Repton Revisited
There is no doubt that Repton was an important place to the Mercians and was also the site where the Viking Great Army overwintered in 873-874. Repton is frequently mentioned as a place where Mercian kings granted charters and the churchyard at Repton contains several graves that are distinctively Scandinavian. The site around the Church … Continue reading Repton Revisited
Were cattle and pigs really moved from Scotland to Wessex in the Neolithic?
Madgwick et al (2019) used strontium (Sr), oxygen (O) and sulphur (S) isotopes to determine how far pigs had been transported before being consumed at Neolithic sites in Wessex. Strontium is the most reliable indicator of geographical location and depends upon underlying geology. Strontium is incorporated into tooth enamel in young animals and is then … Continue reading Were cattle and pigs really moved from Scotland to Wessex in the Neolithic?
Book Review: The Warrior Queen. The life and legend of Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great
Several typos in the fist few pages made me take an instant dislike to this book. If you are going to write a book on history you have to be accurate. As well as the typographical errors there are other simple errors. For example when she talks about the end of Alfred’s reign she says … Continue reading Book Review: The Warrior Queen. The life and legend of Aethelflaed, daughter of Alfred the Great
Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football
To understand the context of this post please read The Danelaw in Derbyshire. The traditional game of Shrovetide football is played in Ashbourne every Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. There are two sides, uppards and downards; uppards are those born on the north side of the Henmore Brook and downards those born on the south … Continue reading Ashbourne Royal Shrovetide Football
Viking Genomics
I have attempted to read the paper ‘Population genomics of the Viking world’ recently published in ‘Nature’ and found it totally incomprehensible. To understand it you need a degree in statistics and/or genetics. This is dangerous because non specialists are not able to critically assess the work to ensure that the conclusions are justified by … Continue reading Viking Genomics
Book Review – ‘Pecsaetna’ by Phil Sidebottom
There are only two historical references to the Pecsaetna. One is in the Tribal Hideage and the other in a charter from 963 that records the transfer of a parcel of land within the bounds of the Pecsaetna (‘in pago Pecset’). So, to produce a 120 page book about the Pecsaetna you need a lot … Continue reading Book Review – ‘Pecsaetna’ by Phil Sidebottom
Rethinking the Emergence of the English
I recently watched Susan Oosthuizen give an online presentation on Rethinking the Emergence of the English. Professor Oosthuizen reviewed the evidence for a large migration of people from Northern Europe to Britain between 400 and 600AD. Her conclusion is that there is very little evidence to support the widespread belief in a large scale migration. … Continue reading Rethinking the Emergence of the English
Figures in Stone (1)
Norbury is a small village in Derbyshire, close to the River Dove and the border with Staffordshire. In the church there are two cross shafts, one of which features a warrior figure. The figure appears to have breasts and it isn’t a giant leap to suggest that this figure could be a representation of Æthelflæd. … Continue reading Figures in Stone (1)
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Before 1066 