Viking burials found in England
From The Viking Age Compendium
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.
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
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Berkshire
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Derbyshire
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Lancashire
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Nottinghamshire
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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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
Santon Downham, Norfolk
- 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
- Pair of tortoise brooches of type Rygh 652-654.
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.12] British Museum
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- skeleton
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (Claughton Hall)
- Pair of Oval Brooches (R. 652)
- Silver nielloed brooch (possibly Carolingian)
- 2 Glass beads
- Grave goods- (Lost)
- Sword Petersen type X
- Axe, spear, hammer
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.18]
- Comments- The items were said to have been found in a wooden chest
Hesket-in-Forest, Cumbria
- Find date- 1882
- 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)
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.19]
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]
Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
- Find date- ?
- Bodies- Male warrior burial
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods- (British Museum Tr. 158)
- Sword of Petersen type X
- Sword pommel
- Spearhead of Petersen type C - D
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.15]
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]
Workington, Cumberland
- Find date- Possibly from a burial?
- Bodies- None
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods-
- Sword Petersen type W or X
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.21]
Bedlington, Cambois, Northumberland
- Find date-
- Bodies- None - found together in a barrow?
- Dated to- ?
- Grave goods-
- Bronze Disk Brooch with enamel inlay, Bone comb.
- Publications- [BJORN and SHETELIG 1940: p.22]
References
<nocite> BIDDLE1992 BJORN1940 GRAHAM-CAMPBELL1994 RICHARDS2004 </nocite> <biblio force=false>#Template:Bib</biblio>
