Studies of Vikings and their pirating and warfare seldom pause to reflect upon the enormous investment, the ships represented. New book sets this right.
Category: Medieval Archaeology
The Salme Ship Burials in Pre-Viking Estonia
Around 750 CE 41 people were buried in two Viking ships at Salme in Estonia. New studies tell us about who they were and where they came from
Ship Burials at Sutton Hoo, Karmøy and Oseberg
Ship burials in North Western Europe are few and far between. The question is: when and where did this burial practice originate?
Royal Castilian Dinners in the 14th century
The remains of a Castilian king and his family from the 14th century reveal a diet rich in wheat bread and meat.
At Home with Herigar and Ansgar at Birka
Ansgar arrived at Björkö near Stockholm in AD 829 and converted the royal bailiff there. New surveys indicate his first church may have been found.
The Winter Camp of the Great Viking Army at Torksey
In 2013 the archaeological discovery of the Viking Winter Camp of the “mycel heathen here” in Torksey was reported. Now comes the scientific publicationin The Antiquaries Journal.
Odin with Horns, Birds or Dragons?
Yet again an intriguing Viking figurine has been found on the island of Fyn in Denmark. This time it is a rare Odin with a 'horned' helmet
Medieval Fenlands
For a long time a number of research projects have explored the culturally fluid landscape of the Medieval Fenlands in Eastern England. New book tells the story
Rendlesham – An Anglo-Saxon Royal Palace Near Sutton Hoo
Rendelsham is located five km north-east of Sutton Hoo and known as an early Anglo-Saxon emporium. Recently a royal mead-hall was discovered there
Merovingian Graves in Dirmstein
Tracing residential mobility trough isotopic analysis demonstrates once more that grave-goods and funeral practice cannot be used as ethnic markers
Luxury at Tintagel in the Early Medieval Period
This summer archaeologists have been excavating in Cornwall at Tintagel, the famous site for Arthurian Legend. The results are exhilarating.
The Prince from Beckum AD 600
The Prince from Beckum in North Rhein-Westphalia from the beginning of the 7th century tells a story of a man who lived in a mixed cultural setting
Viking Gold Hoard at the End of the Rainbow
Last week, three amateur archaeologists found the largest treasure hoard of Viking gold ever discovered in Denmark. It weighs nearly a kilo.
Medieval Famine and Frailty in London
Medieval Famines occurred from time to time. The question is whether some individuals were more prone than others to outlive a period of harsh conditions.
Martin Luther’s Latrine
Mick Aston Photographic competition 2016 for archaeologists has as its theme “religion”. Perhaps inspiration may be had at the bottom of Martin Luther's latrine
Mass grave at Buděc linked to murder of Wencelaus in AD 935
Mass grave at a hill fortress in Buděc in the Czech Republic may in all likelihood be linked to a rebellion following the fratricide of Wenceslaus in AD 935