Treasures of the Vikings is a photographic celebration of the wonders of the Norse raiders and explorers, from how they lived to the treasures they made or plundered.
Treasures of the Vikings explores the material culture of this raiding people, who plundered artefacts, treasure and weaponry from across the trade routes of Europe and Asia. From 793, when Norse raiders attacked the monastery at Lindesfarne on the remote northeast coast of Anglo-Saxon England, until the demise of Norwegian control of the remote Scottish Hebrides in 1266, the Vikings played a central role in European history, as pirates, traders and mercenaries, leaving a trail of settlement, treasure and destruction from remote Newfoundland to the shores of the Black Sea. In between, Vikings traded along the great rivers of Russia, conquered territory in Britain and France, settled in Iceland and Greenland, and enriched their Scandinavian homeland with loot.
Marvel at the Ulfberht sword, forged from an alloy using large amounts of carbon, and highly prized for its strength and lightness; explore the Vale of York Hoard, comprising some 600 coins, bullion and assorted jewelry tucked tightly into a silver container etched with lions and deer and lined with gold; see the remarkable whale tooth carved Lewis Chess Pieces, found on the eponymous Scottish isle in the 19th century; see the Oseberg Heads, exquisite animal carvings packed inside a Viking burial ship in Norway; and be amazed at the Gokstad ship, which at almost 24 metres (80ft), is the largest Viking ship ever found. As well as boats and swords, archaeology has yielded more quirky items of Viking culture – such as horse-bone ice skates found in Jorvik.
Packed with photographs of interesting objects, Treasures of the Vikings is ideal for any enthusiast for all things Norse.
- Packed with 170 colour photographs
- Expert text explains the story behind each artifact, burial site and treasure hoard
- Will enthrall anyone with an interest in Viking culture and history
Muu info
Fascinating photographic exploration of Viking culture and the treasures it left behind.
Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1) Children & Gaming Growing Up a Viking Growing Up Fast: Balnakiel &
Gokstad (Not) Putting Away Childish Things: Adult Gamers Music Gaming boards
& Gaming Pieces
Chapter 2) On the Farm: Production & Consumption Introduction - Beating
Swords into Ploughshares Animal Farm / Horses for Courses Food & Drink
Drinking horns, metal attachments (Links of Pierowall, Westray, gilded bronze
Viking Diet Weaving & Sewing Craftworkers: Metal, Leather, Antler/bone
(combs) & Amber- working Antler/Bone-working Amber-working Whetstones
Chapter 3) Houses, Halls & Huts A Place in the Countryside Farms: The
Longhouse Monumental Halls L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland New Towns
Townhouses Dublin
Chapter 4) Clothing & Adornment Clothing & Weaving Imported: Silk Haircare
Art & Adornment Animal Art The Art of Runes Adornment: Necklaces & Pendants
Coin Pendants & Necklaces Buckles, Buttons, Belt- and Strap- Ends Adornment:
Gold Adornment: Non-Precious Metal Arm- and Finger-Rings Adornment: Brooches
Adornment: Brooches, Thistle/Ball Penannular Adornment: Brooches, Oval
Looted/Imported Adornments
Chapter 5) Weapons & War Targets Arms & Armour Swords & Seaxes Ulfberht /
Carolingian sword blades, Viking hilts Helmets & Shields Axes Chainmail Bows
& Arrows Warrior Art & Runic Inscriptions Weapon Pendants War Camps Late
Viking Age: Danish ring-forts (Trelleborg, Fyrkat) Ships & Sailing Pre-Viking
Age: Nydam boat(s), drawing (RH07:50 = NMD) (VLL14:206) Beginning of the
Viking Age: The First Sails Ship Drawings / Graffiti
Chapter 6) Trading & Raiding - Merchants, Money & Loot Trade and Raid Slave
Trade Danegeld Bullion Economies (Currency) Rings Coins Dirhams &
Counterfeiting Bullion Test Marks Hacksilver & Bullion Silver Ingots & Ingot
Moulds Gold Bullion Economies: Balance Scales & (Looted) Weights Lead-inset
Bullion Weights Scandinavian-Islamic Standardised Weights Loot & Looting
Chapter 7) Faith & Death Norse Paganism: Thor, Frey, Odin, Valhalla, Ragnarok
Norse Paganism Valkyries / Female Warriors Völva - Sourceresses Wands Freya
Grave Mounds & Cemeteries Slave Sacrifices Warrior Graves Ship/Boat Burials
Female burials Between Two Faiths (Not Binary: Syncretic Pagan Christianity)
Mysteries, Magic & The Coming of the Christian Middle Ages Christian Vikings
Christian Stones Christian Books Christian Stones: Hogbacks Churches &
Christian Burials
Dr Tom Horne read history at Balliol College, Oxford, and achieved an MLitt. and Ph.D. at Glasgow, where he studied early medieval archaeology and Viking-Age trade. An experienced field archaeologist, Tom has worked on Viking-Age sites from Shetland to Ukraine. He has also written extensively about the Vikings, including for his monograph, A Viking Market Kingdom (Routledge) and The Viking Age in Scotland, (EUP) a book he also co-edited.
