Ulla Moilanen receives The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy price
FT Ulla Moilanen has been granted The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy price for her PhD thesis work on archeology on iron and medieval age burial cultures.
On Monday 6.11.2023 FT Ulla Moilanen received a price from The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy on archeology her PhD thesis in. The price was granted from Torsten Jancke memorial fund. The prize-giving was held in Uppsala at the Academy’s Annual Gathering.
Moilanen’s approach to the research was praised for being methodologically interesting and visionary. The thesis Variations in Inhumation Burial Customs in Southern Finland (AD 900–1400). Case studies from Häme and Upper Satakunta deals with iron age and medieval burial practices from an unusual perspective.
– Instead of broad generalisation I started to broaden the perspective on signle graves and to graveyards and from there to broader regions. This approach helped to visualize phenomenoms which with generalisation would easily go unnoticed. Additionally, I applied internationally used archeothanatology research method for the first time in Finland, says Moilanen.
Archeothanatology method helps to assess whether certain characteristics observed in the archeological data are due to human choices or natural processes. Additional information about the burial practices but also on the buried person, is gathered from the grave using this method.
Prize giving ceremony was held on Finnish Swedish Heritage Day on 6th of November in Uppsala castle Rikssalen at the Academy’s Annual Gathering where Ulla Moilanen received the price.
– This award shows that my thesis has been read in Sweden, and that my research inspires and is seen beneficial although personally I focused on applying the approach to graves in Häme. It is an immense honour to get acknowledged from such highly appreciated body, rejoices Moilanen.
The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy’s mission is to promote research relating to the folk culture of Sweden.
The Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy
This news is originally published on 10.11.23 and translated from: https://www.utu.fi/fi/ajankohtaista/uutinen/ulla-moilaselle-kuninkaallisen-gustav-adolfin-akatemian-palkinto