Viking burials found in England
This list of burials is currently a work in progress. More information will be added over time but it is hoped that even the meager information supplied here will be of some use. Any list of Viking burials is going to be open to discussion. Many of these burials were discovered in the 19th century, long before modern archaeological practices came into use.
The map is derived from Richards [RICHARDS 2004:p.191] Graham-Campbell [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 1994:p.134, 153] and from a map displayed from a Jorvik exhibition in York 2012.
Viking burials found in Scotland
Viking burials found in the Isle of Man
Index by County
Berkshire
Cumberland
Cumbria
|
Derbyshire
Dorset
Hampshire
Essex
|
Hertfordshire
Lancashire
Norfolk
Northumberland
|
Nottinghamshire
Oxfordshire
Yorkshire |
List by Find Date
Weymouth, Dorset
- Find date- Mass burial. Excavated in 2009
- Bodies- up to 54 decapitated males
- Dated to- 970-1025AD
- Grave goods- None
- Publications-
Cumwhitton, Cumbria
- Find date- Excavated in 2004
- Bodies- 6 men and women
- Dated to- ?AD
- Grave goods-
- swords
- spears
- jewellery
- firemaking materials
- riding equipment
- Publications-
Adwick-le-Street, South Yorkshire
- Find date- Excavated in 2001
- Bodies- Viking Woman.
- Dated to- C9th
- Grave goods-
- Copper-alloy Bowl
- Pair of non-identical oval brooches. Both Petersen type P37.
- Hangerock. Textile remains preserved on the rears of the oval brooches and on the knife have been identified as z-spun tabby weave made from plant fibre (linen). In addition a number of thin linen strips (4mm wide) were found around the pins of the brooches. It appears that there was a pair of loops at the base of the brooch and a single loop at the top.
- Iron key; iron knife
- Publications-
- Speed, Greg and Penelope Walton Rogers (2004) 'A Burial of a Viking Woman at Adwick-le-Street, South Yorkshire'. Medieval Archaeology.
Heath Wood, Ingleby, Derbyshire
- Find date- Excavated 3 times, 1855; 1941-1949; 1998-2000AD
- Bodies- Male warrior cremation burials; other cremation burials and mounds.
- Dated to- 873-878AD
- Grave goods-
- Swords
- buckles
- Publications- [RICHARDS 2004: pp. 23-116]
Carlisle Cathedral, Cumbria
- Find date- 1988
- Bodies-
- Dated to-
- Grave goods-
- Buckles
- Strap ends
- small whetstone
- Publications- [RICHARDS 2004:p.202]
Repton, Derbyshire
- Find date- Excavated between 1974-1988AD
- Bodies- Male warrior burial; Female burial; another single male burial and 2 double burials.
- Dated to- 873-874AD
- Grave goods-
- Thors hammer
- sword and scabbard
- buckles
- iron knives (one a folding knife
- Publications- [BIDDLE and KJBLBYE-BIDDLE 1992]
Middle Harling, Norfolk
- Find date- 1986
- Bodies- Man
- Dated to- late 9th / early 10th [MARGESEN 1997]. Graham suggests that it may possibly date later based on the copper alloy buckle [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001]
- Grave goods-
- 4 knives. One (possibly two?) with a pivoting blade.
- Whetstone
- Spur. found by the right foot.
- Brass buckle with iron plate, rectangular. found at the waist and from a belt.
- Iron buckle, D shaped. found by the left knee.
- Ear scoop. copper alloy. found in the filling 11cm above the grave.
- Publications- [MARGESEN 1997:p.16-17] [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001:p.111]
Wensley Churchyard, Yorks
- Find date- 1967
- Bodies- Male, found in a churchyard
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (British Museum)
- Sword Petersen type L
- Spearhead
- Sickle blade, iron
- Knife
- Publications- [ROESDAHL 1981:p.77 cat.E26]
Finds from Antiquity
The following finds predate modern archaeological methods.
Status:
Confirmed (C): has a good contemporary record of the find.
Likely (L): no good contemporary record of the find but the recorded grave goods would fit a pagan grave.
Possible (P): the recorded contemporary evidence is weak or non-existent. Usually an isolated find, not from a Church yard or mound. It is impossible to tell if the finds were from a grave or not.
Discredited (D): the argument in favour of this being a Viking grave has now been discredited although it has previously been published as such in the past.
Rampside, Lancashire
- Find date- 1909?
- Bodies- None, found in a churchyard
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (Municipal Museum, Barrow-in-Furness)
- Sword Petersen type M
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.18] [RICHARDS 2004:p.202]
Workington, Cumberland
- Find date- 1903? Possibly from a burial?
- Bodies- None
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods-
- Sword Petersen type W or X
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.21]
- Edwards, B. J. N. 'The West Seaton Viking Sword' (Not available to the authors)
Enfield, Hertfordshire
- Find date- 1900AD - possible Viking ship
- Bodies- a skeleton was said to have been found under a 40' overturned ship
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (British Museum)
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.12]
West Ham nr. Basingstoke, Hampshire
- Find date- 1899AD
- Bodies- a skeleton was found under the possible ship
- Dated to- Dated to Viking Age (C9th ?) by Bjorn and Shetelig but previously dated to the Anglo-Saxon period.
- Grave goods-
- Knife, Spear, lance heads
- bronze bowl, iron bowl with handle
- draughtsmen (stained green by contact with bronze)
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.11]
Ormside, Appleby-in-Westmoreland, Cumbria
- Find date- 1898, 1973?
- Bodies- a skeleton
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods 1898 - (Tullie House Museum)
- Sword Petersen type M
- Shield Boss
- Frag. iron rod
- small iron knife (now lost)
- Grave goods 1973? -
- Silver bowl from a possible 2nd grave [RICHARDS 2004:p.202]
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.18] [RICHARDS 2004:p.202]
Farndon, Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
- Status- Possible
- Find date- 1892
- Bodies- disturbed grave from a grave yard?
- Dated to- C10th?
- Grave goods-
- Sword of Petersen type X
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.71, fig.43] [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001:p106]
Inskip, Lancashire
- Find date- 1889AD
- Bodies-
- Dated to-
- Grave goods-
- Sword
- Publications- [EDWARDS 1998: p.20-21]
River Cherwell at Magdalen Bridge, Oxfordshire
- Find date- 1884AD
- Bodies- Men and horse skeletons
- Dated to- C9th by Stirrup style
- Grave goods- (Ashmolean Museum 1886, 443-47)
- Spearhead, shield boss
- Shears
- Horseshoe, spur
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.15]
Saffron Walden, Essex
- Find date- 1876AD
- Bodies- Female
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods-
- Necklace of 2 silver pendants, 2 carnelian, 2 glass and 2 crystal beads.
- Publications- [MARGESEN 1997:p.16] [ROESDAHL 1981:p.77 cat.E27]
Camphill, Bedale, Yorkshire
- Find date- 1875AD
- Bodies- Male Warrior
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (British Museum)
- Sword of Petersen type L
- Spearhead
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.15] [RICHARDS 2004:P.194]
- Discussion- A pair of oval brooches have also been found at Bedale [ROESDAHL 1981:p.77 cat.E28].
Santon Downham, Norfolk
- Status:Confirmed
- Find date- 1867
- Bodies- based on the grave goods this might be a double interment, male and female.
- Dated to- C10th
- Grave goods- (British Museum)
- Sword Petersen type L
- Pair of tortoise brooches of type Rygh 652-654. Petersen type P51a. [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.12, fig.1]
- Discussion- Richards has proposed that it may not be a double burial and that the brooches may have instead been an offering like the pair from Claughton Hall. [RICHARDS 2004:p.205]
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.12] [ROESDAHL and WILSON 1992:cat.365] [MARGESEN 1997:p.16] [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001:p.110] [RICHARDS 2004:p.205]
Cambois, Bedlington, Northumberland
- Find date- 1859
- Bodies- 1 woman (45 to 60) and 2 men (one in his 20s and the other 40s)
- Dated to-
- Grave goods-
- enameled disc brooch
- bone comb
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.22] [RICHARDS 2004: p.194]
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Status- Likely
- Find date- 1851
- Bodies- Possibly burial of 2 Male warriors. 2 skulls and other human remains
- Dated to- Graham-Campbell quotes Hall's proposed post 918AD date based on the 2 swords.
- Grave goods- (British Museum Tr. 158)
- Sword of Petersen type X length 36", width (blade) 2.25", Gripe has traces of wood.
- Sword pommel Petersen type Y.
- Spearhead of Petersen type C - D. Affixed with a brass pin
- Discussion- Evison has confirmed the sword as a later type Y and not a type L as it appears in the picture [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001:p.106]. Graham-Campbell notes that there is no evidence that the two swords were actually found with the spear [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001:p.106] and suggests that this explains the possible discrepancy of the sword's later C10th / C11th topological dating to the spears earlier C9th traditional dating. I would suggest that the cut off date for the Petersen type C-D spearhead is too early and that Ottonian manuscripts dating to the early C11th still show this type of spear in use. This would help support a C10th century date for the two graves.
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.15] [GRAHAM-CAMPBELL 2001:p105-106]
- Archaeological Journal, 1851, vol 8, pp 424-5 (Available Online)
- Sword nottinghamX.jpg
Hook Norton, Oxfordshire
- Find date- 1848
- Bodies- skeletons
- Dated to- C9th
- Grave goods-
- coin hoard
- Publications- [RICHARDS 2004:p.194]
Reading, Berkshire
- Find date- June 1831.
- Bodies- Male warrior burial with a horse skeleton
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods-
- Sword with ivory hilt.
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.11] [EAST 1986]
Claughton Hall, Lancashire
- Find date- 1822
- Bodies- Male skeleton
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (Claughton Hall)
- Pair of gilt copper-alloy Oval Brooches (R. 652). These were found wrapped back to back and encased the 2 beads and a molar tooth.
- Silver nielloed brooch (originally a Carolingian mount)
- 2 Glass beads
- Grave goods- (Lost)
- Sword Petersen type X
- Axe, spear, hammer
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.18] [EDWARDS 1998:P.14-17] [RICHARDS 2004:p.193]
- Comments- The items were said to have been found in a wooden chest
Hesket-in-Forest, Cumbria
- Find date- 1822
- Bodies- Cremation covered in a cairn
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (Tullie House Museum)
- Sword Petersen type O
- Spear Head Petersen type I
- Spear Head Petersen type F
- Shield Boss (broken in two)
- Axe Head Petersen type E,
- Iron Bit plated in bronze
- Two Buckles (one with a buckle plate)
- Sickle, Wet stone
- Bone Comb and Bone Case
- Pair of Spurs (now lost)
- Discussion- The weapons were deliberately damaged.
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.19] [EDWARDS 1998:P.10-13] [RICHARDS 2004: P.192]
- Hodgson, Christopher. 'An Account of some Antiquities found in a Cairn, near Hesket-in-the-Forest, in Cumberland' in Archaeologia Aeliana Vol.2. 1832. (Available Online)
- Tullie House Museum Website
- Hodgson, Christopher. 'An Account of some Antiquities found in a Cairn, near Hesket-in-the-Forest, in Cumberland' in Archaeologia Aeliana Vol.2. 1832. (Available Online)
Eaglesfield, Cumbria
- Find date- 1814
- Bodies- Male skeleton
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods-
- Sword
- Axe (originally described as a halbard)
- possible ring headed pin
- Publications- [RICHARDS 2004:p.194]
Heysham, Lancashire
- Find date- 1800
- Bodies- Male warrior burial? 1800; Female burial?
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods St. Peter's 1800 -
- Spearhead
- hogback stone
- Grave goods St Patrick -
- bone comb
- Discussion
- May be part of a number of graves
- Publications- [RICHARDS 2004:p.202]
- Potter, T.W. and R.D. Andrews (1994) 'Excavation and Survey at St Patrick's Chapel and St Peter's Church, Heysham, Lancashire, 1977-8'. The Antiquaries Journal Volume 74 pp.55-134 (Available Online)
Aspatria, Cumbria
- Find date- 1792, 1997
- Bodies- Male warrior burial
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- 1792
- sword with a silver encrusted hilt
- spearhead with a decorated silver socket
- axe
- pieces of a shield
- gold buckle and Carolingian strap end
- iron horse bit and spur
- Publications- [EDWARDS 1998:p.8-10] [RICHARDS 2004: p.192]
- Discussion - The area was re-investigated in 1997.
Northallerton, Yorkshire
- Find date- ?
- Bodies- Female skeleton?
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (National Museum of Scotland)
- Single oval brooch R.652
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.15]
References
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