Jesper August Johansen Gulliksen

About Jesper August Johansen Gulliksen

I am a PhD fellow in Social Anthropology at the School of Global Studies. I am part of the doctoral network ArCHe – Archaeological Coastal Heritage: Past, present and future of a hidden prehistoric legacy. The network consists of 10 PhD projects spread across universities and institutions in Norway, Sweden, Latvia, France and Spain. It is hosted by the University of Oslo and funded by The European Union.

My project, DC8 “Stone Age heritage as shared landscapes”, aims at mapping concerns, interests, challenges and opportunities that different stakeholders ascribe to coastal Stone Age hunter-fisher -gatherer sites. I employ an anthropological approach consisting of obversions and interviews. Furthermore, I apply a comparative method by using data from three case study areas in Norway, France and Latvia. I intend to map key values and the reasons behind them. Thereafter, I will use the identified values in critical discussions related to the sustainability dimensions. I believe that such a critical examination of language may facilitate to a better understanding of the many ideas of coastal Stone Age as shared landscapes. The aim of the project is to gather comparative knowledge to identify how prehistoric hunter-fisher-gatherer traces can best be integrated into future planning and use of these landscapes in a sensitive and inclusive manner, e.g. as places of learning about sustainable infrastructure or tourism.

Professional background

I have a master’s degree in archaeology from the University of Oslo (UiO), Norway, completed in 2022. In my project, I investigated the human-material entanglements that constitute values ascribed to modern buildings. I analyzed proceedings. I have participated in archaeological excavations and laboratory work, and I led the Archaeological Student Association. After this, I studied cultural heritage management at NTNU, Norway, for a year.

Between 2021-2023, I co-organized several conferences as a teaching assistant at UiO. I also held presentations.

Since 2023, I hold a board membership in the National Trust of Norway. Here, I give advice in antiquarian matters, e.g. infrastructure projects in heritage landscapes and demolition applications of old buildings.

Between 2023-2024 I was employed as a lecturer in archaeology at UiO. Here, I led seminars, held lectures, created and graded exams and tasks, supervised students, and organized trips and visits. I’m deeply interested in dissemination and teaching.

Academic interests

As a result of my professional background, ideas of “heritage” constitute my academic interests. Topics close to me include archaeological theory and history, heritage management, memory studies, contemporary archaeology, landscape studies, human-material relations, and value theory.