This past semester, History Ph.D. Candidate Ebru Erginbas had the pleasure of working with a talented group of students in her TA section for The Viking Age course taught by Professor Jonathan Conant. Students developed a range of final projects that reflected extensive research, thoughtful planning, and the historical themes and methodologies explored throughout the semester. “It was inspiring to witness the level of effort and creativity my students brought to their work,” Erginbas said.

Chris Parvarkin ’26 crafted an original Viking shield by sawing rectangular pieces of wood and assembling them into a circular design. He covered the shield with faux leather to make it as historically accurate as possible.

Classmate Ryan Duong ’28 developed a Viking Age-themed video game inspired by a longtime personal passion, grounding the current version in the historical context explored throughout the course.

Zohar Slave ’26 and Ömer Kızıl ’27 created a Viking Age board game called Hnefatafl, which is comparable to chess.

Other projects included a Viking Age documentary film and the preparation of an original Viking-inspired dish that explored historical culinary and dietary practices. A group of students — Nikolas Page ’26, Sam Schuchman ’26, and Austin Reiner ’26 — brewed mead alongside a traditional non-alcoholic beverage using a recipe that has been in Nick’s family for generations.