Spinning Destinies: Norns, Valkyries and the Art of Textile Production in the Viking Age
What we’re particularly interested in for the purposes of this lecture is the way in which the role of women as spinners and weavers is represented on the Osberg ship.
How Breaking Bad and a Renegade Economist Can Explain the Viking Age
One question that has puzzled scholars for a long time is what sparked the Viking Age? Why did Scandinavian men start sailing away from their homelands in the 8th century in order to raid and attack much of the rest of Europe?
Unexpected delivery: Viking jewellery given to Norwegian museum
Archaeologists at the Museum of Archaeology at the University of Stavanger could hardly believe their eyes when dress accessories typical of a Viking Age woman was delivered to the museum. Now the archaeologists may have traced the origin of the jewellery.
Viking shipyard discovered at Birka
Archaeologists in Sweden have located a unique Viking Age shipyard site at Birka, an important Norse town. The discovery challenges previous theories about how the maritime activities of the Viking Age were organised.
The Viking and the Sea
Old Norse poetry reveals a deep attachment to both the seas around them and the ships that allowed them to navigate those waters.
The Battle of Stamford Bridge (1066)
King Harold Godwinson of England would see his country invaded by army led by his brother Tostig and King Harald Hardrada of Norway. In this episode of Bow and Blade, Kelly and Michael discuss the Norwegian invasion of 1066, which culminated at the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
The Northman
This week on The Medieval Podcast, Danièle and Peter Konieczny give their takes on Hollywood’s latest foray into medieval movie-making: The Northman.
Medieval Movie Review: The Northman
Robert Eggers’ take on the Norse tale of Prince Amleth may offer movie-goers some impressive visuals and historically-accurate details, but ultimately it is another bleak and bloody view of the Vikings.
The Battles of Fulford and Stamford Bridge
How Haraldr harðráði Sigurðarson invaded England in 1066, winning the Battle of Fulford but losing the Battle of Stamford Bridge.
The Viking Sieges of Paris
Examining the two main Viking sieges of Paris, which took place in the years 845 and 885.
V for Viking
I want to talk a little bit about aspects of my more public-facing academic research and public engagement
New study aims to better understand Viking weapons
A team of researchers will be studying the chemical make-up of iron artefacts from the Viking age aims to uncover new insights into where they came from and better understand their use in early medieval warfare.
Digging into the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Fake Histories and How to Combat Them
Howard Williams will address how archaeology has long transformed our understanding of the period and yet myths, legends, fantasies and fake histories persist.
Viking Age boat burials: a history of research
Boats form a subset of grave goods increasingly found in Viking Age burials, which have been the subject of much scholarly debate, especially from the 19th century onwards.
Impact of Viking raids lasted for centuries, historian finds
The last dragon ships sailed the Siberian rivers and raided remote areas of Russia into the late 17th century. A new study published in the journal Russian History shows that traces of Viking raids are still visible in the economic and political development of contemporary Russia.
Viking Panic? Looking for the 9-12th centuries in Argyll
Dr Adrian Maldonado from National Museums Scotland talks about how a recent reassessment of artefacts in the National Museums Collection is transforming our ideas about the early medieval period in Argyll.
Science and the Vikings
On the contribution of physics, chemistry, and technology to our knowledge of the Vikings, to our understanding of Viking ships and navigational aids, and to developing more effective ways of conserving the many artefacts that have been found.
Vikings actually could tear out a person’s lungs, researchers suggest
One of the most fantastic and gruesome stories about the Vikings was the torture ritual known as the Blood Eagle. New research suggests that the ability to tear out a person’s lungs through their back is anatomically possible.
Viking trade with the Middle East dates back to the year 775, researchers find
An interdisciplinary Danish team of researchers has used new astronomical knowledge to establish an exact time anchor for the arrival of trade flows from the Middle East in Viking-age Scandinavia.
10th-century Viking brooches discovered on the Isle of Man
Two stunning Viking Brooches discovered on the Isle of Man in 2018 have now gone on display at the Manx Museum. The highly decorated oval brooches date to around AD 900 – 950 and are made from bronze with silver wire decoration.
11th-century Gold earring discovered in Denmark
A metal detector in Denmark has discovered a unique piece of gold jewellery from the 11th century that has never been seen before in Scandinavia. It was possibly donated personally by the emperor of Byzantium to a Viking leader.
The Vikings’ Slave Trade
From Woven Sails to Slavery: Viking lovers, this episode of the Medieval Grad Podcast is for you! Lucie Laumonier meets Sarah Christensen, who studies the slave trade in the Western Viking world and its intersections with gender. We learn that enslaved women often worked in textile production, weaving the sails Viking men used to propel their ships.
The Allure of the Vikings: Warriors, Women and Politics
Terri Barnes on Viking history and her reflections on teaching Viking history.