Viking-Age settlements in North-West England : a re-consideration
Since the mid-nineteenth century, the presence of large numbers of Viking place-names and pieces of sculpture, in the North West of England, has been interpreted in terms of a large-scale tenth- and eleventh-century Scandinavian settlement. This thesis re-considers, both in theoretical and actual terms, the philological and archaeological evidence underpinning this model of settlement, placed against a re-evaluation of the Viking-Age landscape, using the Hundred of Amounderness as a case study. Current attempts to model the Viking-Age North West are not fully convincing. Reconstruction of the landscape has focused upon the region's wetlands, using what are relatively late maps, the modern geological evidence and information provided by the small number of medieval field-names. Recent phytological evidence pUblished by the North West Wetland Survey reveals little evidence of rapid or sustained clearance in the tenth and eleventh centuries, so also casts doubt on the existence of a significant Viking-Age ingress into the region's previously unadopted hinterland. The quantity of Scandinavian archaeology is also comparatively thin in the North West and much of the philological evidence has an uncertain chronology.
Watson, Richard R.
Viking-Age settlements in North-West England : a re-consideration. Since the mid-nineteenth century, the presence of large numbers of Viking place-names and pieces of sculpture, in the North West of England, has been interpreted in terms of a large-scale tenth- and eleventh-century Scandinavian settlement. This thesis re-considers, both in theoretical and actual terms, the philological and archaeological evidence underpinning this model of settlement, placed against a re-evaluation of the Viking-Age landscape, using the Hundred of Amounderness as a case study. Current attempts to model the Viking-Age North West are not fully convincing. Reconstruction of the landscape has focused upon the region's wetlands, using what are relatively late maps, the modern geological evidence and information provided by the small number of medieval field-names. Recent phytological evidence pUblished by the North West Wetland Survey reveals little evidence of rapid or sustained clearance in the tenth and eleventh centuries, so also casts doubt on the existence of a significant Viking-Age ingress into the region's previously unadopted hinterland. The quantity of Scandinavian archaeology is also comparatively thin in the North West and much of the philological evidence has an uncertain chronology.
viking_age settlement north_west_england consideration since presence_large number viking place_names piece sculpture north_west_england interpret term large_scale tenth eleventh_century scandinavian_settlement considers theoretical actual term philological archaeological_evidence underpin model settlement place re_evaluation viking_age landscape use hundred case_study current attempt model viking age north_west fully convince reconstruction landscape focus_upon region wetland use relatively late map modern geological evidence information_provide small_number medieval field names recent evidence published north_west wetland survey reveal little_evidence rapid sustain clearance also cast_doubt existence significant viking_age region previously hinterland quantity scandinavian archaeology also comparatively thin north_west much philological evidence uncertain chronology