Greta Arwidsson—a pioneer in archeology

Greta Arwidsson was born in 1906 in Uppsala and grew up with an older and a younger brother. Her father Ivar was a zoologist and international specialist in fish. Both he and Greta’s mother Anna worked in their spare time to expand the collection of the Nordiska museet, Sweden’s largest museum of cultural history. Ivar collected objects such as skies and fishing equipment and Anna was engaged in recording folk traditions as well as the collection of objects. Greta’s great grandfather was Adolph Ivar Arwidsson, who worked as a librarian at the National Library of Sweden, and was responsible for the publication of Svenska fornsånger (Old Swedish Songs).

Greta originally wanted to become a teacher but she later became interested in archaeology. She studied Latin, history and Nordic and comparative history at Uppsala University. In 1942 she defended her dissertation on Vendel period animal ornamentation, glass and enamel. 

In 1946, Greta Arwidsson was appointed both county custodian of antiquities Gotland County and head of Gotland's Historical Museum, thereby becoming Sweden's first female county custodian of antiquities. 

For several years she only got around by bicycle. For her 50th birthday, the museum association Gotlands Fornvänner (Friends of Gotland’s Historical Museum), donated her a car to show her their appreciation. Greta Arwidsson had become "Forngreta" (History Greta) across the entire county of Gotland.

First female professor of Nordic and Comparative History

In 1956, Greta Arwidsson was appointed as the first female professor of Nordic and Comparative History at Stockholm University College, today Stockholm University. Greta continued however to visit Gotland every year, often accompanied by students.

As a professor, Greta Arwidsson was highly enterprising and committed. Under her leadership, the number of students increased each year from initially a handful to well over a hundred in the final years before she retired. Greta was also a driving force behind both the Osteological Research Laboratory and the Archaeological Research Laboratory at Stockholm University. 

In 1963, Greta Arwidsson was elected as the first working female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. She became Professor Emerita in 1973 which allowed her to focus on publishing more material. After retirement, Greta Arwidsson was also appointed to convene the Birka Committee. Under her leadership, editorship and co-authorship, a large amount of material was published concerning the excavations on the island of Birka. The volumes span over 600 pages and many well-known archaeologists and researchers contributed. Greta herself, as author or co-author, was involved writing thirty-six of a total of 80 articles contained in the volumes.

Greta Arwidsson died in 1998. By then, her life's work had paved the way for both present and future female academics.

Many thanks and much appreciation to Birgit Arrhenius, Lena Holmquist and colleagues at the Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies for help with this article and accompanying film.