tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47830984356911848472024-03-13T02:57:17.279+01:00Anglo-Saxon Archaeology BlogThe Anglo-Saxon Archaeology Blog is concerned with news reports featuring Anglo-Saxon period archaeology. If you wish to see news reports for general European archaeology, please go to The Archaeology of Europe Weblog.David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comBlogger650125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-69052269874708881392024-02-19T18:01:00.002+01:002024-02-19T18:01:09.021+01:00New Medieval Books: Beowulf and the North Before the Vikings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="800" height="245" src="https://medievalists.gumlet.io/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/mnet24021802.jpg?format=webp&compress=true&quality=80&w=768&dpr=1.5" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Beowulf and the North Before the Vikings</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">By Tom Shippey</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Arc Humanities Press</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">ISBN: 9781802700138</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">How much history is there in the story of Beowulf? The author argues that we can learn more about the people and places mentioned in the poem than has been commonly accepted, and it also sheds light on the Viking raids that began at the end of the eighth century.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Excerpt:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Beowulf’s anti-historical critics do of course have a point. If you believe that history cannot be written without dates and documents, then Beowulf offers neither. On the other hand, students of prehistory are accustomed to making what they can of other kinds of evidence, like legends and late traditions. And there is in addition the solid and ever-increasing evidence of archaeology, the “open frontier” of Beowulf-studies and of early history. As Ulf Näsman, Professor of Archaeology at Linnaeus University in Sweden, puts it: “archaeologists can write history.” Moreover, and as it happens, even for Beowulf we do have some surprising documentary evidence, which also gives us a date.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2024/02/new-medieval-books-beowulf-and-the-north-before-the-vikings/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;">Read the rest of this article...</span></a>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-88116066788046792692024-02-15T11:09:00.002+01:002024-02-15T11:09:39.150+01:00Vikings and their impact in Britain examined in new set of stamps issued by Royal Mail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="634" height="149" src="https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/15/01/81285383-13085445-image-a-1_1707959190278.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The impact the Vikings had on Britain is being examined in a new set of stamps issued by Royal Mail. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The eight stamps feature Viking artefacts and locations of significance from around the UK.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">These include an iron, silver and copper sword, a silver penny minted in York, silver and bronze brooches, an antler comb and case from Coppergate, York, and a Hogback gravestone from Govan Old, Glasgow.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The release of the collection also marks 40 years since the Jorvik Viking Centre opened in York.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13085445/Vikings-Britain-new-stamps-issued-Royal-Mail.html" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-57790302021140687372024-02-08T12:16:00.002+01:002024-02-08T12:16:54.322+01:00Traces of Saxon town found beneath London’s National Gallery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="800" height="301" src="https://www.heritagedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/MOLA2-1920x1446.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> Archaeologists from Archaeology South-East have uncovered traces of the Saxon town of Lundenwic beneath the National Gallery in London.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Following the collapse of Roman Britain, Londoninium (London) fell to ruin and was abandoned during the 5th century AD.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Anglo-Saxons settled 1.6 km’s to the west of the former Roman capital, establishing a small town known as Lundenwic in the area of present-day Covent Garden.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">During the 6th century AD, England was split into multiple Anglo-Saxon kingdoms termed the Heptarchy. As borders changed through conquest and marriage, the town of Lundenwic found itself first within the domain of Essex, then Mercia, and subsequently Wessex.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.heritagedaily.com/2024/02/traces-of-saxon-town-found-beneath-londons-national-gallery/150454" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-87341823962340581262024-01-31T09:42:00.000+01:002024-01-31T09:42:02.127+01:00Archaeology Classes on the Oxford Experience summer school 2024<p> </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0aoSHQBHyPagcTWN1OJGbQbpJk6ntFZOc7Gh8orqUr8DgmfB3l0yW1IQUFzl_AQDaD7FNgxcQqLkF9dqWQ1Ou4SUrs-xH3ZaLfgWEk3Y_xvHi3psCrDJh3cvHoOancHFd2euly2w4SecQn1n3XUz-ORUk-Ob50W-mCkOh7cwppr4T-3d_Z1L/s1200/Tom%20Quad%20DJB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="1200" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy0aoSHQBHyPagcTWN1OJGbQbpJk6ntFZOc7Gh8orqUr8DgmfB3l0yW1IQUFzl_AQDaD7FNgxcQqLkF9dqWQ1Ou4SUrs-xH3ZaLfgWEk3Y_xvHi3psCrDJh3cvHoOancHFd2euly2w4SecQn1n3XUz-ORUk-Ob50W-mCkOh7cwppr4T-3d_Z1L/s320/Tom%20Quad%20DJB.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tom Quad, Christ Church, Oxford University – image David Beard</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Oxford Experience summer school is held at Christ Church, Oxford. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Participants stay in Christ Church and eat in the famous Dining Hall, that was the model for the Hall in the Harry Potter movies.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This year there are twelve classes offered in archaeology.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://archeurope.com/oxford-experience-archaeology/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: arial;">You can find the list of courses here…</span></a></div></div>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-87097558626501812812023-12-19T09:23:00.002+01:002023-12-19T09:23:51.613+01:00Was Honorius’ Letter Really Sent to Britain?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="800" height="230" src="https://cdn.thecollector.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/emperor-honorius-letter.jpg?width=1200&quality=70" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Romans ruled Britain for nearly four centuries, from 43 CE until the beginning of the fifth century. Most commentators agree that the actions of Magnus Maximus can be viewed as the beginning of the end of Roman rule over Britain. He withdrew a large portion of Roman troops when he proclaimed himself emperor and set off to attack Emperor Gratian on the continent. This was in 383, quite some time before the fifth century. But while acknowledging that it was a gradual process, many modern sources claim that one specific year can be cited as the final end. In 410 Emperor Honorius wrote a letter telling the recipients that the Romans could no longer protect them. But was it really sent to Britain?</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.thecollector.com/emperor-honorius-letter/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-84779873342889420652023-12-19T09:16:00.003+01:002023-12-19T09:16:30.573+01:00Sutton Hoo Saxon ship reconstruction aims for 2025 sailing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2TvBQZZzdo5i4d4eTmqCMXHMrwQEsdpLxp0hxzC2c2FPpUEiCl0T4uxCPpXEPmSRwvQjkP7wzfyVmOlKV3CglryYHkFyqvpVhG5Q0gs3ImW1zYcfrKBz2um6vMJHyezBfK0Hmw54vC_3QvaBtXcG9PQpa1JQWnoeGzoYaQMGT0ET4sZzf_kNc/s320/Sutton%20Hoo%20Replica%201.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Sutton Hoo Saxon ship project, spearheaded by master shipwright Tim Kirk, is a remarkable effort to reconstruct the largest Saxon ship ever discovered. <br />Source: The Sutton Hoo Ship's Company</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The treasures of Sutton Hoo in East Anglia are legendary, including the imprint left by the largest Saxon ship ever found.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Expert shipwright Tim Kirk has been leading a team of volunteers to create an authentic reconstruction of the vessel, with a view to it being sailed in 2025. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">With occasional references to the reconstruction activity at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Tim talks at length to The Viking Herald about how the project came about, the pitfalls of using a unique Saxon burial site as an army training ground, and the quest to discover what the ship was used for 1,400 years ago. </span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://thevikingherald.com/article/sutton-hoo-saxon-ship-reconstruction-aims-for-2025-sailing/764" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-40949256594047571972023-12-06T08:33:00.002+01:002023-12-06T08:33:45.447+01:00Scandinavia's oldest known ship burial is located in mid-Norway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://scx1.b-cdn.net/csz/news/800a/2023/scandinavias-oldest-kn-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This summer, archaeologists and a metal detectorist conducted a small survey of Herlaugshagen, at Leka in the northern part of Trøndelag County. They found something amazing.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The goal was to date a burial mound and find out if it contained a ship. They carried out the surveys on behalf of the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage and in collaboration with Trøndelag County Authority.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The archaeologists were over the moon when they found large rivets confirming that this was indeed a ship burial, and their enthusiasm didn't subside when the finds were recently dated.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">"The mound was constructed in approximately 700 CE. This is called the Merovingian period and precedes the Viking Age. This dating is really exciting because it pushes the whole tradition of ship burials quite far back in time," said Geir Grønnesby, an archaeologist at the NTNU University Museum.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-12-scandinavia-oldest-ship-burial-mid-norway.html" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-45021349475782929122023-11-29T17:41:00.002+01:002023-11-29T17:41:24.524+01:00Possible 1,400-Year-Old Temple Excavated in Eastern England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="710" height="250" src="https://www.archaeology.org/images/News/2311/England-Rendlesham-Temple.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />RENDLESHAM, ENGLAND—In the eighth century, an English monk and historian known as The Venerable Bede wrote of a king’s village at “Rendlaesham,” and of a temple equipped with both Christian and pre-Christian altars. BBC News reports that the site of a possible 1,400-year-old temple has been uncovered at Rendlesham in eastern England, which is located near Sutton Hoo, the archaeological site where East Anglian king Raedwald is thought to have been buried in A.D. 625. The possible temple structure measured more than 30 feet long and 16 feet wide, and had been built with substantial foundations. The excavation also uncovered evidence of a ditch that may have surrounded the royal village, traces of two other timber buildings, and a mold used for casting fine pieces of decorative horse harnesses similar to those unearthed at Sutton Hoo.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.archaeology.org/news/11917-231128-england-rendlesham-temple" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-75012209393524789082023-11-22T10:34:00.002+01:002023-11-22T10:34:16.682+01:001,400-year-old temple discovered in England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="2048" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzA4LmzmOXTO_hxy3nlkAhrulfPFuwvorv-jsczxlfBMA03hF3B_McdaZETEk_W2CJIJ9gDRRKrCGvs-_62ZD894U8-I7l0l-ZDibB2jTYW1_oa3Q2yUR0ZsA131QoArf0QBLhVriXD3hzrLzJ79O1mS_SDim4q8x3Q5jCwlreqrdpL45tmfP6/s320/Rendlesham%20Temple.jpg" width="320" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Sutton Hoo has been home to some of the most amazing discoveries from Early Medieval England. Now, archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 1400-year-old, possible pre-Christian temple in the same area.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The discovery was made this summer near the village of Rendlesham in southeastern England, as part of digs conducted by Suffolk County Council’s Rendlesham Revealed community archaeology project. This comes from the same project that last year uncovered the remains of a large timber Royal Hall, confirming the location as a royal settlement of the East Anglian Kings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This year’s excavations also uncovered evidence of fine metalworking associated with royal occupation, including a mould used for casting decorative horse harnesses similar to that known from the nearby princely burial ground at Sutton Hoo. The royal compound was found to have been more than twice the size that was previously thought, bounded by a 1.5 kilometre-long perimeter ditch that enclosed an area of 15 hectares (the equivalent to about 20 football pitches).</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2023/11/1400-year-old-temple-discovered-in-england/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-11497153059693368122023-10-09T10:58:00.002+02:002023-10-09T10:58:34.445+02:00How the Great Heathen Army slaughtered all before them during the Dark Ages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://image.jimcdn.com/app/cms/image/transf/dimension=1280x10000:format=jpg/path/s2217cd0bb1220415/image/i366666efc764d0d1/version/1696628359/viking-great-heathen-army.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Great Heathen Army, a coalition of Norse warriors, stormed the shores of England in the late 9th century, forever altering the trajectory of the island nation's history.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Originating from the rugged landscapes of Scandinavia, these Viking invaders were driven by a combination of ambition, revenge, and the lure of England's riches.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Their arrival posed a formidable challenge to the fragmented Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, which were ill-prepared for the scale and ferocity of the Viking onslaught.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.historyskills.com/classroom/ancient-history/great-heathen-army/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-4802851920335988012023-10-09T10:52:00.002+02:002023-10-09T10:52:44.302+02:00Anglo-Saxon Burials Are Challenging Our Understanding of Gender Identity<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="800" height="162" src="https://www.sciencealert.com/images/2023/10/SuttonHooHelmetReconstruction2016BlackBackground.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A reconstruction of a helmet found in the Sutton Hoo burial.<br />(British Museum, Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There are a significant number of Anglo-Saxon burials where the estimated anatomical sex of the skeleton does not align with the gender implied by the items they were buried with.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Some bodies identified as male have been buried with feminine clothing, and some bodies identified as female have been found in the sorts of "warrior graves" typically associated with men.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the archaeology of early Anglo-Saxon England, weaponry, horse-riding equipment and tools are thought to signal masculinity, while jewelery, sewing equipment and beads signal femininity. And, for the most part, this pattern fits.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/anglo-saxon-burials-are-challenging-our-understanding-of-gender-identity" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-31258770088962493672023-10-07T17:25:00.002+02:002023-10-07T17:25:05.421+02:00Rare medieval Cheddar brooch found in Somerset field to go on display<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/825b2c7fbf1a9cfb7a5af64cd2f88f2adcce5c50/0_698_3687_2213/master/3687.jpg?width=620&dpr=2&s=none" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A detail of the Cheddar brooch after conservation work.<br />Photograph: Museum of Somerset</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When it emerged from the earth it was dull, corroded and battered, the centuries it had spent lying beneath a Somerset field having taken their toll.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now restored and gleaming, the Cheddar brooch, a rare early medieval piece regarded as one of the most important finds of its kind, is going on display at a museum close to where it was found by a metal detectorist.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dating from about AD800 to 900, the large silver and copper alloy disc brooch hails from a time when the survival of Saxon Wessex was in doubt and Athelney on the Somerset Levels provided a refuge for King Alfred the Great.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Interlaced animal and plant designs in bright silver and black niello – usually a mixture, of sulphur, copper, silver and lead – are set against a gilded back panel. The animals represented include wyverns – dragon-like creatures with two legs, wings and long tails that would later become a symbol of Wessex.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/oct/03/rare-medieval-cheddar-brooch-display-somerset" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-23497878955641071342023-10-07T17:14:00.002+02:002023-10-07T17:14:38.802+02:00The Cheddar Brooch will be on display in the Museum’s ‘Making Somerset’ gallery from Friday 20 October<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="800" height="392" src="https://swheritage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Cheddar-Brooch-After-image.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A very rare Early Medieval brooch, that lay hidden for many centuries, is going on display at the Museum of Somerset in Taunton. It comes from a time when the survival of Saxon Wessex was in doubt and Somerset provided a refuge for King Alfred the Great at Athelney.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dating from about AD 800 to 900, the large silver and copper alloy disc brooch is well over a thousand years old and is one of the most important single objects ever found in the county. Conservation work by Pieta Greaves of Drakon Heritage has removed centuries of corrosion and soil deposits to reveal the exceptional quality of its decoration. Interlaced animal and plant designs in bright silver and black ‘niello’ are set against a gilded back panel. The animals represented include wyverns – dragon-like creatures with two legs, wings and long tails, that would later become one of the symbols of Wessex.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://swheritage.org.uk/news/cheddar-brooch-on-display/#:~:text=The%20brooch%20was%20found%20by,archaeological%20excavation%20of%20the%20findspot." target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-64818701734171698952023-10-06T09:41:00.002+02:002023-10-06T09:41:46.301+02:00Metal detectorist finds giant brooch that could have royal origins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2023/10/05/17/Cheddar%20Brooch%20After%20Conservation.jpg?quality=75&width=990&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&auto=webp" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The high status Anglo-Saxon brooch found in a field near Cheddar, Somerset</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">(South West Heritage Trust)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Giant silver brooch found in the Somerset Levels is one of the largest such objects ever found</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A mysterious piece of early medieval jewellery found by metal detectorists in Somerset could have royal origins, experts believe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The huge nine-centimetre diameter silver and bronze brooch, one of the largest such objects ever found, was unearthed by a metal detectorist on the edge of former marshland between Cheddar and Wedmore - two locations associated with Anglo-Saxon royalty.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Experts believe the brooch may be linked to the household of Alfred the Great or one of the other Anglo-Saxon kings of England.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/giant-brooch-somerset-metal-detector-b2424713.html" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-76383127927193872162023-06-26T10:26:00.002+02:002023-06-26T10:26:29.655+02:00How to Make a Viking Warrior?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://www.medieval.eu/wp-content/uploads/nordforsk-viking-warrior-mentality.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">"Making a Warrior: the Social Implications of Viking Age Martial Ideologies” is the title of a new research project, which was recently granted substantial funding from Nordforsk. Partners are the Universities in Oslo, Copenhagen, Uppsala, and Reykjavik.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Archaeologist Marianne Moen, who has also recently taken over the position as Head of Department of Archaeology at the Museum of Cultural History, will be the project manager for the upcoming research project “Making a Warrior: the Social Implications of Viking Age Martial Ideologies” that is starting up in the fall of 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">– The Viking Age often evokes associations with violence and war, with images of tough men enacting scenarios of violence and war. At the same time, we know that the truth was much more complex. This project is based on the premise that Viking warriors were not a uniform group of people, and that warrior ideals moreover had socio-political and ritual aspects that were as important as the actual war and violence in itself, she tells us.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.medieval.eu/how-to-make-a-viking-warrior/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-36647452289511045972023-06-24T15:57:00.002+02:002023-06-24T15:57:53.597+02:00Wild Cattle in Britain – Descendants of Viking Cattle?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://www.medieval.eu/wp-content/uploads/WEB-Chillingham-cattle-dreamstime_l_209413597.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Also known as the Chillingham Cattle, Britain is home to four flocks of White Cattle living in the wild since the 12th century.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The fierce and shy wild cattle living in the park at Chillingham is but one flock of four roaming at Woburn, Dynevor, and Cadzow. Earlier on, such herds were a common feature in the British landscape, probably kept for their ornamental and symbolic value. Known in the 12th century as Tauri Sylvestres, they have apparently always been considered a wild sub-species. The herd at Chillingham, though, was first mentioned in 1645. Today, about 130 animals live in the 150-ha large park in Northumberland. The herd is protected from being earmarked, a true sign of their “wild” status.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">These flocks of wild cattle were treated as a kind of super-deer eaten on festive occasions, such as at the Archbishop of York installation feast in 1466. At the celebrations, six wild bulls were roasted and served. It appears the white cattle survived as potent medieval status symbols alongside other wild species. Evidence from Auckland Castle indicates a herd of White Cattle was kept in the 15th-century deer park for ornamental reasons together with wild horses.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.medieval.eu/wild-cattle-in-britain-descendants-of-viking-cattle/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-8866615812366980662023-06-20T11:51:00.002+02:002023-06-20T11:51:53.896+02:00“Ipswich ware” pottery made for the first time in over 1,000 years<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://medievalists.gumlet.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/52973720896_0a07c68da5_k.jpg?format=webp&compress=true&quality=80&w=700&dpr=1.5" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">“Ipswich ware” jars and pots, first made 1,400 years ago in the English town, are being fired again in a replica Anglo-Saxon kiln thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This new experimental archaeology project is being led by Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service, to investigate how Anglo-Saxon pottery was once made in Ipswich. The new kiln has been built and fired by studying archaeological remains excavated from the Buttermarket in Ipswich, something never attempted before. Only two kilns have ever been excavated in Ipswich, the other was discovered at Stoke Quay.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ipswich ware pottery was made in the town from c. AD 680-870. Jars, cooking pots and pitchers were the most commonly-made items, simple in design and grey in colour. They were mass-produced and distributed throughout eastern England, and were some of the first of their kind in post-Roman Britain.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2023/06/ipswich-ware-pottery-made-for-the-first-time-in-over-1000-years/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-7765189477516340642023-06-20T10:52:00.002+02:002023-06-20T10:52:22.248+02:00Ipswich Anglo-Saxon pottery created in replica kiln in Tunstall, near Woodbridge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="750" height="265" src="https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/_media/img/750x0/US7HKX4NZZWGOWS5S8HD.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Teams in Tunstall have been recreating 1,400 year-old Anglo-Saxon pottery, known as 'Ipswich-ware'. Picture: Suffolk County Council</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Cash for the project was donated by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">This comes after an Anglo-Saxon kiln was uncovered under the Buttermarket shopping centre in Ipswich.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Faye Minter, from Suffolk County Council, said project such as this were important as they allow teams to test hypotheses.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">She said: “They allow us to test historical methods and techniques based on evidence from excavations.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“This can give invaluable insight into our history - the lives, skills and industry of people who lived in the past.”</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/ipswich/news/1-400-year-old-suffolk-pottery-remade-in-archaeology-project-9317680/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-16624625755470111912023-06-20T10:33:00.002+02:002023-06-20T10:33:15.579+02:00Trumpington burial: Teenage Anglo-Saxon girl's face revealed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/CB52/production/_130105025_16a3b73e-8d9e-4cd1-9e4e-9bec76432ac7.jpg.webp" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Without DNA analysis, forensic artist Hew Morrison could not be sure of her precise eye and hair colour</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The face of a girl who died more than 1,300 years ago has been revealed through facial reconstruction.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Her skeleton was found buried on a wooden bed, with a gold and garnet cross on her chest at Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, in 2012.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The image will go on display as part of a Cambridge University exhibition.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Anglo-Saxon specialist Dr Sam Lucy said "as an archaeologist I'm used to faceless people" so it was "really lovely" to see how she may have looked.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-65919518" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-64566052649797158852023-06-20T10:29:00.002+02:002023-06-20T10:29:11.411+02:00First look at what the Anglo-Saxon teenager buried in Cambridge would have looked like<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="615" height="400" src="https://i2-prod.cambridge-news.co.uk/incoming/article27129658.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_burial-woman-facial-reconstruction_Credit_-Hew-Morrison-2023.jpg" width="315" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The face of a 16-year-old woman buried near Cambridge in the seventh century<br />(Image: Hew Morrison ©2023)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The face of a teenager buried near Cambridge in the seventh century has been reconstructed after analysis of her skull. Archaeologists from the University of Cambridge discovered the burial site at Trumpington Meadows in 2012.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Forensic artist Hew Morrison created the likeness using measurements of the woman's skull and tissue depth data for Caucasian females. Without DNA analysis, Mr Morrison could not be sure of her precise eye and hair colour, but the image offers a strong indication of her appearance shortly before she died. (see the reconstructed photo below).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Mr Morrison said: "It was interesting to see her face developing. Her left eye was slightly lower, about half a centimetre, than her right eye. This would have been quite noticeable in life."</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/first-look-what-anglo-saxon-27129670" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-50904479605986111682023-05-02T15:58:00.002+02:002023-05-02T15:58:46.142+02:00The Shadowy Kingdom Of Gewissae, Britain’s First Kings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="800" height="210" src="https://www.ancient-origins.net/sites/default/files/field/image/Wessex-preview.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Gewissae was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom that ruled much of southern Britain from the fifth to the seventh centuries as the island began forging a new identity in the aftermath of Roman occupation. Beginning with the fabled reign of the mysterious Germanic invader Cerdic and ending with the documented conquests of Cædwalla, the Gewissae straddled the murky line between myth and history and as such, many of the dates discussed have been the subject of intense historical debate and should not be viewed as definitive fact.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Cerdic and Cynric<br /><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The first recorded king of the Gewissae was Cerdic, an obscure individual allegedly of Germanic stock said to be directly related to Gewis, a mythological founding figure. According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle , Cerdic and his son Cynric first arrived in southern Britain at a place called Cerdicesora in 495 with five ships. Later on in 508 a great battle involving an indigenous British ruler called Natanleod is recorded, with Cerdic and his son emerging triumphant. For the next decade or so, the pair established themselves in the region though military force and became kings in 519 after defeating the British at Cerdicesford, a settlement which has since been identified as Charford in Hampshire.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.ancient-origins.net/premium-preview/wessex-0018354" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-49739094427797440442023-05-02T15:38:00.002+02:002023-05-02T15:38:32.120+02:00Beowulf was connected to King Cnut, study finds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="800" height="224" src="https://medievalists.gumlet.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/mnet23043002.jpg?format=webp&compress=true&quality=80&w=768&dpr=1.5" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When King Cnut sailed to Denmark in 1019, did he bring a copy of Beowulf with him? That is the theory put forward in a new article on why the famous Old English poem was written in the early years of the 11th century.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Beowulf is only found in one copy: the Nowell Codex, which is now kept at the British Library. In his article, “Behold the Front Page: Cnut and the Scyldings in Beowulf,” the historian Richard North argues that this manuscript was at least partially written after Cnut became King of England in 1016. Moreover, the Norse leader and his entourage took a keen interest in the story, using it to develop a claim to the throne of Denmark.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Set hundreds of years in the past, Beowulf tells the story of a hero arriving to help Hrothgar, the king of the Danes, defeat the monster Grendel. Beowulf slays Grendel, then Grendel’s mother, before returning home to Geatland and becoming King of the Geats. Many years later, Beowulf also defeats a dragon, but at the cost of his own life.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2023/04/beowulf-king-cnut/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-65195090000407102842023-05-02T15:34:00.001+02:002023-05-02T15:34:02.555+02:00Stolen coins reveals King Alfred had help from ally to stop Vikings ruling England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://i2-prod.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article29853911.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200d/1_GLP_SAH_SL210348_05JPG.jpg" width="400" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Alfred was the king of Wessex and then later king of the Anglo-Saxons, and his grandson Æthelstan was the first 'King of the English' (Image: HampshireLive - Grahame Larter)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Alfred, who is widely regarded as the first person to be king of the English, may have been assisted by fellow leader Ceolwulf in his struggle against Viking marauders</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Alfred the Great was helped on his way to legendary status by a fellow leader he refused to give credit to and allowed to be written out of history, experts now believe.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Images on medieval coins found in a stolen haul suggest King of Wessex Alfred, who stopped the Vikings in their tracks and paved the way for the formation of England, was in a years-long alliance with Ceolwulff II, King of Mercia.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A silver ‘Two Emperor’ penny from 870 AD shows the pair together, suggesting they were strong allies.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But Ceolwulf was later mocked by scribes loyal to Alfred as being a puppet of the Vikings.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/stolen-coins-reveals-king-alfred-29853895" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-69641642255767637752023-04-28T18:03:00.002+02:002023-04-28T18:03:29.039+02:00Collectors guilty of illegal plot to sell historic Anglo-Saxon coins abroad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://www.newschainonline.com/bsp-static/image/2023/04/27/15/27153932-f8f87143-dddf-4aa0-a584-6bba432a99ad.jpg?width=990&crop=968:645,smart&quality=50&auto=webp" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Two metal detectorists have been found guilty of hatching an illegal plot to sell Anglo-Saxon coins of “immense historical significance” abroad.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Craig Best, 46, and Roger Pilling, 75, were convicted of conspiring to sell criminal property worth £766,000, namely ninth century coins believed to have been buried by a Viking and which have never been declared as Treasure, and have not been handed to the Crown.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Following a trial at Durham Crown Court, the defendants were also convicted of separate charges of possessing the criminal property, which was thought to be part of a larger, undeclared find known as the Herefordshire Hoard.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Best, of South View, Bishop Auckland, was arrested with three coins at a Durham hotel in May 2019 in a police sting operation.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Read the rest of this article...</span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4783098435691184847.post-79722380657648406772023-04-18T11:56:00.002+02:002023-04-18T11:56:44.677+02:00People were decapitated in Anglo-Saxon England crudely, study finds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="800" height="306" src="https://medievalists.gumlet.io/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/mnet23041704.jpg?format=webp&compress=true&quality=80&w=768&dpr=1.5" width="400" /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If just being executed in Anglo-Saxon England was not bad enough, it seems that those unlucky victims of beheading would also have to deal with an executioner that was not very good at his job. These are some of the findings from a recent article that examined the archaeological evidence of executions in the early Middle Ages.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The study, led by Alyxandra Mattison with colleagues from the United Kingdom and South Africa, was published in Bioarchaeology of Injuries and Violence in Early Medieval Europe. It examines research on ten so-called ‘execution cemeteries’ from Anglo-Saxon England. By the seventh century there is evidence that special unconsecrated burial grounds are being used – these differ from traditional cemeteries in that the bodies are often buried in careless ways, with sometimes multiple people in a single grave or obvious signs of execution. Not all people buried there would have been executed, but these sites offer a chance to understand how executions were carried out.</span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><a href="https://www.medievalists.net/2023/04/decapitated-anglo-saxon-england/" target="_blank">Read the rest of this article...</a></span>David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04960863966432246464noreply@blogger.com