Overview

The Viking Great Army landed in East Anglia in late 865 and over the following fifteen years it fought numerous battles in all four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, made and broke peace treaties, and deposed or killed at least three Anglo-Saxon kings, replacing them with its own appointees. It had a major impact on English society, initiating extensive transformations in Anglo-Saxon society, culture, economy, and political organization. Previous Viking armies had raided only in the summer months, but the Great Army was a constant presence over this period, overwintering at various locations in northern and eastern England. This presence changed the political, economic, and social landscape of England forever, but historical sources say very little about it. Now, new archaeological evidence has revealed the location of two of its camps, and at least fifty other places it visited. This book describes life in the tents and towns that the Viking Great Army inhabited: the treasure, tools, and weapons found in the camps and what they reveal about how the groups that made up the Army lived and the activities that took place, including the processing and trading of loot, the minting of coins, and the manufacture of jewelry. What emerges is evidence of a rich and diverse community whose impact on England can be traced to the present day.

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Julian D. Richards is professor of archaeology at the University of York and a member of the Centre for Medieval Studies. He was founding director of both the Archaeology Data Service and the e-journal Internet Archaeology, established in 1996. In his archaeological research Julian focuses on Viking Age England. He has directed excavations of settlements at Cottam, Cowlam, Burdale, and Wharram Percy, and of the only Viking cremation cemetery in the British Isles at Heath Wood, Ingleby. He and Dawn Hadley codirected the ""Tents to Towns"" project, investigating the winter camp of the Viking Great Army at Torksey. Dawn M. Hadley is professor of medieval archaeology at the University of York and a member of the Centre for Medieval Studies. She joined York in 2018 after over twenty years in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield. She was previously British Academy Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of History at the University of Birmingham. Her research interests include early medieval England, the impact of the Vikings, gender, childhood, and funerary archaeology. Actor and voice-over artist Mary Sarah is known for her subtle, emotionally potent performances. Classically trained at the Riverside Shakespeare Academy and the Film Actors Studio in New York City, Mary spends most of her time in the dark ages, narrating books filled with adventure, mystery, and romance. A 2016 nominee for the Voice Arts Award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) for her work in Tamara Leigh's The Longing, Mary thrives on character-driven work and powerful heroines. Finding multiple homes in the classics, historical fiction, fantasy, children's literature, poetry, and cultural voices, Mary relishes in the power of storytelling to awaken our hearts. As a film actor, she received critical acclaim for her role in the docudrama Death Valley: A Love Story, was a member of the award-winning ensemble for Call It in the Air (Best Feature Film/Pocono Film Festival), and garnered a Best Supporting Actor nod for her work as Sarah Helvey in The Honour. Actor and voice-over artist Mary Sarah is known for her subtle, emotionally potent performances. Classically trained at the Riverside Shakespeare Academy and the Film Actors Studio in New York City, Mary spends most of her time in the dark ages, narrating books filled with adventure, mystery, and romance. A 2016 nominee for the Voice Arts Award from the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS) for her work in Tamara Leigh's The Longing, Mary thrives on character-driven work and powerful heroines. Finding multiple homes in the classics, historical fiction, fantasy, children's literature, poetry, and cultural voices, Mary relishes in the power of storytelling to awaken our hearts. As a film actor, she received critical acclaim for her role in the docudrama Death Valley: A Love Story, was a member of the award-winning ensemble for Call It in the Air (Best Feature Film/Pocono Film Festival), and garnered a Best Supporting Actor nod for her work as Sarah Helvey in The Honour.

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