The Archaeology of Britain: An introduction from ... - waughfamily.ca
The Archaeology of Britain: An introduction from ... - waughfamily.ca
The Archaeology of Britain: An introduction from ... - waughfamily.ca
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<strong>The</strong> S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian presence<br />
• 195 •<br />
TERMINOLOGY AND CHARACTER<br />
<strong>The</strong> period commencing AD 800 is <strong>of</strong>ten described as the Viking Age, although some<br />
explanation <strong>of</strong> the term is needed. Viking is an evo<strong>ca</strong>tive word, but it was rarely used by<br />
contemporary chroniclers who preferred to use Norse, Dane, or even heathen, <strong>of</strong>ten interchangeably.<br />
<strong>The</strong> term Viking be<strong>ca</strong>me widely used only in the nineteenth century, when translations <strong>of</strong><br />
medieval Icelandic sagas <strong>ca</strong>ptured the Victorian romantic imagination with tales <strong>of</strong> a heroic<br />
and mythi<strong>ca</strong>l past. Some modern scholars go so far as to see the Vikings as inventions <strong>of</strong> the<br />
sagas, popularized by the Victorians, and maintained by contemporary nationalism. Whilst<br />
there <strong>ca</strong>n be little doubt that S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian warriors did go on sea-borne raids <strong>from</strong> at least AD<br />
800, it is worth acknowledging that this was, to some extent, part <strong>of</strong> a continuing process <strong>of</strong><br />
migration that had also seen S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian peoples colonize England within the shelter <strong>of</strong><br />
earlier Germanic migration.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Viking Age is normally thought <strong>of</strong> as ending in the mid-eleventh century. In England, it<br />
is conveniently marked by the death <strong>of</strong> the last great Viking leader, Harald Hardraada, and the<br />
subsequent victory <strong>of</strong> William the Conqueror, and is coincidental with the Late Saxon period.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Western Isles <strong>of</strong> Scotland and the Isle <strong>of</strong> Man, however, remained under S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian rule<br />
until 1266, and Orkney and Shetland belonged to Norway until 1469.<br />
For archaeologists, the S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian presence in the British Isles is recognizable by its distinctive<br />
material culture. Burials accompanied by weaponry and jewellery in S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian forms probably<br />
represent a first generation <strong>of</strong> pagan settlers, although their uneven distribution is also testimony<br />
to the extent <strong>of</strong> conversion amongst the settlers. In England, for example, where Christianized<br />
Danes formed the majority <strong>of</strong> the settlers, there are no more than 30 known burial sites, and<br />
most <strong>of</strong> these are solitary graves. Those <strong>from</strong> churchyards, such as those at Repton, Derbyshire,<br />
may represent a transitional conversion phase, and whilst their number might be increased by<br />
further churchyard ex<strong>ca</strong>vation, the total would still remain relatively small. On the northern and<br />
western fringes, by comparison, there are many more pagan burials per head <strong>of</strong> population. On<br />
the Isle <strong>of</strong> Man alone, for instance, there are at least 15 burial sites. This may partly reflect the<br />
Norse preponderance in these areas, although the overtly pagan nature <strong>of</strong> some <strong>of</strong> the burials<br />
suggests that they may have also emphasized their ‘Vikingness’ to stress their ethnic differences<br />
in this colonial context (Myhre 1993; Richards 1991).<br />
In some areas, such as Yorkshire and the Isle <strong>of</strong> Man, there is a flowering <strong>of</strong> stone cross<br />
construction, frequently combining pagan and Christian iconography, but S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian stone<br />
sculpture is rare in southern England and in Scotland. <strong>The</strong> Viking Kingdom <strong>of</strong> York is also the<br />
centre <strong>of</strong> the distribution <strong>of</strong> the unique hogback stones, which appear to represent another<br />
distinctive colonial monument (Lang 1978).<br />
Hoards <strong>of</strong> Viking silver are widely distributed throughout the British Isles, although their<br />
interpretation is far <strong>from</strong> straightforward. <strong>The</strong> largest, comprising over 40 kg <strong>of</strong> silver coins,<br />
bullion and arm rings, is that discovered in 1840 at Cuerdale, Lan<strong>ca</strong>shire, on the banks <strong>of</strong> the<br />
River Ribble (Figure 11.1); it has been interpreted as the pay chest <strong>of</strong> a Viking army, possibly<br />
recently arrived <strong>from</strong> Dublin in c.AD 905. Other smaller hoards <strong>from</strong> Scotland and the Isle <strong>of</strong><br />
Man may also represent the personal fortunes <strong>of</strong> Viking leaders who were unable to pass on their<br />
wealth as gifts to their followers in order to buy their allegiance through reciprocity. It has also<br />
been suggested that some hoards as well as river <strong>of</strong>ferings <strong>of</strong> weapons continued the pagan<br />
S<strong>ca</strong>ndinavian tradition <strong>of</strong> making gifts to gods that were never intended to be recovered. Other<br />
hoards may simply represent personal wealth buried, but never recovered, under the threat <strong>of</strong><br />
advance <strong>of</strong> a Viking raiding party (Graham-Campbell 1992).