Elizabeth Pierce

Elizabeth Pierce is an archaeologist with a professional focus on Viking history and the material culture of the Norse in the North Atlantic. She began her career as a journalist before pursuing graduate study in archaeology at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, where she earned both a master’s degree and a PhD.

Elizabeth’s doctoral research examined Norse material culture across the North Atlantic region. Since completing her studies, she has taught university-level courses on the Vikings at institutions in the United States, Canada and Scotland and has participated in archaeological excavations in Iceland and Scotland.

Her research interests also include human adaptation to life in high-latitude environments and the ways these experiences shaped Arctic and Antarctic exploration. She recently co-edited a volume of new Viking research in Scotland, and her current work focuses on Scandinavian presence in eastern Scotland.

For more than a decade, Elizabeth has lectured aboard expedition voyages in the polar regions and northern Europe, bringing archaeological insight and historical context to guest experiences.