Just in time for Halloween, a new Pictish vision of hell In PSAS 153, 2024 @socantscot.bsky.social Jane Geddes argues the weird 'beehive' surrounded by headless corpses on Sueno's Stone, Forres, is the furnace of the damned Nice shout-out to #CrucibleOfNations as a bonus doi.org/10.9750/PSAS...

Honestly don't know if there was an album which had more impact on my teenage self than this one...

Metal detecting has completely transformed what we know about it Viking Age England in the past few decades BUT only because the information is accessible! Objects’ significance/value can’t even be determined without that collaborative project of figuring out what it all means in the big picture

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)

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...

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...

Do you like archaeology? Do you like horror? Do you like archaeological horror?* I have the book for you. Ten stories, £5.99 for the paperback or £1.49 for the ebook. blackshuckbooks.co.uk/shadows-37/ *different from horror archaeology like a winter watching brief in the snow, finding nowt.

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

Howard @archaeodeathprof.bsky.social and I have developed a cute little series on the archaeology and history of death and burial in the Viking age. I simply love these sessions and hope more people will discover us :D #vikingsky #medievalsky youtu.be/hi2MQG6ChXM

Carrying on our theme of weaponry-related artefacts, we're going to look at these two Carolingian sword-belt mounts for our Viking Camps #FindsFriday today. People have been known to duck and run for cover when I start talking about strap fittings... so I promise I'll contain my enthusiasm! /1

Carrying on our theme of weaponry-related artefacts, we're going to look at these two Carolingian sword-belt mounts for our Viking Camps #FindsFriday today. People have been known to duck and run for cover when I start talking about strap fittings... so I promise I'll contain my enthusiasm! /1

An excellent piece of work by Ny Björn here - and it goes to show how these things can just sit happily in finds reports, waiting for the right moment to finally be identified...

Hwæt! 🐉 Ever wondered what the epic poem Beowulf sounds like spoken in Old English? #NationalPoetryDay

I'm late getting to my Viking camps #FindsFriday today: I was enjoying myself at the 'Words on the Wave' exhibition at Dublin yesterday and the morning's been a little slow! We're going to talk about this little artefact today - database number 115 from the camp at Torksey, Lincolnshire. /1

For #FindsFriday the jewellery from the Féchain hoard, found in 1967 but still unpublished so not as well known as it should be. 441 Carolingian coins, the most recent of Odo and Arnulf, date it to c. 890. Image from Périn and Feffer, La Neustrie.

Hunting for the Viking Great Army with Trix Randerson @trixranderson.bsky.social youtu.be/qO10bpuU8p0

I'm late getting to my Viking camps #FindsFriday today: I was enjoying myself at the 'Words on the Wave' exhibition at Dublin yesterday and the morning's been a little slow! We're going to talk about this little artefact today - database number 115 from the camp at Torksey, Lincolnshire. /1

An older but nonetheless very nice Norwegian find for #FindsFriday: An ornamented (and burnt) bone fragment from Reistad in Levanger, Trøndelag. Found 1935 in a burial mound. The pelleted body implies Mammen-style (c. ~1000 CE). More here: www.unimus.no/portal/#/thi... (📸: CC BY-SA 4.0)

Exciting book launch event!! Dr Victoria Whitworth: The Book of Kells: Unlocking the Enigma is finally out, and you can celebrate it (and snag a copy) at the Tarbat Discovery Centre on 11 October. Tickets at www.tickettailor.com/events/tarba... (1/2)

I think we'll spend the next few weeks looking at weapons for our Viking camps #FindsFriday posts: for all our talk of the 'Great Army', there are surprisingly few weapons from the sites. We'll start with these two pieces - Torksey finds DB 130 and 804. Both are broken ferrules from sword grips. /1

I think we'll spend the next few weeks looking at weapons for our Viking camps #FindsFriday posts: for all our talk of the 'Great Army', there are surprisingly few weapons from the sites. We'll start with these two pieces - Torksey finds DB 130 and 804. Both are broken ferrules from sword grips. /1

It's a brave person who invites me to talk on any topic I'm interested in - but I had a grand time with Howard last week, chatting to my heart's content about Viking camps and the Great Army. It was a hugely enjoyable hour-and-a-half for me: the link's below if you'd like to watch or listen 😊

It's a brave person who invites me to talk on any topic I'm interested in - but I had a grand time with Howard last week, chatting to my heart's content about Viking camps and the Great Army. It was a hugely enjoyable hour-and-a-half for me: the link's below if you'd like to watch or listen 😊

Answer time. A is detected find from Brampton, within area of Torksey Viking winter camp - it's recorded as being likely early medieval. B is from Snettisham & is secure Iron Age find - typical of IA. So are both these again Iron Age, with Piece A thieved? Who knows, but we can't rule it out.

Here we go folks, another brain teaser for you. Two bits of gold wire. Piece A is 1.2-1.7mm thick. Piece B is 2.6-3.2mm thick. Is one? Both? Neither? Iron Age or Viking??? Answers later today...😘 #Archaeology 🏺

Ok, answer time! Piece A is from Viking Watlington hoard & B comes from Iron Age Snettisham site. However, I (& @trixranderson.bsky.social) suspect both could be Iron Age & that Watlington piece could be more evidence of Viking theft!! But piece A is very small so it's difficult to be certain...

Pop quiz: Viking or Iron Age? A or B? 😂 (With @trixranderson.bsky.social for Viking balance! 🤣😂🤣 ) #Archaeology 🏺

Coming next spring ... yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300...

Well, I've had two weeks away - so I'd better get back with another Viking camps #FindsFriday! We're going to look at ringed pins today - starting with this find, DB entry 1627 from Torksey. This was probably a cloak pin, with a cord tied to the swivelling ring used to hold it in place. /1

Well, I've had two weeks away - so I'd better get back with another Viking camps #FindsFriday! We're going to look at ringed pins today - starting with this find, DB entry 1627 from Torksey. This was probably a cloak pin, with a cord tied to the swivelling ring used to hold it in place. /1

This was an excellent and informative talk by @tessmachling.bsky.social and @trixranderson.bsky.social - also do check out Tess's website bigbookoftorcs.com

TONIGHT! ... and there's still a handful of FREE tickets available for this online lecture where you can hear myself and @trixranderson.bsky.social talking torcs and Vikings! See you there! 😊 #Archaeology 🏺

The whirlwind of school holidays means I'm late shouting about this - but I'll be joining the great @tessmachling.bsky.social this coming Thursday to talk about the Great Army, gold, and Vikings chopping up bits of shiny metal. The lecture's online for the YAHS: tickets available through the link!

One of the difficulties in presenting Viking camps is that many of the finds aren't much to look at: they don't hold the eye the same way as they grab the mind. Today's #FindsFriday piece is very much like that. This is Aldwark DB1712 - a rather tatty piece of lead, incised with a faint design. /1

One of the difficulties in presenting Viking camps is that many of the finds aren't much to look at: they don't hold the eye the same way as they grab the mind. Today's #FindsFriday piece is very much like that. This is Aldwark DB1712 - a rather tatty piece of lead, incised with a faint design. /1

We've been looking at little amulets (and could-be amulets) for our last few Viking Camps #FindsFridays, so I thought I'd take a risk and continue the theme today. Why's it taking a risk? Well, even though it's fascinating, today's find isn't very much to look at! This tiny fragment is TDB2353. /1

We've been looking at little amulets (and could-be amulets) for our last few Viking Camps #FindsFridays, so I thought I'd take a risk and continue the theme today. Why's it taking a risk? Well, even though it's fascinating, today's find isn't very much to look at! This tiny fragment is TDB2353. /1

Some absolutely fantastic - and fascinating - work in this paper: huge congratulations to everyone involved! As Jane says, you can see the hoard itself alongside a host of other treasures at the current 'Viking North' exhibition. Well worth a visit to York :)

After last week's balance-cum-Thor's-hammer find, I thought we could look at a similar artefact for today's Viking camps #FindsFriday This anchor-shaped piece of lead is Torksey DB1628. It's currently thought to be an amulet, but has previously been seen as a possible Mjõlnir pendant. /1

After last week's balance-cum-Thor's-hammer find, I thought we could look at a similar artefact for today's Viking camps #FindsFriday This anchor-shaped piece of lead is Torksey DB1628. It's currently thought to be an amulet, but has previously been seen as a possible Mjõlnir pendant. /1

If you're looking at grabbing yourself a @britfantasysoc.bsky.social British Fantasy Award nominated collection for a bargain price, Dirt Upon My Skin is currently reduced in price over at the river site. £3.54 instead of the usual £5.99 www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1917173997 Archaeological horror cheap!

A week away - and two Viking festivals - means I need to catch up on Viking camps #FindsFriday again! I can't think of a good Jórvík-related find for today's Yorkshire Day celebrations, but I talked weights with Howard @archaeodeathprof.bsky.social at Heysham festival... so let's look at scales. /1

A week away - and two Viking festivals - means I need to catch up on Viking camps #FindsFriday again! I can't think of a good Jórvík-related find for today's Yorkshire Day celebrations, but I talked weights with Howard @archaeodeathprof.bsky.social at Heysham festival... so let's look at scales. /1

I've been away on holiday, so I'm late catching up with this: both @eblueaxe.bsky.social and I had a brilliant morning chatting with Howard at the Heysham Festival the other week, as you can see here... although my lad was shocked by the rude word on his "You're Not A F**king Viking" T-shirt 😅

I've been away on holiday, so I'm late catching up with this: both @eblueaxe.bsky.social and I had a brilliant morning chatting with Howard at the Heysham Festival the other week, as you can see here... although my lad was shocked by the rude word on his "You're Not A F**king Viking" T-shirt 😅

Well, I slacked off last week's #FindsFriday as I went to see the Yorkshire Museum's 'Viking North' exhibition (and had a chat with @alexharvv.bsky.social). Apologies for the neglect, but it was glorious :) A lot of people were talking about this Aldwark find, so I thought we'd look at it today. /1

Well, I slacked off last week's #FindsFriday as I went to see the Yorkshire Museum's 'Viking North' exhibition (and had a chat with @alexharvv.bsky.social). Apologies for the neglect, but it was glorious :) A lot of people were talking about this Aldwark find, so I thought we'd look at it today. /1

We've been looking at figurative things for the last few Viking camps #FindsFriday posts... shall we move back to coins today? Why not - everyone loves a good dirham! These finds are from Aldwark and Torksey respectively: ADB 1724 and TDB 322 in our databases. As you can see, both have been cut. /1

We've been looking at figurative things for the last few Viking camps #FindsFriday posts... shall we move back to coins today? Why not - everyone loves a good dirham! These finds are from Aldwark and Torksey respectively: ADB 1724 and TDB 322 in our databases. As you can see, both have been cut. /1

The generosity of a colleague meant that family games night was spent playing with a new deck of Top Trumps from the Jorvik Viking Centre. There're some really nice touches in there: I particularly like the Coppergate-helmeted Valkyrie and the shade (quite rightly) cast on Oðinn's trustworthiness!