COASTARK explores human-coastal interactions and marine networks from the earliest Stone Age hunter-fishers to the medieval urban and rural communities.
Coastal populations have played key roles for social change and economic development throughout the human prehistory and early history. The coast of Norway is one of the few areas on earth where one can study coastal settlements during the last 12.000 years. This represents an extraordinary opportunity to establish a long-term perspective on how humans formed and responded to the marine environments.
COASTARK Research Group Guiding Principles:
- Increase cross-disciplinary collaboration potential between researchers employed by UiB but located in different departments and institutions.
- Activate and re-activate the comprehensive archaeological and biological materials from development-based projects from Western Norway for teaching and research purposes.
- Provide a forum for high-level cross-disciplinary discussion of research issues covering the entire settlement history of northern coasts with the goal of creating traditional and alternative ways of dissemination.
- Improve regional, inter-regional and international collaborations connected by a central coastal theme.
- Initiate cross-disciplinary, externally funded, and potentially international research projects.
- Expand and enhance education and research programs provided at the University of Bergen, provide competitive career-development strategies, and increase the UiB profile.