This week the ADS is thrilled to note the release of a new book ‘Life in the Viking Great Army: Raiders, Traders, and Settlers’. This is co-authored by ADS Director Professor Julian Richards and Professor Dawn Hadley Professor of Medieval Archaeology at the University of York, with contributions by Dave Haldenby, Gareth Perry and Mark Randerson.
This publication examines new archaeological evidence to understand the range of activities undertaken by the Viking Great Army as they looked to conquer Anglo-Saxon England. Landing in East Anglia in 865, the Great Army spent fifteen years invading Anglo–Saxon Kingdoms, replacing Kings and disrupting the politics of the time. Having previously raided and then returned home, the presence of the Great Army had a lasting impact on the society, language, culture, and economics of England.

Who were these people, about whom historical sources tell us so little about? In this publication, Hadley and Richards explore how archaeological evidence reveals the locations of the camps of the Great Army, as well as the treasures, tools, and weapons found at these locations. Richards and Hadley identified over 50 sites by comparing artefacts unearthed across the country with those discovered at two major camps; Torksey in Lincolnshire and Aldwark in North Yorkshire. Through analysis of these artifacts, the book explores how the Great Army would have been supplied with provisions, engaged in metalwork, and traded with those around them. This rich account looks to better understand the people who made up the Great Army and how they lived.

Data in the ADS Archives
Illustrated catalogues from the sites at Aldwark and Torksey are a key supplement to this new publication and are available via the ADS. These catalogues provide the underpinning data for the book, and have been released so that it can also be reused for further research projects on the material culture of the Viking Great Army. Both catalogues are available as open access resources and include all of the data to download as well as query interfaces for users to search the artefact types.

Discover these resources at the Archaeology Data Service via the links below:
Richards, J. D., Hadley, D., Randerson, M. (2023) Torksey Viking Camp: Illustrated Artefact Catalogue, 2024 [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1115932
Richards, J. D., Hadley, D., Randerson, M. (2023) Aldwark Viking Camp: Illustrated Artefact Catalogue, 2024 [data-set]. York: Archaeology Data Service [distributor] https://doi.org/10.5284/1115933