The purpose of the LASHIPA project was to elucidate the historical development of the large-scale exploitation of the polar areas' natural resources that has taken place from the 1600s to the present, and to study its geopolitical and environmental consequences.
The researchers studied archival sources and did field work using historical-archaeological methods to collect data on the exploitation of the polar areas’ natural resources. The results were compared with industrial historical studies carried out for other regions.
LASHIPA 8 was an international expedition involving researchers and students from Sweden, the Netherlands and Norway. The research during the LASHIPA 8 expedition was conducted over a couple of weeks, with departures from a whaling station on Signy Island, South Orkney Islands. A sailboat, The Golden Fleece, served as a base, providing food, lodging and workstations for processing data from measuring instruments and charting equipment.
Research leader
Dag Avango
KTH Royal Institute of Technology