He studied Nordic languages, geology and mineralogy under Knut Stjerna and Oscar Almgren.

[1] Lindqvist worked at the Swedish History Museum for eighteen years, starting as an artist and researcher.

He later became a departmental head, and was responsible for the study of material found in the boat graves at Valsgärde, including their restoration.

[1] In 1927 he became a professor of Scandinavian and Comparative Archaeology at Uppsala University, taking over a position vacated by Oscar Almgren two years previously.

[1] In addition to two major works, Uppsala högar och Ottarshögen[5] and Gotlands Bildsteine, Lindqvist published more than 200 articles, notes, and reviews between 1909 and 1971.