Friday, September 14, 2012

Viking Profiling

There are times I read articles speculating and postulating everything from the illnesses famous people died from in the dim mists of the past (Tutankhamen is a favorite; and I found another one of those just today - espousing a theory I know is not remotely a new one) to the psychological and social "realities" of sparsely sourced periods.  A very interesting model of this dynamic is the "literature as primary source" method, in which clues - or, if you prefer, presumptions - about a wider world are gleaned from ancient works.  I enjoy the heck out of stories outlining theories and conclusions born of these methods whether I am persuaded by them, or not, or choose to simply nod and stay neutral.

Like most of the links I choose to share here, please understand that my presentation of any article or piece isn't necessarily an endorsement, but is just born of the fascination with the science and process of studying history, archaeology, paleontology, and anthropology.  These things are simply shared, not critically evaluated nor "recommended" (or not).

Here's a literary example - in which we conclude that Vikings were criminal profilers, and were clearly concerned about the markers of high testosterone ...  Enjoy!

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