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Research

People have lived in the areas around Arjeplog since the ice sheet disappeared almost 10 000 years ago. However, these northern areas have not been prioritized in research, but since the late 1990s, the Silvermuseet has been conducting research on the people and landscapes of the Arctic regions.

Institute for Arctic Landscape Research, INSARC

In 2009, the Institute for Arctic Landscape Research (INSARC) was established. In our research, we are interested in the relationship between humans and the landscape, and how humans have affected the ecosystems in the northern regions through their way of life.

INSARC is independent of universities and colleges, which is unusual. But we believe it is of great importance that the research is rooted in the area the research is about.

Objectives of the research

Our aim is to deepen our understanding of the relationship between how landscapes and resources have been used, how societies have developed and how human use has affected ecosystems. We also want to develop scientific theories, techniques and methods that can be used in landscape studies.

Our research areas

INSARC's activities are based in Arjeplog, but at the same time contribute to international research on the Arctic landscapes and cultural environments. Our researchers have cutting-edge expertise in their fields and extensive experience of publishing their results in international scientific contexts. We publish our scientific articles in international journals and reach out to research colleagues around the world.

Interdisciplinary research

The research is interdisciplinary and has been carried out in collaboration mainly between archaeologists, forest historians and ecologists. Nowadays, law and political science are also part of the research environment.

Gray logs overgrown with lichen lying at an angle, one on top of the other in crowberry brushwood between stones.
Fence in Vattme, north side of the Pite river. The Silvermuseet
Tent hut in snow-covered forest landscape. In the foreground a pine tree with fur and horns hanging. The sun shines through the branches.
"The Winter Visitor" - educational school program developed on the basis of research. The Silvermuseet
Forest slope in autumn color. In the middle of the picture an oval hearth with paving stones in the middle.
Firing experiments at Gallesgutj outside Arjeplog. The Silvermuseet
It is very unusual for there to be a research environment like INSARC at a Swedish museum.
Sverker Sörlin, Gunilla Almered Olsson and Björnar Olsen from the 2016 evaluation of INSARC's activities

Researchers

Here you can see which researchers are affiliated with INSARC.
Portrait of Malin taken outdoors in front of yellow building. Malin has short hair and big smile, black jacket and turquoise scarf.

Malin Brännström

PhD, researcher, director of the Silvermuseet and INSARC

Portrait of Anna Maria standing in the middle of a white landscape. Her light hair is sticking out of the hood of her black jacket and she is smiling broadly. Around her neck is a pink scarf.

Anna-Maria Fjellström

PhD student at the Department of Political Science, Stockholm University

Portrait of Markus, taken in front of glacier. Markus has tousled hair and a big smile, looking squinting straight into the camera, wearing a blue jacket and red scarf.

Markus Fjellström

Postdoctoral researcher in archaeology, Lund University, Archaeological Research Laboratory (SU) and Silvermuseet/INSARC

Lars out in the forest, where there is a thin layer of snow on the hill, standing by a gray pine stump. He is wearing a red jacket and orange pants, and he is smiling straight into the camera.

Lars Östlund

Professor at the Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU and the Silvermuseet/INSARC

Our research projects

Here you can read more about our research projects,
both ongoing and completed.
Research projects

World-class research

INSARC's research activities were evaluated in 2016 by researchers Sverker Sörlin, Gunilla Almered Olsson and Björnar Olsen.
Read the full evaluation