Catarina Karlsson is an archaeologist and historian who is an affiliated researcher at the Centre for regional Studies (CRS) until the autumn of 2021. The purpose of research affiliations is to promote national and international academic exchange.
Catarina Karlsson’s research area is the history of mining and metallurgy, and she obtained her doctorate in 2015 from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences with a thesis entitled “Förlorat järn- det medeltida jordbrukets behov och förbrukning av järn och stål” [“Lost Iron: Demand and consumption of iron and steel in mediaeval agriculture]. She has headed and participated in a number of research projects focused on medieval mining and metallurgy and is currently working at Jernkontoret, where she heads research on the history of mining and metallurgy.
“From a regional perspective, my work focuses particularly on Bergslagen. This region is still transitioning from an identity rooted in mining and iron smelting to something new. Some of the investments that have also been supported at a national level concentrate on cultural history and tourism. Tourist destinations based on industrial history draw on the region’s identity and also contribute to shaping its future. The tourism industry is the fastest growing sector in Sweden. Another aspect is how we involve new Swedes through history, industrial history and archaeology,” says Catarina Karlsson.
History, archaeology and regional development
She did not hesitate when asked to become an affiliated researcher at Karlstad University.
“I actually took my first courses in archaeology in Karlstad. Eva Svensson was one of my lecturers and she is now a researcher at CRS. We have kept in touch and I find her work very interesting. I think I can contribute to CRS with my skills in history and archaeology, connected to tourism and regional identity. I am also looking forward to encountering new perspectives on regional matters,” says Catarina Karlsson.
Her main research areas are mediaeval mining and technology, cultural heritage, tourist destinations and tourism in the Bergslagen region in relation to historical research, agrarian technologies, material and consumption, as well as experimental archaeology. She has worked with the Swedish National Heritage Board, the Swedish National Archives and the Örebro County Museum.
“It is a real pleasure that Catarina Karlsson has been affiliated to CRS and Karlstad University, and we are looking forward to a fruitful partnership,” says Margareta Dahlström, professor of human geography and director of CRS.
More information on Jernkontoret’s research on the history of mining and metallurgy is available at jernkontoret.se/en
