The research at the Department of Historical Studies (IHS) covers all time periods from antiquity to the contemporary era.

Some examples from our specializations are: Snow patch archaeology; European integration; historical ocean research; great power politics; Ecclesia Nidrosiensis; global historical research on natural resources; connections between classical homoerotic poetry and heterosexual latin love poetry and also research on our cultural heritage from the tragedy of 22th of July.

We have organized our research into five disciplines; archaeology, European studies, history, classical studies and cultural heritage management. These are projects and researchers in the disciplines:

Archaeology

Research covers a multitude of topics from early Stone Age to present day. Research topics are used actively in the studies, in the form of teaching and training.

European Studies

The European Studies research cluster investigates processes of European integration and cooperation, the functioning of the European Union and relations between European countries and societies from 1945 to the present day

History

Much of the department's historical research covers Norwegian and international history after World War II. Within older history emphasis is on the Norwegian/Norse and other Nordic / North European Middle Ages.

Classical Studies

Department researchers on classical studies work with original texts from Greek and Latin literature, resulting in internationally acclaimed publications within the fields.  

Cultural Heritage

Research in the field covers topics from cultural heritage in outfields in Norway, Sweden and Scotland, to museum studies, studies of painful heritage, to research on slave forts on the Gold Coast in Africa and cultural heritage in Norway related to the transatlantic slave trade.