human-environment interactions during the Mesolithic of Northern Europe. The results from this study contribute to an increasing knowledge on the diversity and complexity of hunter-gatherers relation with environmental and climatic variation, and add more insight to the vital question of how we can understand culture change among past populations.

• Solheim, Steinar & Iversen, Frode (2019). The mid-6th century crises and their impacts on human activity and settlements in southeastern Norway. In Brady, Niall & Theune, Claudia (Ed.), SETTLEMENT CHANGE ACROSS MEDIEVAL EUROPE OLD PARADIGMS AND NEW VISTAS. Sidestone Press. ISSN 9789088908064. p. 423–434. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  AD 536 is a poignant date in European history and marks the advent of a series of documented environmental changes that affected societies across Europe in various ways. Sudden and severe climate deterioration led to vast crop failures and was followed by plague epidemics in the following decades. In this article, we examine the timing of the changes in human activity with a detailed investigation of 855 radiocarbon determinations from Vestfold, Norway. The modelled radiocarbon data show a decrease in activity concurrent with the climatic events and plague epidemics that took place in the mid-6th century, and provide another proxy for the significant changes that occurred during this time. The results may support the idea that fimbulvetr was the start of a long-lasting cooling period combined with severe population declines and a dramatic decrease in cultural activity. In the past and present, the investigated area represents a heartland of rural production and settlements in Scandinavia. The time span of the crises is fundamental to our academic understanding of the character and societal impacts of the crises, and this study examines it more precisely than previous work.

• Nielsen, Svein Vatsvåg; Solheim, Steinar & Persson, Per (2019). De-Neolithisation in southern Norway inferred from statistical modelling of radiocarbon dates. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology. ISSN 0278-4165. 53, p. 82–91. doi: 10.1016/j.jaa.2018.11.004. Full text in Research Archive

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• Damlien, Hege; Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Melheim, Anne Lene; Mjærum, Axel; Persson, Per Åke & Schülke, Almut [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge. Faglig program for steinalderundersøkelser ved Kulturhistorisk museum. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202737030. 260 p. doi: 10.23865/noasp.141. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge. Faglig program for steinalderundersøkelser ved Kulturhistorisk museum inneholder en helhetlig oversikt over utgravinger av 430 boplasser, begravelser, depoter, fangstanlegg m.m. fra år 2000 til 2017, og presenterer en bred og oppdatert redegjørelse for forskningsstatus knyttet til steinalderen (ca. 9500–1700 f.Kr.) i regionen. I presentasjonen av forskningsstatus synliggjøres ikke bare det vi vet per i dag, men også betydelige kunnskapshull. Den manglede kunnskapen har dannet utgangspunkt for formuleringen av fire framtidige satsingsområder: Teknologi Bosetning og landskapsbruk Ressursgrunnlag og økonomi Ritualer og ritualisert praksis I dette faglige programmet for steinalderundersøkelser presenteres konkrete forslag til strategier og tiltak som vil bidra til å tette disse kunnskapshullene, skape faglig utvikling og danne grunnlag for videre forskning. Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge er skrevet for forskere, forvaltere, studenter og andre som vil gjøre dypdykk i vår eldste forhistorie. Boken vil være et viktig verktøy for planlegging og gjennomføring av kommende steinalderutgravninger ved Kulturhistorisk museum. Den vil også danne et grunnlag for de rådene museet gir i forbindelse med forvaltningen av våre eldste kulturminner.

• Damlien, Hege; Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Melheim, Anne Lene; Mjærum, Axel; Persson, Per & Schülke, Almut [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Steinalderen i Sørøst-Norge: Faglig program for steinalderundersøkelser ved Kulturhistorisk museum. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202737030. 260 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Solheim, Steinar (2026). Human–soil interactions in prehistoric Southeast Norway. Evaluating soil amendment from the Neolithic to the Iron Age through stable isotope values of charred cereal grains. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2026). Smartere arkeologi eller dummere arkeologer? Noen erfaringer med bruk av KI-verktøy. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2026). Are we there yet? Assessing the Development in Open Access Publishing in Norwegian Archaeology. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjærum, Axel; Martens, Jes; Iversen, Frode; Eriksen, Marianne Hem; Gjerpe, Lars Erik & Tsigaridas, Ann Zanette Glørstad [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2026). Excavated Agrarian Building Sites in South-Eastern Norway, c. 2350 BC–AD 1536 (Investigations 1917–2023). doi: 10.18710/BB725X. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The dataset provides an overview of sites in south-eastern Norway where identifiable remains of buildings associated with agrarian settlements, dated to c. 2350 BC–AD 1536, have been excavated. The sites were investigated between 1917 and 2023. The dataset has been compiled in connection with the preparation for the publication “Hus og gård gjennom fire tusen år: Faglig program for undersøkelser av bosetnings- og landbruksspor fra senneolitikum til middelalder ved Kulturhistorisk museum”, Cappelen Damm Akademisk, 2026.

• Solheim, Steinar (2026). Vulkanutbrudd kan ha gjort Norge kaldere. Hvordan taklet steinalderfolk det? [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Befolkningen i Norge kan ha holdt seg stabil selv om det plutselig kom kalde perioder, viser ny studie. Hvordan er det mulig?

• Strickland, Ashley; Zilmer, Kristel & Solheim, Steinar (2025). World’s oldest rune stone has more pieces that contain mysterious messages | CNN. [Internet]. CNN Science. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Archaeologists are piecing together the world’s oldest known rune stone. It could shed light on the origins of early written Germanic languages and who inscribed it.

• Biørnstad, Lasse; Solheim, Steinar & Ørmen, Torfinn (2025). Her er trolig det eldste bålet i Europa. [Internet]. https://www.forskning.no/arkeologi-evolusjon/her-er-trolig-det-eldste-balet-i-europa/2590605. doi: https:/www.forskning.no/arkeologi-evolusjon/her-er-trolig-det-eldste-balet-i-europa/2590605. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2025). The Coastal Landscapes of Southern Norway: Population and settlement. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2025). Her er trolig det eldste bålet i Europa. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hvem kan ha gjort opp ild her for 400.000 år siden?

• Spangen, Marte; Neumann, Iver Brynild; Glørstad, Håkon; Melheim, Anne Lene; Solheim, Steinar & Lund, Julie (2025). Hvorfor vil Trump styre fortiden? p. 15–15. doi: https:/eavis.dagsavisen.no/p/dagsavisen/10-09-2025/r/8/14-15/6366/1993129. Full text in Research Archive
• Spangen, Marte; Neumann, Iver Brynild; Glørstad, Håkon; Lund, Julie; Melheim, Anne Lene & Solheim, Steinar (2025). Livsfarlige tider for vår felles hukommelse. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2025). Paradata Workshop. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Deltaker i paneldebatt.

• Solheim, Steinar (2025). Hvorfor ble hundrevis av disse mystiske steinene ofret for nesten 5.000 år siden i Danmark? [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2025). Forskere fant flere biter av verdens eldste runestein – kan endre runenes historie. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Nyheten gikk verden rundt da den nær 2000 år gamle Holesteinen ble oppdaget. Nye funn kan endre deler av vår språkhistorie, mener forsker.

• Solheim, Steinar (2024). How can we use radiocarbon dates to discuss resilience? Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2024). Session chair: Identifying human-climate interactions in the past. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2024). Makroarkeologi: Arkeologiens begrensninger og universelle forklaringer. Full text in Research Archive
• Spangen, Marte & Solheim, Steinar (2024). Boken «12000 år med norsk historie» bidrar mer til forvirring enn forklaring. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/debatt/i/9z99jW/boken-12000-aar-med-norsk-historie-bidrar-mer-til-forvirring-enn-forklaring

• Solheim, Steinar & Loftsgarden, Kjetil (2024). The ultimate proxy data? The significant research value of radiocarbon databases. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2024). Farming, population growth and cultural change in the Late Neolithic of south-eastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Spangen, Marte & Solheim, Steinar (2024). Ingen nye argumenter. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/debatt/i/zEnRwq/ingen-nye-argumenter?fbclid=IwAR3Q_LwfTrY7e3wy3SBJlWTFJdPKOvBDc10BW-dWJTnyPoVHKrA_GGzrmMo

• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2024). Runesteinen fra gravfeltet ved Svingerud – verdens eldste daterte runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Exploring temporal trends in human activity, lithic technology and tool assemblages in South-Eastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Utviklingen i arkeologiske metoder og arkeologiens forhold til andre fag. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel; Solheim, Steinar & Orie, Amarachi (2023). World’s oldest dated runestone discovered in Norway – with a mysterious inscription. [Internet]. CNN. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar; Zilmer, Kristel; Påsche, Eirik Sørenmo & Brock, Tina (2023). Skal finne ut mer om mystisk kvinne fra år 0. [Internet]. NRK Buskerud. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel; Solheim, Steinar; Carlsen, Marianne Rustad & Hirsti, Kristine (2023). Fant 2000 år gammel runestein i Hole : – Dette er en verdensnyhet. [Internet]. NRK. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel; Solheim, Steinar & Mauren, Arnfinn (2023). Unikt funn av runestein: – Alle runeforskeres drøm. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel; Solheim, Steinar & Toft, Martin (2023). Verdas eldste runestein funnen av UiO-arkeologar i Hole på Ringerike. [Internet]. Uniforum. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar; Zilmer, Kristel & Ramsrud, Knut Andreas (2023). På den aller siste dagen gjorde de et sensasjonelt funn. [Journal]. Ringerikes blad. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel; Solheim, Steinar & Estep, Mette (2023). Verdens eldste runestein funnet ved Tyrifjorden. [Internet]. NTB. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel & Solheim, Steinar (2023). Verdens eldste runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel & Solheim, Steinar (2023). TV2 Nyheter - direkte intervju om runesteinen fra Hole. [TV]. TV2. Full text in Research Archive
• Zilmer, Kristel; Solheim, Steinar & Zawalska, Judyta (2023). Verdens eldste runestein - infofilm til utstilling på Historisk museum. [Internet]. Utstilling. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). God morgen Norge. [TV]. TV 2 God morgen Norge. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Introduksjon - stordata i norske arkeologi. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Forskere mener vestlendinger spiste hai i steinalderen. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). Scene HumSam: Verdens eldste runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Svingerudsteinen - verdens eldste runestein. Omvisning for Riksantikvaren. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). Svingerudsteinen – verdens eldste runestein. Utstillingsåpning Veien kulturminnepark. Full text in Research Archive
• Spangen, Marte & Solheim, Steinar (2023). Utdaterte spekulasjoner om DNA og kultur blir presentert som fakta. Det er et problem. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  https://www.aftenposten.no/meninger/kronikk/i/3EAvjP/utdaterte-spekulasjoner-om-dna-og-kultur-blir-presentert-som-fakta-det-er-et-problem

• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Migration is in your bones! In Hofmann, Daniela; Frieman, Catherine J & Nyland, Astrid Johanne (Ed.), Migration narratives in Archaeology. Sidestone Press. ISSN 9789464262025. p. 46–48. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). Foredrag om verdens eldste runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar; Zilmer, Kristel & Carlsen, Marianne Rustad (2023). Eldste runestein. [TV]. NRK Dagsrevyen. Full text in Research Archive
• Gulliksen, Øivind; Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). Om formidling av runesteinen fra Svingerud, Hole. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). The start of farming in Eastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Her stikker verdens eldste runestein ut av bakken. Slik fant forskerne ut hvor gammel den er. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). Norsk runestein er trolig verdens eldste. [Radio]. NRK - Studio 2. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2023). Fellesprosjektet Ringeriksbanen og E16. Arkeologiske undersøkelser og verdens eldste runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2023). Svingerudsteinen - verdens eldste runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Zilmer, Kristel (2022). Svingerudsteinen - verdens eldste runestein. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Kay, Andrea (2022). Introduction to session 404 “Socio-environmental systems and resilience to disturbance regimes". Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Schülke, Almut (2022). Exploring the Archaeological Migration Narrative: The Introduction of Farming and Animal Husbandry in Southern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2022). Studio 2 - Steingammel stekt fisk. [Radio]. NRK P2. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I Israel er restene av verdens eldste «middag» blitt funnet: 780 000 år gamle rester av stekt fisk ved jordanelven tyder på at menneskers forgjengere begynte å tilberede mat med ild mye tidligere enn antatt.

• Schülke, Almut & Solheim, Steinar (2022). Participation in CAS-project "Exploring the Archaeological Migration Narrative: The introduction of farming and animal husbandry in Southern Norway". Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2022). Arkeologiske utgravninger i Hole. [Radio]. NRK Nyhetsmorgen. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2022). Utgravninger langs FRE16. [TV]. NRK Distriktsnyheter Oslo og Viken. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar & Hårstad, Silje (2021). Ringstadåsen, Fredrikstad: Gravfelt fra eldre jernalder med tre steinsettinger. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørnstad, Lasse; Ørmen, Torfinn & Solheim, Steinar (2021). Hvor gamle ble egentlig folk i steinalderen? [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2021). Det kan ha vært folk på Azorene flere hundre år før portugiserne kom. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2021). Population studies in the Nordic Past: Where does gender fit in. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2021). P3K: Presentation of research groups and current research. Full text in Research Archive
• Schülke, Almut; Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Mjærum, Axel Johan; Solheim, Steinar; Roalkvam, Isak & Damlien, Hege (2021). Forskergruppe PrehCOAST - Status og veien videre. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2021). The emergence and development of arable farming in Southeastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Mjærum, Axel; Roalkvam, Isak; Solheim, Steinar & Schülke, Almut (2020). Coast-concepts in Norwegian Stone Age Archaeology. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The coast plays a major role in Norwegian Stone Age archaeology. Hundreds of sites from the Mesolithic and Neolithic periods were situated close to or directly at the shorelines. They witness of the economic, social and ritual importance of the coastal zone. However, the “normality” of coastal sites seems to have prevented further reflections about the concepts that have been applied to study coastal sites and the relevance of the coast in the Stone Age. Our talk will identify concepts and epistemological perspectives of how archaeologists have dealt with coastal issues in Stone Age archaeology in a research historic perspective – from early geoarchaeological studies focus-sing on land uplift and coastal sites (“the beach model”), via more processually oriented division of landscape spaces and their environmental characteristics. We will also discuss the sites’ economic functions, based on more recent, ethnoarchaeologically influenced, perspectives on taskscapes, movement in and experience of the coastal zone.

• Schülke, Almut; Solheim, Steinar; Roalkvam, Isak; Mjærum, Axel & Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie (2020). New Perspectives on Old Shores: Current approaches on the Stone Age in Eastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The coastal and inland areas landscapes of southeastern Norway offered resource rich environments for Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to settle in. This human activity has left an extensive dataset for archaeologist to study settlement and activity from the seashores to the high mountain areas. In recent years, there has been a development in archaeological analysis of human activity in the region applying the large amount of data generated by recent archaeological excavations and surveys in novel ways, especially in the regions former coastal areas. The use of archaeological big-data, such as radiocarbon dates and surveyed sites, has given new insights to past population dynamics, and coupled with environmental data this has offered us possible explanations to variation in settlement patterns. Further, detailed analysis of lithic technology have provided insight into raw material procurement, movement of people and shifting social networks. Moreover, the identification of some hinterland sites opens up for a better understanding of the importance and use of the coastal hinterland. In this paper, we will look closer at the recent development in archaeological research on coastal societies in southeastern Norway. We will present cur-rent perspectives as well as which future avenues we will explore in order to increase our knowledge on hunter-gatherers settlement, mobility and economy in coastal areas.

• Solheim, Steinar; Reitan, Gaute & Roalkvam, Isak (2020). 2000 år på 200 meter. Norark.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Damlien, Hege; Koxvold, Lucia Uchermann & Solheim, Steinar (2020). Colonization and the enculturation of landscapes. A case from Mesolithic Southeast-Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2019). PEOPLE 3000 Vernal workshop The case of South-eastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2019). Holocene coastal landscapes and marine adaptation.The case of Eastern Norway, c.9000-­2000 cal.BC. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar; Damlien, Hege & Koxvold, Lucia Uchermann (2019). Exploring long-term variation in spatial organization in Mesolithic southeastern Norway, c. 11 400-9500 cal.BP. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2019). Radiocarbon dates as proxies for prehistoric population size: Methods and data, problems and potential. Full text in Research Archive
• Schülke, Almut; Berg-Hansen, Inger Marie; Mjærum, Axel & Solheim, Steinar (2019). The Coast and Coastal Societies - Concepts and Terminology. Southeastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Solheim, Steinar (2019). Early and mid-Holocene coastal settlement and population. The case of Eastern Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Mjærum, Axel Johan & Solheim, Steinar (2019). Feltkurs som læringsform. 50 år med arkeologisk feltutdanning ved Universitetet i Oslo. Primitive tider. ISSN 1501-0430. 21, p. 121–141. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The archaeological field course is the forum where many archaeology students meet and take part in an archaeological excavation for the first time. To excavate and generate scientific data through excavations is at the core of the archaeological discipline. For that reason, introducing students for theoretical and practical knowledge about field archaeology have been a central part of the discipline for the last 150 years at Norwegian universities. In this paper, we look closer at how the field course has developed at the University of Oslo during the last half century. Based on a compiled overview of field courses, we discuss how the field course has developed and changed over time in relation to the development in the discipline and higher education at large. A central question is whether the field course succeed in giving the students skills to perform an excavation and document the process. A main find is that collegial knowledge transfer run as a thread through the disciplines’ history as the most important way of training new archaeologists.

• Solheim, Steinar (2019). Fra Bamble til ”big-data” Hvorfor bygge en C14-database ved KHM? Full text in Research Archive

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