How authentic is the chieftain’s house at Borg?

03 October 2025

In a new bachelor’s thesis, Martine Elise Jensen at the Arctic University of Norway asks the question many people are wondering: Is the building at the Lofotr Viking Museum a credible archaeological reconstruction? Or a modern construction disguised as the past?

By analyzing findings from the excavations at Borg and comparing with the building’s design, the thesis shows that the chieftain’s house is a mixture: Parts such as location and room division are based on archaeological material, while the roof, furnishings and some solutions are modern interpretations without a research basis. The thesis also discusses what actually gives a reconstruction value? Does it have to be archaeologically correct, or is it enough that it feels real to the audience?

Abstract

This bachelor’s thesis examines the distinction between the concepts of reconstruction and construction in archaeology, with a focus on the reconstruction of the “chieftain’s house” at the Lofotr Viking Museum at Borg in Lofoten. The thesis is based on the discussion of authenticity and scientific grounding in archaeological recreations, and assesses whether the chieftain’s house can be classified as a reconstruction in the classical sense. Through a theoretical approach based on Knut Paasche’s dichotomy between a reconstruction process and a construction process, as well as Ragnar Pedersen’s three-part model of authenticity (procedural, contextual and visual), the building’s various elements are analyzed. The analysis shows that the chieftain’s house consists of both research-based and interpretation-based components. This places the building in a space between reconstruction and construction. The thesis argues for the need for a more nuanced conceptual framework that can embrace the complexity of such museum projects, where dissemination considerations and audience experience are often weighed against scientific accuracy. The Chieftain’s House stands out as an example of how archaeological reconstructions in museum settings balance between research, interpretation and commercial reality.

The supervisor for the bachelor’s thesis was PhD student Elin Tinuviel Torbergsen.