Expedition: The Sorgfjorden project

Our next and final site was Polhem, built under the leadership of the Swedish scientist-explorer AE Nordensköld in 1872.

This Monday was our final day at the Sorgfjorden station site and therefore a day to finish up with all remaining documentation tasks there.

Finally, the sun popped out and the Saturday turned into one of the best days of the entire expedition in terms of weather.

Our first full workday consisted of us working in three teams – one team doing qualitative descriptions of the features, and one team doing measurements with a total station and photo descriptions.

In the morning hours it was time for our first research task – to survey a site called Bjørnhamna, consisting of a former claim- and hunters hut on a cape at the northwestern corner of Spitsbergen.

Most of the expedition team arrived in Longyearbyen on Saturday 8 July and met for dinner. Our discussion over the dinner table was not the most encouraging talk to have at the beginning of an expedition.

The Sorgfjorden expedition leaves port of Longyearbyen in excellent weather and with high expectations!

1899–1902 ägde den svensk-ryska gradmätningsexpeditionen rum vid Sorgfjorden på Svalbard. Nu, mer än 100 år senare, ska svenska forskare tillbaka för att se vad som finns kvar och göra om mätningarna.

This summer researchers will work at Sorgfjorden, Svalbard, to develop methods of archaeological field research in the polar regions.