In a fascinating talk Jane Kershaw set out to challenge established opinion that Viking raiders integrated quickly into Anglo-Saxon society, marrying local women and making a living on the land. In contrast to other known destinations of Vikings raiders, such as Iceland and Russia, there is little archaeological evidence of rural Viking settlements in England. Jane Kershaw argued that recent metal detector finds combined with new methods of recording, such as the Portable Antiquities Scheme, provide an opportunity to reassess the evidence in relation to 3 major topics:
1)Scandinavian women
2)Systems of trade and exchange
3) Religious practice.

Scandinavian women
Few graves of Scandinavian women have been found in England, giving rise to the theory that they were poorly represented in 9th century society within the Danelaw and that most Viking raiders assimilated through marriage with Anglo-Saxon women. However, examples of jewelry, textiles and artefacts, such as spindle whorls, found recently in Lincoln and York exhibit specific features and design which are directly comparable with finds from Scandinavia and would have appeared foreign to Anglo-Saxon women.

The wide variety of brooches and pendants and their pattern of distribution scattered across rural areas rather than clustered in towns suggest that they were not manufactured locally but were probably owned by Scandinavian women who may have arrived in England as part of a secondary phase of migration following the initial wave of male settlers.

Systems of trade and exchange
Since the 7th century the Anglo-Saxons had established a well-managed coin economy, supported by a good supply of silver and regional mints. Since coins were struck at the same weight, they could be traded between communities. In contrast the Scandinavian economy was centred on bullion, using weighed silver as a means of exchange. Previous opinion held that the Vikings were quick to adopt local systems of trade, including coinage, and employed Anglo-Saxon or Continental moneyers to mint coins in the 9th century. However, recently discovered hoards and isolated finds, including silver ingots and weights, in the Vale of York and other parts of north east England suggest that a bullion economy continued into the 10th century and that jewelry and Anglo-Saxon coins were cut up for use as hack silver.

Religious practice
During the period of raiding the Vikings were identified as pagans with a violent hatred of the Christian church. However there are few Viking grave sites in England and archaeological evidence suggests that the settlers may have adopted Anglo-Saxon customs. Although the Vikings seem to have maintained their pagan beliefs throughout periods of raiding there was considerable pressure to convert to Christianity. The conversion of the Danes to Christianity during the reign of Alfred the Great was characterized by political expediency but little is known about popular beliefs. It is not clear how pagan symbols, such as Thor’s hammer, were perceived or used in Scandinavian culture but it appears that a distinctive Scandinavian identity was preserved after settlement in England.

Many recent finds are scattered in plough soil across areas defined by the Danelaw and, consequently, lack archaeological context. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence that in a number of important areas the Vikings preserved Scandinavian customs and practice after the period of raiding had ended. The evolution of distinctive Anglo-Norse decoration on stone crosses and hogback gravestones suggests a more complex process of integration. It is clear that a lot more information remains to be revealed through the study of current and subsequent finds and their correlation with place names within the Danelaw.

Jennifer Hunt