Shields found in Britain

Shields found in Britain
Found in Britain
Axes found in Britain   Langseaxes found in Britain   Picture stones from the Isle of Man   Seaxes found in Britain   Shields found in Britain   Spears found in Britain   Swords found in Britain   Viking burials found in England   Viking burials found in Scotland   Viking burials found in the Isle of Man   Viking burials found in Wales

More Found in Britain pages

This article's completion rating is 1 out of 5. Article planned for future work. No real progress to date.

This article's completion rating is 1 out of 5. Article planned for future work. No real progress to date.

Viking Age Compendium articles on Shields:

Wargear

Round Shields Overview

Shields found in Britain

Round Shield Designs

Round Shield Bosses

Kite Shields

Viking Age Compendium articles on Shields:

Wargear

Round Shields Overview

Shields found in Britain

Round Shield Designs

Round Shield Bosses

Kite Shields

Due to the boss being the only part of the shield to survive I have classified the finds by shield boss type.
For a discussion about the shield boss types see Round Shield Bosses.

Type R562

Norwegian

Scotland, Caithness: Reay

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- 1920 Dimensions- Dia:5 7/8" H: 2 3/16" Comments- secured by 4 iron rivets Bibliography- Edwards, Arthur J.H. & Bryce, Thomas H (1927) 'Excavation of Graves at Ackergill and of an Earth-house at Freswick Links, Caithness, and a Description of the Discovery of a Viking Grave at Reay, Caithness. With a Preliminary Note on the Skeletal Remains from the Various Graves.' (pp 196-209) (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.61 Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 p.19

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Scotland, : Ballinaby

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Comments- Bibliography- [[category:]]

Scotland, : Westness

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Comments- Bibliography- [[category:]]

Isle of Man, : Cronk Moar

Current Location- Manx Museum 1966-0374/05 Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Type- Rygh 562 (Boast 2012) Dimensions- Dia:14.5cm, H:7.8cm (Boast 2012) No. of holes/nails- 6 Shield Board- fragment, 30x23cm, 4.48mm thick (Boast 2012) Comments- Bibliography- Bersu, Gerhard and Wilson, David M. (1966) Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man. The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Servies: No 1 Boast, Emma (2012) The Viking Shield in the British Isles: changes in use from the 8th-11th Century in England and the Isle of Man. Unpublished MA. (available online) no.1 p.74,86-94, 105-107 Harrison, Stephen H. & Ó Floinn, Raghnall 2014 Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.11 p.119

England, Cumbria: Cumwhitton - Grave 4

Current Location- Tulee House Museum Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Comments- Described as R564/R562 Bibliography- Paterson, Caroline; Parsons, Adam J.; Newman, Rachel M.; Johnson, Nick and Howard Davis, Christine (2014) Shadows in the Sand. Excavation of a Viking-Age Cemetery at Cumwhitton, Cumbria.

Type R563

Norwegian

Isle of Man, : Ballateare

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Comments- Bibliography- Bersu, Gerhard and Wilson, David M. (1966) Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man. The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Servies: No 1

Type R564

Norwegian

Isle of Man, St. John's: Balladoyne Churchyard

Current Location- Manx Museum Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- 1822 Type- Rygh 564 (Boast 2012) Dimensions- Dia:6" (Bjorn & Shetelig 1940); Dia:15.5cm, H:9.0cm (Boast 2012) Comments- Bibliography- Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 p.26 Boast, Emma (2012) The Viking Shield in the British Isles: changes in use from the 8th-11th Century in England and the Isle of Man. Unpublished MA. (available online) no.3 p.74,86-94, 105-107

Isle of Man, Ayre: Knoc-y-doonee

Current Location- Manx Museum 1954-2772/19 Find Type- Grave Find - Cremation Find Date- 1822 Type- Rygh 564 (Boast 2012) Dimensions- Dia:7" H:3¼"; Rim-width:1" (Bjorn & Shetelig 1940) Dia:15.5cm; H:5.7cm (Boast 2012) No. of holes/nails- 1 visible Shield Board- Had wood adhering. Comments- Bibliography- Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 p.23 Boast, Emma (2012) The Viking Shield in the British Isles: changes in use from the 8th-11th Century in England and the Isle of Man. Unpublished MA. (available online) no.4 p.74,86-94, 105-107

Irish Sea A Type

English

England, Cumbria: Appleby-in-Westmorland, Ormside

Current Location- Tulee House Museum Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions-Dia:6¾" H:3½" Comments- Bibliography- Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 p.18 Cowen, J.D. (1934) 'A catalogue of objects of the Viking period in the Tullie House Museum, Carlisle'. (Available Online) Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society: Ser.2 Vol.34 Harrison, Stephen H. & Ó Floinn, Raghnall 2014 Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.11 p.119

Scotland, Arren: Millhill, Lamlash

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Comments- Bibliography- Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 p.27-28, fig.11 Harrison, Stephen H. & Ó Floinn, Raghnall 2014 Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.11 p.119

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Irish Sea B Type

English

Isle of Man, : Balladoole

Current Location- Manx Museum 1966-0372/02a Find Type- Grave Find Type- Harrison's Irish Sea Type B (Boast 2012) Dimensions- Dia:11.3cm, H:7.2cm (Boast 2012) No. of holes/nails- 4 Shield Board- none Comments- Bibliography- Bersu, Gerhard and Wilson, David M. (1966) Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man. The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Servies: No 1 p.14-18 Boast, Emma (2012) The Viking Shield in the British Isles: changes in use from the 8th-11th Century in England and the Isle of Man. Unpublished MA. (available online) no.2 p.74,86-94, 105-107 Harrison, Stephen H. & Ó Floinn, Raghnall 2014 Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.11 p.120

Scotland, Colonsay: Kiloran Bay

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Dia:9cm H:11.5cm (top missing) Comments- Bibliography- Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 p.50, fig.29 Harrison, Stephen H. & Ó Floinn, Raghnall 2014 Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.11 p.120

Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Islay: Ballinaby

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland Find Type- Grave Find Find Date- Dimensions- Comments- Bibliography- Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 p.32-33, fig.14

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Unclassified

Shields that we've not managed to establish a type for yet.

England, Oxford: Magdalen Bridge

Current Location- Ashmolean Museum AN1884.513 Find Type- Discredited Grave Find Find Date- 1884 Dimensions- Dia:17cm H:10cm Comments- Bibliography- Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 p.12 Ashmolean Museum [1]

England, Cumbria: Hesket-in-the-Forest

Current Location- Tullie House Museum RF 389-420 Find Type- Grave Find - Cremation Find Date- 1822 Dimensions- Dia:5½" (fragment) Comments- Broken in 2 and damaged by fire. Boss was dented, probably after the cremation. Bibliography- Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 p.20 Edwards, B.J.N. (1998) Vikings in North West England. The Artifacts. p.12 Hodgson, Christopher (1832) 'An Account of some Antiquities found in a Cairn, near Hesket-in-the-Forest, in Cumberland' in Archaeologia Aeliana Vol.2. (Available Online)

Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Argyll: Luss, Boiden

Also known as 'Lower Bridge of Froon, Boiden Mound'

Current Location-  Lost Type- Find date- April 1851 Dimensions- Dia:6½" H:2" Comments- Identified from a water colour by Dr. Joseph Anderson. Current location of both the sword and watercolour is unknown. Bibliography- Stewart, Hope. Notice of the Discovery of some ancient Arms and Armour nr. Glenfruin. 1854. Anderson, Joeseph (1874) 'Notes on the Relics of the Viking Period of the Northmen'.pp.536-94. (Available Online) The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Vol.10 p.569 Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 p.15

Scotland, Argyll and Bute, Colonsay: Machrins

Current Location- National Museum of Scotland I.L. 315-325 Type- Possible boat burial. c.850-950 Find Date- On or before 1898 Dimensions- Comments- Bibliography- MacLeod, D. J. 'From Viking Graves in Colonsay', Purchases for the Museum and Library. 1898. pp.7-8. p.7 Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 p.46, 47

Select Bibliography

Bersu, Gerhard and Wilson, David M. (1966) Three Viking Graves in the Isle of Man. The Society for Medieval Archaeology Monograph Servies: No 1 ^{[BERSU & WILSON 1966]} *

Bjorn, Anathon, and Shetelig, Haakon (1940) Viking Antiquities in England. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 4 ^{[BJORN & SHETELIG 1940]} *

Grieg, Sigurd (1940) Viking Antiquities in Scotland. Edited by Haakon Shetelig. (Available Online) Viking Antiquities in Great Britain and Ireland: Part 2 ^{[GRIEG 1940]} *

Harrison, Stephen H. & Ó Floinn, Raghnall 2014 Viking Graves and Grave-Goods in Ireland. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy. Medieval Dublin Excavations 1962-81: Ser.B Vol.11 ^{[HARRISON & Ó FLOINN 2014]} *

Roesdahl, Else; Graham-Campbell, James; Connor, Patricia and Pearson, Kenneth (1981) The Vikings in England, and their Danish homeland. ^{[ROESDAHL 1981]} *