Dr Steven Ashby

Steven P. Ashby is a Reader in Medieval Archaeology at the University of York in England, where he has won several prizes for teaching, and has run research projects on craft, trade, and domestic activity in Viking-Age Britain and Scandinavia. He received his MSc in Zooarchaeology, and his PhD in Archaeology from the University of York. A specialist on the Vikings, Dr. Ashby is the author of numerous articles and books including A Viking Way of Life (Amberley); Pocket Museum: Vikings (Thames and Hudson); and Crafts and Social Networks in Viking Towns (Oxbow). He is also the founding editor of the scholarly book series Viking Europe, and has acted as consultant on a number of popular interest and children’s books on the Viking world.

His research focuses on everyday life, craft, and long-distance trade in Viking-Age Scandinavia, as well as Britain and Ireland. He co-founded the Viking Craft Network and the Vikings Studies Research Group, and has been a featured speaker and historical consultant on TV and radio in the U.K. and internationally. Most notably, he worked on Real Vikings, co-hosting a film based in arctic Norway with members of the cast of the History Channel’s Vikings series. Dr. Ashby’s knowledge of the Vikings, along with his enthusiastic teaching style and love of Scandinavia makes him an ideal study leader for this trip.