
Archaeology In Europe
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Archaeology in Europe is run by David Beard MA, FSA, FSA Scot. David Beard is a freelance archaeologist & a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries & a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland specializing in medieval archaeology, especially the Anglo-Saxon & Viking periods. Here you can find a calendar of archaeological events, including training digs, educational resources for..
Archaeology In Europe
1w ago
Archaeologists have pieced together the earliest stone fragments containing inscriptions of Germanic letters, revealing what the Norse language was like before the Viking era.
Researchers from the University of Oslo found that the ancient fragments fit together “like a jigsaw puzzle” suggesting that the writing may have been “separated intentionally”.
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Archaeology In Europe
1w ago
Archaeologists in Norway have pieced together fragments of what is now the world’s earliest known rune-stone, dating back to as early as 50 BC. The discovery at the Svingerud grave field offers new insights into the origins of runic writing, a script long associated with the medieval period but now revealed to have a much older history.
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Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
The University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History has launched a global study to uncover how people around the world perceive Viking warriors and the enduring legacy of the Viking Age. The Great Viking Survey invites individuals to share their thoughts on these iconic medieval figures and their influence in modern culture.
The survey, part of the Making a Warrior research project, aims to map the ways contemporary media and academia shape public perceptions of the Viking Age. Led by a pan-Nordic network of scholars, the project explores the concept of Viking “warriorhood” and its represe ..read more
Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
The remains of a shipwreck dating to the 6th or 5th century B.C. in the waters off Santa Maria del Focallo, a beach town on the southern tip of Sicily. An underwater excavation found the wreck at a depth of 20 feet, the wood of the hill buried under sand and rocks.
Experts revealed that the ship’s hull was constructed using the su guscio technique, a method that involved joining the planks of the hull with dovetail joints and clamps, which gave the structure notable strength and self-sufficiency.
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Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
The iconic Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (Constantinople) will undergo extensive restoration, including the dismantling of its dome, to preserve the historical and structural integrity of the world-renowned monument, according to the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet.
Ahmet Gulec, a member of the project’s scientific committee, said damage to the dome’s lead cover and cement materials made the restoration necessary. “The underside of the dome is covered in mosaics, making structural intervention from below nearly impossible” Gulec explained. The team will remove the lead cover and other harmful materi ..read more
Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
“Remarkable historical find at Sverresborg. Skeleton at the bottom of the old well. Could it be the Baglers’ victim, thrown into the well in 1197, as the saga claims?”
This was the headline in Adresseavisen on December 2, 1938. The manager of Sverresborg Folk Museum, Sigurd Tiller, and architect and self-taught archaeologist Gerhard Fischer found the skeleton while investigating the castle ruins. Three doctors were called in to confirm it was indeed a human skeleton. Despite the uproar caused by the discovery, Tiller was cautious with the press.
“Thorough and lengthy investigations are re ..read more
Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
A compilation of essays may not necessarily be your first choice when you reach for a book on a library shelf or conduct a quick search on Amazon.
For many of us non-academics, essays are something that brings back pubescent horrors from schooldays. The type of thing that, as soon as you graduated from high school, you'd pledge to avoid for the remainder of your life... until you went to college or university.
Yet one must, as Voltaire's Candide quips, "tend to one's garden," and part of this tending is surely reading both for pleasure and for a purpose.
Muslims on the ..read more
Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
The Viking burial ground at Tvååker revealed 139 graves, including ship-formed stone settings and a ship-formed mound. Photo: Arkeologerna
Ship made of oak and stone
The latter appears to be the remains of a wooden ship burial that may have been relatively common in the local area.
"Scientists in the 1950s discovered a characteristic local grave type in Halland County known as 'oblong mounds,'" Nordin and Kjellin tell The Viking Herald.
"These have been interpreted to be the remains of a cremation in a ship site. The cremation here appears to have taken place in the shi ..read more
Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
A hoard of gold and silver Roman coins dating back to the reign of Emperor Nero have been found during building works in Worcestershire.
The treasure, consisting of 1,368 Iron Age and Roman coins, includes the largest collection from the emperor's reign ever found.
Worcestershire Heritage, Art & Museums said the hoard was discovered in the Leigh and Bransford area, west of Worcester, in late 2023.
It is expected to be valued at more than £100,000.
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Archaeology In Europe
2M ago
The sword and shield of medieval Europe weren’t just tools of war—they were catalysts of chaos, reshaping societies and escalating crime rates. From Christendom to the Crusader States, weapons played a dual role: defence and destruction. Their prevalence not only shaped the violence of the battlefield but also fuelled conflicts in everyday life, leaving a lasting legacy of turmoil.
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