A magnificent Viking burial took place at Chernihiv more than a thousand years ago. Recent studies of the find in the tomb has uncovered an extraordinary new “Viking artefact”
Category: Medieval Archaeology
Climate Changes in Pre-Viking Societies had Profound Consequences
Did climate changes in pre-Viking societies really matter? Did people adapt their agricultural strategies? Or were such changes just registered as temporarily “whacky weather” by the people of the past?
The Materiality of Saint Thomas Becket
A fine collection of essays celebrates the 850th anniversary of Thomas Becket by delving into the blood, the brain, the footsteps, the ripped remnants of cloth and the light.
An Ancient Atlantic Sturgeon and a Sea-Monster
Recently, archaeologists from Lund University succeeded in identifying a massive specimen of an Atlantic sturgeon in the womb of a capsized royal ship off the Baltic coast
The Great Viking Hall in Lejre was Fenced-in by a Palisade with an Impressive Gate
The great halls at Lejre – by myth linked to the royal dynasty of the Scyldingas , Skjöldungar – continues to amaze. Holding the largest hall ever excavated, the complex was fenced-in by an impressive palisade. Recently the gate was discovered.
Uppåkra – A Central Place in Sweden from the first Millenium
Uppåkra in South-Western Sweden presents a remarkable continuity. For more than a thousand years, the place functioned as a cultic, commercial and elite centre.
Yersinia Pestis Detected in 6th and 7th Century Graves in Britain, Gaul, and Spain.
How widespread was the Justinian Plague in the 6th century? And how devastating? New research indicates a situation much like that of the Later Middle Ages.
Emma – Queen of Ethelred the Unready and Cnut the Great on View?
1300 bones have been picked to crate order out of chaos in the famous bone caskets in Winchester Cathedral. Next week, one of the results - the skeleton of Emma - will be revealed.
Lisbjerg Church and Manor ca. 950 – 1200
The medieval church in Lisbjerg dates to c. AD 1100 – 1150. However, a predecessor in the form of a wooden stave church was built as part of a fenced manor c. 1000 – 1100.
The Royal Complex of Scone from the 10th century
Scone is best known for the Stone of Scone, also known as the Stone of Destiny or the Stone of Coronation. Less well known is that Scone was the primary ceremonial and legislative gathering place in Scotland. Recently, the results from extensive archaeological excavations were published.
Migration, integration and cultural consolidation are the new buzzwords in archaeology
Is a shift in “culture” the result of local evolutions or the meeting up of people? And how does such “meetings” play out culturally? Since the “invention” of new archaeology, this question has caused multiple controversies among archaeologists as well as historians. New aDNA studies lead the way to document the actual character of migratory movements.
Social Structure among the Longobards in Northern Italy in the 6th and 7th centuries
Studies of ancient DNA on skeletons from two migration period cemeteries in Hungary and Italy tells us in detail about the social structure in the 6th and 7th centuries.
Avaldsnes – Norway’s Oldest Royal Seat
The famous royal seat at Avaldsnes on the West-coast of Norway is best known as the residence of Harold Fairhair, but excavations tell us about a splendid royal hall from the 13th century
New Finds at Haithabu in Northern Germany
This summer archaeologists excavate a burial ground from 10th century Haithabu. Spectacular finds may shed further light on the elite lifestyle of Vikings
19th-Century Peasant Dashed Archaeologists’ Hopes in Fregerslev
Hopes of finding a full burial ground surrounding the grave of the Fregerslev Viking have been dashed. But finds of blingy harness and numerous arrows exite
Will the Medieval Newport Ship once again Sail on the Usk?
Plans are being made to have the Medieval Newport Ship from the 15th century recreated by a Basque Heritage Group, the Albaola.