Norse Hall discovered in Orkney
A large Norse hall has been discovered during excavations at Skaill Farmstead, on the island of Rousay, Orkney.
Population genomics of the Viking world
We find evidence for a majority of Danish Viking presence in England, Swedish Viking presence in the Baltic, and Norwegian Viking presence in Ireland, Iceland, and Greenland.
Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Viking?
The North is a dour land where brave Jarls fight for their place under the cold and ruthless sun. Do you have what it takes to join them as the worthiest warlords in the world?
New Medieval Books: The Lords of the Winds, by C.J. Adrien
The story of a boy who was a slave, who became a warlord, and who helped topple an empire. Read an excerpt from C.J. Adrien’s latest novel.
Viking Currency
Buying, selling and trading in the Viking Age, and how hoards are different over the centuries.
New archaeological information uncovered at Viking site in Newfoundland
More human activity has been found at L’Anse aux Meadows, the only confirmed site in North America where the Vikings had a settlement.
Two Viking Age ship burials discovered in Sweden
A unique find of two boat burials from the Viking Age have been discovered in Sweden. One of the two graves was intact with remains of a man, a horse and a dog.
Dead Dogs are so 9th Century
My research looks at specific acts of ritualised mortuary violence enacted on objects, animals, and people by Vikings in the British Isles, and aims to develop a new interpretative framework with which to consider them.
In search of Lagertha, the Warrior Queen
As one of the most aspiring female characters on the show, Lagertha in the TV series Vikings is introduced as the wife of Ragnarr Loðbrók and a renowned shieldmaiden – women who fight fearlessly in the battlefront. But where does Lagertha’s story originate?
Which books about the Vikings should I read?
There are many books about the Vikings and the Norse world for someone to choose from. Here is a list of books we think are a good reads about the Vikings – ones that are both fairly new and relatively inexpensive.
The Land of Darkness and the Global Middle Ages
Why do we find coins from Central Asia and silver from Iran in Lincolnshire? What prompted medieval people to pack up and look for opportunity and adventure elsewhere?
Charisma, Violence and Weapons: The Broken Swords of the Vikings
The blades were beaten, bent or twisted, sometimes folded together in a way that needs preparation, expertise and equipment. The fact that these swords were subjected to special treatment, handled in a different manner than the rest of the grave goods, underscores the distinctive role of swords in Norse society
The slave markets of the Viking world: comparative perspectives on an ‘invisible archaeology’
This study explores the comparative archaeologies and histories of slave markets in order to examine the potential form and function of these sites, and how they might have operated as part of the wider, interconnected Viking world.
Viking warrior women with Leszek Gardeła
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle interviews archaeologist Leszek Gardeła to learn more about women, warriors, and when a weapon is more than just a weapon.
Viking ship discovered in Norway
The remains of a Viking ship has been discovered in southern Norway, thanks to ground penetrating radar.
Let Us Go Forth Amongst the Fighters: Valkyries, Shield Maidens, and Alt-Right Women
To begin a three-part examination of the concept of the valkyrie and other powerful female figures in Norse literature, this month we’re delving into medieval Scandinavia and the use of Norse symbols and figures by the alt-right.
Study shows that Vikings enjoyed a warm Greenland
Chemistry of bugs trapped in ancient lake sediment shows a warm climate at a key time in Greenland’s history.
Creating the Vikingverse – An Interview with Ian Stuart Sharpe
What if the Norse religion of the Vikings had overcome Christianity? That is one of the questions Ian Stuart Sharpe explores in his debut novel, The All Father Paradox.
Medieval Reads: Henry Treece’s Viking’s Dawn
I shall explore in this column is how each writer creates their particular Middle Ages and how that Middle Ages works at story feel.
Dried Fish and the Vikings
This month we’re taking a look at the modern cultural phenomena of “superfoods” and the latest Nordic sensation on the market – dried fish!
Leprosy at the edge of Europe—Biomolecular, isotopic and osteoarchaeological findings from medieval Ireland
We propose that the Vikings were responsible for introducing leprosy to Ireland.
How the Vikings Inhabited Scotland: A Social Zooarchaeological Approach
The field of human-animal relations is a growing area of research, and with regard to the
Viking Age the majority of this research has concerned the Scandinavian homelands.
Milk: Does a Viking Good?
For more adventures in weird “Viking” food, this month we’re delving deeper into the history of Viking Age and medieval Scandinavia and their culture of milk-drinking.
Vikings: The Salty Dogs of the Northern Seas?
Can there be such a thing as ‘Viking Salt’? Beth Rogers, in the first post for her new column on Medieval Food, looks for the answers behind this unusual product and how the Vikings are being associated with healthy eating.
