Trix
@trixranderson.bsky.social
Archaeologist at North Yorkshire Historic Environment Record: special interest in Viking-Age Britain and the Great Heathen Army
Honestly don't know if there was an album which had more impact on my teenage self than this one...
October 29, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Honestly don't know if there was an album which had more impact on my teenage self than this one...
Our eldest Little Viking at an event at Murton Park, York, last weekend - with his nose buried in a book, as usual. It was his umpteenth re-read of his prised signed copy of the latest Loki by @louiestowell.bsky.social, courtesy of www.papercatbookshop.co.uk
(We posed him a bit to hide his face)
(We posed him a bit to hide his face)
October 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Our eldest Little Viking at an event at Murton Park, York, last weekend - with his nose buried in a book, as usual. It was his umpteenth re-read of his prised signed copy of the latest Loki by @louiestowell.bsky.social, courtesy of www.papercatbookshop.co.uk
(We posed him a bit to hide his face)
(We posed him a bit to hide his face)
So a fantastic day on site, and a textbook example of good-practice detecting in a location where we can say that the finds were definitely in danger - although I'm sorry for my volunteer, spoiled forever by this being their first day in archaeology! Future watching briefs will pale by comparison...
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
So a fantastic day on site, and a textbook example of good-practice detecting in a location where we can say that the finds were definitely in danger - although I'm sorry for my volunteer, spoiled forever by this being their first day in archaeology! Future watching briefs will pale by comparison...
We also had cruciform brooches in place, as well as the second annular brooch to pair with the plough furrow find. You can just see this brooch standing on edge in one of the photos below, showing how the burial must've 'slipped' sideways - which preserved the finds, just out of reach of the plough.
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
We also had cruciform brooches in place, as well as the second annular brooch to pair with the plough furrow find. You can just see this brooch standing on edge in one of the photos below, showing how the burial must've 'slipped' sideways - which preserved the finds, just out of reach of the plough.
Again, the burial and cut were pretty much gone - but the remainder of the grave-goods were millimetres under the plough line. The tractor was due back at the weekend, so it felt like my old days in rescue archaeology 😅 This was our real beads findspot - 49 glass ones and at least 21 amber.
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Again, the burial and cut were pretty much gone - but the remainder of the grave-goods were millimetres under the plough line. The tractor was due back at the weekend, so it felt like my old days in rescue archaeology 😅 This was our real beads findspot - 49 glass ones and at least 21 amber.
Further down the slope, another detector response had produced a broken annular brooch and a still-articulated wrist clasp: the brooch was in a furrow base, but the clasp right at the bottom of the ploughing. Here, the detectorist hadn't dug at all, but had marked the spot for us. Perfect!
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Further down the slope, another detector response had produced a broken annular brooch and a still-articulated wrist clasp: the brooch was in a furrow base, but the clasp right at the bottom of the ploughing. Here, the detectorist hadn't dug at all, but had marked the spot for us. Perfect!
There were precious few traces of the burial this belonged to: no osseous material to speak of, and only the faintest shadow of a grave cut. Caught in the nick of time! We found 3 glass beads and a probable amber bead next to the brooch, but that was all. In some ways, quite an understated burial...
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
There were precious few traces of the burial this belonged to: no osseous material to speak of, and only the faintest shadow of a grave cut. Caught in the nick of time! We found 3 glass beads and a probable amber bead next to the brooch, but that was all. In some ways, quite an understated burial...
...the detectorist quickly realised that one response wasn't scattered, but was from a single undisturbed object. They stopped exposing the target and called it in to PAS that day - which meant that we were able to expose and lift this Great Square-Headed Brooch practically intact, pin and all.
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
...the detectorist quickly realised that one response wasn't scattered, but was from a single undisturbed object. They stopped exposing the target and called it in to PAS that day - which meant that we were able to expose and lift this Great Square-Headed Brooch practically intact, pin and all.
The location is on a hilltop, and was only recently taken back under the plough - so the artefacts were entering the ploughzone, with some already affected. Several brooches were found along furrows, where they'd clearly been struck and scattered: the damage on these is obvious. However...
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
The location is on a hilltop, and was only recently taken back under the plough - so the artefacts were entering the ploughzone, with some already affected. Several brooches were found along furrows, where they'd clearly been struck and scattered: the damage on these is obvious. However...
As others have said today: nothing beats a good bead!
I thought we'd take a pause from Viking camps and instead look at a North Yorks assemblage which I helped lift last year - and which Rebecca Griffiths @yorym-flo.bsky.social posted about last week. I watched these beauties come out the ground...
I thought we'd take a pause from Viking camps and instead look at a North Yorks assemblage which I helped lift last year - and which Rebecca Griffiths @yorym-flo.bsky.social posted about last week. I watched these beauties come out the ground...
October 24, 2025 at 10:54 AM
As others have said today: nothing beats a good bead!
I thought we'd take a pause from Viking camps and instead look at a North Yorks assemblage which I helped lift last year - and which Rebecca Griffiths @yorym-flo.bsky.social posted about last week. I watched these beauties come out the ground...
I thought we'd take a pause from Viking camps and instead look at a North Yorks assemblage which I helped lift last year - and which Rebecca Griffiths @yorym-flo.bsky.social posted about last week. I watched these beauties come out the ground...
So our three scant spearheads show us a field army, campaigning for years and picking up materiel and recruits on the way - as ever, a different picture to how we often imaging 'Vikings' behaving.
As always, if you'd like to know more, it's all in our book, 'Life in the Viking Great Army'. /end
As always, if you'd like to know more, it's all in our book, 'Life in the Viking Great Army'. /end
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
So our three scant spearheads show us a field army, campaigning for years and picking up materiel and recruits on the way - as ever, a different picture to how we often imaging 'Vikings' behaving.
As always, if you'd like to know more, it's all in our book, 'Life in the Viking Great Army'. /end
As always, if you'd like to know more, it's all in our book, 'Life in the Viking Great Army'. /end
Equally, our complete spears could have been carried by Anglo-Saxons, too: Northumbrians almost certainly joined the force, raiding into Mercia and Wessex. As we said last week, it's easy to lose sight of how multinational the Great Army was. Viking armies were equal-opportunity employers! /12
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Equally, our complete spears could have been carried by Anglo-Saxons, too: Northumbrians almost certainly joined the force, raiding into Mercia and Wessex. As we said last week, it's easy to lose sight of how multinational the Great Army was. Viking armies were equal-opportunity employers! /12
It's easy to see our finds as 'loot' or 'scrap' - which, to be fair, DB1675 probably was. However, we have to remember that the Great Army was on campaign for many years, replacing tools and wargear on the move: as has been said, the longer you were a Viking, the less 'Scandinavian' you looked! /11
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
It's easy to see our finds as 'loot' or 'scrap' - which, to be fair, DB1675 probably was. However, we have to remember that the Great Army was on campaign for many years, replacing tools and wargear on the move: as has been said, the longer you were a Viking, the less 'Scandinavian' you looked! /11
Halpin noted that the Dublin settlement has a high percentage of very small spearheads - whilst nearby burials contain larger ones. Torksey may be the same, with our two small, complete spearheads lost in the mud and chaos of the winter camp. But why were 'English' weapons in the camp at all? /10
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Halpin noted that the Dublin settlement has a high percentage of very small spearheads - whilst nearby burials contain larger ones. Torksey may be the same, with our two small, complete spearheads lost in the mud and chaos of the winter camp. But why were 'English' weapons in the camp at all? /10
There's also a good parallel on the PAS: LON-920814, again found in the Thames at Putney. Our spear doesn't have the same obvious raised central rib as this find, some of Swanton's E3 blades have a lentoid section - so the identification seems reasonable. DB1675 is also probably an English blade. /9
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
There's also a good parallel on the PAS: LON-920814, again found in the Thames at Putney. Our spear doesn't have the same obvious raised central rib as this find, some of Swanton's E3 blades have a lentoid section - so the identification seems reasonable. DB1675 is also probably an English blade. /9
TDB1675 was first seen as a sword blade, but the lack of a fuller speaks against that. It may also have been a weaving beater, but if so, that was probably a secondary use. The narrow, gently curving blade suggests a Swanton Type E3. Spearheads of this type have been found in other iron hoards. /8
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
TDB1675 was first seen as a sword blade, but the lack of a fuller speaks against that. It may also have been a weaving beater, but if so, that was probably a secondary use. The narrow, gently curving blade suggests a Swanton Type E3. Spearheads of this type have been found in other iron hoards. /8
The third spearhead from Torksey is broken, with only the blade surviving: this is TDB1675. It was recovered as part of the iron hoard found at the site... something I'll have to post about someday!
Obviously, when there's only a blade, a find gets harder to classify - and that holds true here. /7
Obviously, when there's only a blade, a find gets harder to classify - and that holds true here. /7
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The third spearhead from Torksey is broken, with only the blade surviving: this is TDB1675. It was recovered as part of the iron hoard found at the site... something I'll have to post about someday!
Obviously, when there's only a blade, a find gets harder to classify - and that holds true here. /7
Obviously, when there's only a blade, a find gets harder to classify - and that holds true here. /7
Spears are generally labelled as ‘Anglo-Saxon’ purely on the basis of having split sockets - a distinction which even Mortimer Wheeler thought was unsatisfactory! However, it seems broadly true here, as DB25 and 1423 don't fit Scandinavian types. Both our spearheads may well be English pieces. /6
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Spears are generally labelled as ‘Anglo-Saxon’ purely on the basis of having split sockets - a distinction which even Mortimer Wheeler thought was unsatisfactory! However, it seems broadly true here, as DB25 and 1423 don't fit Scandinavian types. Both our spearheads may well be English pieces. /6
Our finds look more similar to a spearhead recovered from the Thames at Cookham, Berkshire, and now in the BM. This has the same ridged blade, angled shoulders, and split socket - here shown fitted to a reconstructed shaft. Again, this has a pattern-welded core, which our shorter examples lack. /5
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Our finds look more similar to a spearhead recovered from the Thames at Cookham, Berkshire, and now in the BM. This has the same ridged blade, angled shoulders, and split socket - here shown fitted to a reconstructed shaft. Again, this has a pattern-welded core, which our shorter examples lack. /5
The spearhead recovered from Lugg Bridge, Hereford, is seen as a classic 'Viking' loss. The blade is ornately pattern-welded, and the ridged socket forms a complete tube which would have enclosed the spear shaft before being secured with rivets. it's quite a different style to our Torksey spears. /4
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The spearhead recovered from Lugg Bridge, Hereford, is seen as a classic 'Viking' loss. The blade is ornately pattern-welded, and the ridged socket forms a complete tube which would have enclosed the spear shaft before being secured with rivets. it's quite a different style to our Torksey spears. /4
Blackburn originally saw DB25 as a Petersen Type A, but the 'shoulders' at the base of both blades don't match the leaf-shaped Type A form. Sharply-shouldered spear blades are seen on Scandinavian types - but the split sockets of our two are typically seen as an Anglo-Saxon style by the C9th. /3
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Blackburn originally saw DB25 as a Petersen Type A, but the 'shoulders' at the base of both blades don't match the leaf-shaped Type A form. Sharply-shouldered spear blades are seen on Scandinavian types - but the split sockets of our two are typically seen as an Anglo-Saxon style by the C9th. /3
DB1423 is quite a small spearhead, with a diamond-shaped section and a central rib along the blade. Another spearhead, DB25, was recovered in the early days of the Torksey site and recorded by Mark Blackburn. DB25 is very similar to DB1423, although slightly longer and with a missing tip. /2
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
DB1423 is quite a small spearhead, with a diamond-shaped section and a central rib along the blade. Another spearhead, DB25, was recovered in the early days of the Torksey site and recorded by Mark Blackburn. DB25 is very similar to DB1423, although slightly longer and with a missing tip. /2
Carrying on our theme of weaponry, I thought we'd take a short look at spearheads for today's Viking Camps #FindsFriday. Why just a short look? Because we really don't have many spears, and they're all only from one camp.
This is DB1423, one of the three possible spears from the camp at Torksey. /1
This is DB1423, one of the three possible spears from the camp at Torksey. /1
October 10, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Carrying on our theme of weaponry, I thought we'd take a short look at spearheads for today's Viking Camps #FindsFriday. Why just a short look? Because we really don't have many spears, and they're all only from one camp.
This is DB1423, one of the three possible spears from the camp at Torksey. /1
This is DB1423, one of the three possible spears from the camp at Torksey. /1
As always, if you'd like to read more, then all our analysis is available in the book 'Life in the Viking Great Army', published by the Oxford University Press... and I'd best stop there! Ten posts isn't bad when I get talking about strap-ends, I'll quit while I'm ahead 😅 /end
October 3, 2025 at 2:28 PM
As always, if you'd like to read more, then all our analysis is available in the book 'Life in the Viking Great Army', published by the Oxford University Press... and I'd best stop there! Ten posts isn't bad when I get talking about strap-ends, I'll quit while I'm ahead 😅 /end
Obviously we can't know for sure if our silver-decorated sword belts were worn at Torksey, but I like to imagine northern Franks/Frisians strutting around the camp showing of their finery- while also noticing how good the clay was! Again, the mounts show how multinational this 'Viking' army was. /10
October 3, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Obviously we can't know for sure if our silver-decorated sword belts were worn at Torksey, but I like to imagine northern Franks/Frisians strutting around the camp showing of their finery- while also noticing how good the clay was! Again, the mounts show how multinational this 'Viking' army was. /10