Finding Vikings in the Danelaw
2014; Wiley; Volume: 33; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1111/ojoa.12045
ISSN1468-0092
AutoresJo Buckberry, Janet Montgomery, Jacqueline Towers, Gundula Müldner, Malin Holst, Jane Evans, Andrew Gledhill, Naomi Neale, Julia A. Lee‐Thorp,
Tópico(s)Ancient and Medieval Archaeology Studies
ResumoSummary Historical, artefactual and place‐name evidence indicates that S candinavian migrants moved to eastern E ngland in the ninth century AD , settling in the D anelaw. However, only a handful of characteristically S candinavian burials have been found in the region. One, widely held, explanation is that most of these S candinavian settlers quickly adopted local C hristian burial customs, thus leaving S candinavians indistinguishable from the A nglo‐ S axon population. We undertook osteological and isotopic analysis to investigate the presence of first‐generation S candinavian migrants. Burials from M asham were typical of the later A nglo‐ S axon period and included men, women and children. The location and positioning of the four adult burials from C oppergate, however, are unusual for A nglo‐ S candinavian Y ork. None of the skeletons revealed interpersonal violence. Isotopic evidence did not suggest a marine component in the diet of either group, but revealed migration on a regional, and possibly an international, scale. Combined strontium and oxygen isotope analysis should be used to investigate further both regional and S candinavian migration in the later A nglo‐ S axon period.
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