معرفی
Kristel Zilmer is Professor of Runology and Iconography at the Department of Archaeology, Museum of Cultural History, University of Oslo since May 2020. Previously serving as Associate Professor at the same institution (2019-2020), she has held academic positions at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (2013-2019) and University of Tartu, Estonia (1997-2008). Her career spans over 25 years of research in Scandinavian textual cultures with focus on runic inscriptions across historical periods.
Her research interests encompass Runology, Epigraphy, and Textual Cultures from the Iron Age through Middle Ages, with specialized focus on writing practices, visuality, materiality, and identity construction in Norse societies. She investigates script-bearing artifacts as cultural interfaces, examining how runes functioned within social contexts and how Old Norse literature is received in modern times. Her methodological approach integrates archaeological, philological, and media-theoretical perspectives.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals consistent focus on runic artifacts from Norwegian contexts (Bergen, Svingerud, Hole), demonstrating expertise in multimodal analysis of inscribed objects. Her work bridges archaeological findings with linguistic interpretation, particularly examining how runes operated within medieval urban environments and sacred spaces. The 2025 Antiquity paper represents cutting-edge integration of radiocarbon dating with epigraphic analysis.
- Series Editor for Bibliotheca Nordica (Novus Forlag)
- Norway representative on International Advisory Board of International Saga Conference
- Establishing member and former leader of 'Språk og Samfunn' research group
Zilmer actively supervises graduate students and leads major research initiatives including the Ui3D project (Understanding and Immersion in 3D) and participation in the Research Network of Urban Literacy. Her grant portfolio includes projects on medieval Bergen literacy practices and Christian identity formation in Northern Europe. She directs the Centre for Viking-Age Studies (ViS) research group and serves on multiple editorial and advisory boards including Kjeldeskriftkommisjonen (National Archives).
Her laboratory work centers on the Centre for Viking-Age Studies where she applies 3D modeling techniques to runic artifacts, developing new methodologies for analyzing inscribed objects through digital humanities approaches. Current collaborations with international teams focus on cross-cultural comparisons of medieval writing practices across Nordic regions.
