They knelt and cowered together - a once proud and fearless band of raiders stripped and humiliated by their Saxon captors.
One by one, their executioners stepped forward, uttered a prayer and brought their axes and swords crashing down on the necks of the Viking prisoners.
The axes fell until the roadside was sticky with blood from the decapitated corpses of the 51 men, most barely in their twenties.
Read the rest of this article...
Friday, 12 March 2010
Wednesday, 10 March 2010
Staffordshire Hoard returning to Birmingham with unseen items
UNSEEN relics that form part of the Staffordshire Hoard will be added to a display returning to Birmingham this Saturday.
Helmet fragments will be featured alongside 59 items from the world’s largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure.
Huge crowds are again expected as the city is hit by a second ‘gold rush’.
And the new display announcement comes as it was revealed that the appeal to raise enough funds to bring it permanently to the Midlands has hit £1.5 million.
Read the rest of this article...
Helmet fragments will be featured alongside 59 items from the world’s largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon treasure.
Huge crowds are again expected as the city is hit by a second ‘gold rush’.
And the new display announcement comes as it was revealed that the appeal to raise enough funds to bring it permanently to the Midlands has hit £1.5 million.
Read the rest of this article...
Tuesday, 9 March 2010
Saxon pottery at Wisbech playground site
Archaeologists have unearthed Saxon pottery at the site of a new adventure playground in Cambridgeshire.
Further excavations will now take place at the site in Waterlees, Wisbech.
A dig took place ahead of the £800,000 project, which will not be delayed by the discovery, Cambridgeshire County Council said.
Archaeologists are expected to carry out more digs in the Roman Bank end of the site, the opposite end to where construction is due to begin.
Read the rest of this article...
Further excavations will now take place at the site in Waterlees, Wisbech.
A dig took place ahead of the £800,000 project, which will not be delayed by the discovery, Cambridgeshire County Council said.
Archaeologists are expected to carry out more digs in the Roman Bank end of the site, the opposite end to where construction is due to begin.
Read the rest of this article...
Monday, 8 March 2010
Staffordshire Hoard display in Stoke-on-Trent closes
A temporary public display of the Staffordshire Hoard has now closed.
A selection of 118 gold items have been on display at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent for the past three weeks.
The Museum said it had welcomed its 50,000th visitor to see the treasure on its final day of exhibition on Sunday.
Read the rest of this article...
A selection of 118 gold items have been on display at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent for the past three weeks.
The Museum said it had welcomed its 50,000th visitor to see the treasure on its final day of exhibition on Sunday.
Read the rest of this article...
Sunday, 7 March 2010
Change in Blog Address
As you will have noticed, the address for this blog has changed.
This is because Blogger are phasing out their FTP service.
If you have been using an RSS feed for this blog, then you will need to change the address. Simply click on the “Subscribe to Posts [Atom]” at the bottom of the right-hand sidebar.
Similarly, if you have been receiving email notifications, you will have to register again using the form in the right-hand sidebar.
Sorry for the inconvenience,
David Beard
This is because Blogger are phasing out their FTP service.
If you have been using an RSS feed for this blog, then you will need to change the address. Simply click on the “Subscribe to Posts [Atom]” at the bottom of the right-hand sidebar.
Similarly, if you have been receiving email notifications, you will have to register again using the form in the right-hand sidebar.
Sorry for the inconvenience,
David Beard
Friday, 5 March 2010
Staffordshire Hoard gets crowds, award
Over forty thousand people have visited the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, England, to see a fraction of the famous Staffordshire Hoard. It is another sign that discovery of Anglo-Saxon treasure is still drawing in massive interest.
A total of 1,852 people passed through the doors on Wednesday, taking the total number of people who have queued to see the Hoard to 41,447 over 19 days. Over 3700 people visited the collection on its opening day in mid-February.
Read the rest of this article...
A total of 1,852 people passed through the doors on Wednesday, taking the total number of people who have queued to see the Hoard to 41,447 over 19 days. Over 3700 people visited the collection on its opening day in mid-February.
Read the rest of this article...
This blog has moved
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Wednesday, 3 March 2010
Staffordshire Hoard team wins award
Birmingham City Council Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Sport, Cllr Martin Mullaney, today congratulated the Staffordshire Hoard team after it scooped a top archaeology award.
The team that recovered the Anglo-Saxon treasure, including staff from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, have won the Current Archaeology award for ‘The Best Rescue Dig of the Year, 2010’.
And Cllr Mullaney believes it is a richly deserved accolade. He said: “This was a team effort from day one and everyone involved deserves credit. A number of organisations have played a part and things have run smoothly – from the excavation right the way through to the fundraising campaign.”
Read the rest of this article...
The team that recovered the Anglo-Saxon treasure, including staff from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, have won the Current Archaeology award for ‘The Best Rescue Dig of the Year, 2010’.
And Cllr Mullaney believes it is a richly deserved accolade. He said: “This was a team effort from day one and everyone involved deserves credit. A number of organisations have played a part and things have run smoothly – from the excavation right the way through to the fundraising campaign.”
Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Hoard event is a night to treasure
THE Staffordshire Hoard could have been "blasted" away by crews building the M6 Toll road if the Government had chosen one of the other proposed routes for the motorway.
This was one of many fascinating snippets of information about the Anglo-Saxon treasure revealed at an exclusive talk last night.
It was organised for 100 lucky Sentinel readers and their guests and was held at Hanley's Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, where 118 of the gold pieces are currently being exhibited
Read the rest of this article...
This was one of many fascinating snippets of information about the Anglo-Saxon treasure revealed at an exclusive talk last night.
It was organised for 100 lucky Sentinel readers and their guests and was held at Hanley's Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, where 118 of the gold pieces are currently being exhibited
Read the rest of this article...
'King of Bling' protest over Essex road scheme resumes
"Camp Bling" campaigners in Southend-on-Sea, Essex have resumed their battle against a road scheme.
Protesters camped for five years on Priory Crescent opposing a £22m road-widening scheme on the burial site of Britain's earliest-known Saxon King.
He was dubbed the "King of Bling" after archaeologists found gold and treasure at the 8th Century site.
Read the rest of this article...
Protesters camped for five years on Priory Crescent opposing a £22m road-widening scheme on the burial site of Britain's earliest-known Saxon King.
He was dubbed the "King of Bling" after archaeologists found gold and treasure at the 8th Century site.
Read the rest of this article...
Tuesday, 16 February 2010
Restoration starts at Wareham's ancient town walls
District council chiefs agreed to plough an additional £69,000 into the ongoing conservation project, and contractors moved onto the historic site to start clearance work. Dorset company Banyards Ltd started removing potentially damaging trees and shr-ubs from the area known as the Bowling Green.
Purbeck natural environment spokesman Cllr Andrew Starr said: “The restoration of this ancient monument will give the public a better appreciation of the magnificence of the historic town defences of Wareham, and will increase the opportunity for enjoyment for residents and visitors.”
Read the rest of this article...
Purbeck natural environment spokesman Cllr Andrew Starr said: “The restoration of this ancient monument will give the public a better appreciation of the magnificence of the historic town defences of Wareham, and will increase the opportunity for enjoyment for residents and visitors.”
Read the rest of this article...
Saturday, 13 February 2010
Anglo-Saxon and Viking Summer School Courses at Oxford
The Oxford Experience Summer School, which is held at Christ Church, Oxford offers over 50 different courses during the five weeks from 4 July to 7 August 2010.
These courses include:
The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon England - 25 to 31 July 2010
(see further details)
King Alfred and the Vikings - 1 to 7 August
(see further details)
You can find out about other Summer School courses in archaeology and history at the University of Oxford’s website.
These courses include:
The Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon England - 25 to 31 July 2010
(see further details)
King Alfred and the Vikings - 1 to 7 August
(see further details)
You can find out about other Summer School courses in archaeology and history at the University of Oxford’s website.
Thursday, 11 February 2010
Anglo-Saxon Kent Electronic Database (ASKED)
ASKED, the Anglo-Saxon Kent Electronic Database was built collaboratively by Stuart Brookes and Sue Harrington to facilitate our respective PhD researches at UCL Institute of Archaeology, from 1998-2000. A pared down version of its content is presented here, in order for it to act as the pilot database for a much larger corpus of material currently being gathered under the aegis of the 'Beyond the Tribal Hidage Project' - a Leverhulme funded research project undertaken at UCL Institute of Archaeology by director Martin Welch and research assistant Sue Harrington. It is intended that this new dataset will be deposited with the Archaeology Data Service in late 2009, retaining the same format as this version of ASKED.
Further details...
Further details...
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Anglo-Saxon gold hoard returning to Staffordshire
Part of the Staffordshire Hoard, a selection of Anglo-Saxon artefacts found in a field in the county, is arriving at the Potteries Museum.
About 80 of the 1,500 artefacts are going on show at the Stoke-on-Trent museum at the weekend.
Campaigners hope to raise £3.3m to make sure the hoard remains in the West Midlands otherwise it could be bought by private collectors.
Read the rest of this article...
About 80 of the 1,500 artefacts are going on show at the Stoke-on-Trent museum at the weekend.
Campaigners hope to raise £3.3m to make sure the hoard remains in the West Midlands otherwise it could be bought by private collectors.
Read the rest of this article...
'Gangland bling' of Beowulf era to go on show in Staffordshire
After 1,300 years in the ground and eight months on the road, biggest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold returns to Potteries
Some Staffordshire clay has come home clinging to the sinuous curves and filigree ornament of the most spectacular heap of Anglo-Saxon golden loot ever found.
More than 100 pieces of the Staffordshire Hoard, a glittering treasure from the world of Beowulf, news of which has gone around the world in eight months, is back in the county that hid it for 1,300 years.
Read the rest of this article...
Some Staffordshire clay has come home clinging to the sinuous curves and filigree ornament of the most spectacular heap of Anglo-Saxon golden loot ever found.
More than 100 pieces of the Staffordshire Hoard, a glittering treasure from the world of Beowulf, news of which has gone around the world in eight months, is back in the county that hid it for 1,300 years.
Read the rest of this article...
Bristol University professor has a bone to pick with Saxon queen
It must have been a lonely journey, as the two young sisters travelled through the night leaving behind the land they called home, knowing they would never return.
The year is AD929, and Eadgyth and Eadgifu, two Saxon princesses – the granddaughters of Alfred The Great, and daughters of Edward the Elder – have been sent away from the Wessex kingdom of their childhood, which is now ruled by their powerful half-brother King Athelstan.
In the kind of ruthless diplomatic move that would give him a place in the history books as the first true king of all England, Athelstan has sent his half-sisters to Germany in the hope that Otto, Duke of Saxony, will choose one to be his wife
Read the rest of this article...
The year is AD929, and Eadgyth and Eadgifu, two Saxon princesses – the granddaughters of Alfred The Great, and daughters of Edward the Elder – have been sent away from the Wessex kingdom of their childhood, which is now ruled by their powerful half-brother King Athelstan.
In the kind of ruthless diplomatic move that would give him a place in the history books as the first true king of all England, Athelstan has sent his half-sisters to Germany in the hope that Otto, Duke of Saxony, will choose one to be his wife
Read the rest of this article...
Saturday, 6 February 2010
Book your place at 'Portable Antiquities: Archaeology, Collecting, Metal Detecting' Conference
Registration is now open for the ‘Portable Antiquities: Archaeology, Collecting, Metal Detecting’ conference on 13th and 14th March 2010. This event is co-organised by the CBA and Newcastle University’s International Centre for Cultural and Heritage Studies, and takes place at Newcastle University and the Great North Museum: Hancock.
The papers at this conference offer perspectives from a range of different interest groups, look at recent research, present case studies from around the UK and beyond, and ultimately offer views about what the future may hold for portable antiquities management. Much debate is anticipated at this timely event.
Read the rest of this article...
The papers at this conference offer perspectives from a range of different interest groups, look at recent research, present case studies from around the UK and beyond, and ultimately offer views about what the future may hold for portable antiquities management. Much debate is anticipated at this timely event.
Read the rest of this article...
Monday, 25 January 2010
Robbie Williams and Noddy Holder asked to help keep Staffordshire Hoard in the Midlands
POP star Robbie Williams has been asked to donate part of his huge fortune to help save the Staffordshire Hoard for the Midlands, the Sunday Mercury can reveal.
The Stoke-on-Trent singer is on a secret list of celebrities and millionaires being contacted in a bid to raise £3.3 million to keep the Anglo-Saxon treasure in the region.
Read the rest of this article...
The Stoke-on-Trent singer is on a secret list of celebrities and millionaires being contacted in a bid to raise £3.3 million to keep the Anglo-Saxon treasure in the region.
Read the rest of this article...
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Artefacts selected to outline history of North Yorkshire
AN ANGLO-SAXON helmet, a Viking arm ring and a Second World War Halifax Bomber are just some of the artefacts that tell the story of North Yorkshire’s history, according to a new project.
Ten items of varying shapes and sizes have been selected to outline the history of the county as part of a national project entitled A History Of The World.
It was developed by the British Museum, 350 museums across the country and the BBC.
Read the rest of this article...
Ten items of varying shapes and sizes have been selected to outline the history of the county as part of a national project entitled A History Of The World.
It was developed by the British Museum, 350 museums across the country and the BBC.
Read the rest of this article...
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Find £3.3m to buy Staffordshire hoard for nation, public urged
Historian Starkey spearheads fight to save Anglo-Saxon 'gangland bling' unearthed in West Midlands
A public appeal was launched today to raise £3.3m in three months to buy the Staffordshire hoard, one of the most jaw-dropping of archeological finds or, as the historian David Starkey called it, 5.5 kilos of Anglo-Saxon "gangland bling".
Politicians and archaeologists joined Starkey in Birmingham to launch a campaign to raise the money and keep the hoard, the largest and most significant find of Anglo-Saxon gold, in the Midlands. Failure to raise the money was almost unthinkable, said Starkey.
Read the rest of this article...
A public appeal was launched today to raise £3.3m in three months to buy the Staffordshire hoard, one of the most jaw-dropping of archeological finds or, as the historian David Starkey called it, 5.5 kilos of Anglo-Saxon "gangland bling".
Politicians and archaeologists joined Starkey in Birmingham to launch a campaign to raise the money and keep the hoard, the largest and most significant find of Anglo-Saxon gold, in the Midlands. Failure to raise the money was almost unthinkable, said Starkey.
Read the rest of this article...
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