Treasures of the Vikings explores the material culture of this raiding people, who plundered artefacts, treasure and weaponry from across the trade routes of Europe and Asia. From 793, when Norse raiders attacked the monastery at Lindesfarne on the remote northeast coast of Anglo-Saxon England, until the demise of Norwegian control of the remote Scottish Hebrides in 1266, the Vikings played a central role in European history, as pirates, traders and mercenaries, leaving a trail of settlement, treasure and destruction from remote Newfoundland to the shores of the Black Sea. In between, Vikings traded along the great rivers of Russia, conquered territory in Britain and France, settled in Iceland and Greenland, and enriched their Scandinavian homeland with loot.
Marvel at the Ulfberht sword, forged from an alloy using large amounts of carbon, and highly prized for its strength and lightness; explore the Vale of York Hoard, comprising some 600 coins, bullion and assorted jewelry tucked tightly into a silver container etched with lions and deer and lined with gold; see the remarkable whale tooth carved Lewis Chess Pieces, found on the eponymous Scottish isle in the 19th century; see the Oseberg Heads, exquisite animal carvings packed inside a Viking burial ship in Norway; and be amazed at the Gokstad ship, which at almost 24 metres (80ft), is the largest Viking ship ever found. As well as boats and swords, archaeology has yielded more quirky items of Viking culture - such as horse-bone ice skates found in Jorvik.
Packed with photographs of interesting objects, Treasures of the Vikings is ideal for any enthusiast for all things Norse.