Axel Johan Mjærum

Axel Johan Mjærum is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Heritage Management, University of Oslo. With a career spanning from 2003 to 2024, he has specialized in prehistoric archaeology focusing on hunting, fishing, and farming traditions in Eastern Norway. His work bridges field archaeology with theoretical frameworks, particularly examining coast-inland dynamics in hunter-gatherer societies.

• Academic Affiliation: University of Oslo's Department of Cultural Heritage Management
• Research Areas: Prehistoric resource management, landscape archaeology, Mesolithic-Neolithic transitions
• Key Projects: E18 highway excavations (2009-2012), PrehCOAST research group (2018-2023), SINFISH inland fishing network
• Publications: Over 20 peer-reviewed articles and multiple book chapters on Scandinavian prehistory
• Teaching: Courses in archaeological fieldwork and cultural heritage management since 2004

His recent publications analyze medieval fishing adaptations through dendrochronology, Viking metalworking methodologies, and Mesolithic landscape responses. Mjærum also explores the socio-economic implications of prehistoric fishing practices across coastal, interior, and mountainous regions. His experimental archaeology on wheel-shaped net sinkers has redefined understanding of inland Scandinavian fishing traditions from AD 800-1300.

As coordinator (2017-2022) for cultural heritage protection and leader (2020-2023) of the E39 Mandal-Lyngdal excavation project, Mjærum bridges fieldwork coordination with academic research. Current roles include editorial board membership for Norske oldfunn and leadership in the PrehCOAST research group.