Welcome to the history of York

The Vikings captured the city in 866 and there soon followed a tremendous boom in urban development. Although antiquarian discoveries of the 19th and early 20th century had hinted at the richness of the surviving archaeological record, it wasn’t until 1972 that its full potential was recognised. Excavations by the Trust, first in Pavement and subsequently in Coppergate, uncovered material which attracted international interest and the so-called Viking Dig brought thousands of visitors to York to see the excavations taking place.

Part of Viking Age Coppergate was revealed in all its detail — timber houses, workshops, fences, animal pens, privies, pits and wells. Objects indicated extensive international trade and highly skilled crafts and technologies. Wood, leather, textiles, and plant and animal remains, which do not normally survive, were recovered in great quantities, along with pottery, metalwork, bone, antler and all the debris of everyday life.

Trade

By the 10th century York was second only to London in wealth and population. Exotic goods were imported along trading routes which reached beyond Byzantium in the east, Scandinavia to the north and Ireland to the west. Wine and lava quern stones came from northern Europe. Whetstones, soapstone cooking vessels, amber, furs and dyestuffs were shipped from Scandinavia. Silks travelled along trading routes from the Middle East and China. Supplies of timber, antler, pottery, fish and other food stuffs were brought into York from the area surrounding the city and beyond.
Craft

Excavations at Coppergate show that parts of the Viking city were organised into long narrow tenement plots with alleys, houses and workshops. In these busy workshops, smiths produced high quality iron tools and implements. Jewellery and dress accessories were made of copper, lead, gold and silver. Wood workers turned cups, bowls and other household items. Combs were made from deer antler; beads, pendants and rings were crafted from jet and amber. We have recovered many implements relating to textile production and a vast quantity of scraps from leather working. Trial pieces for craftsmen to try out decorative schemes, as well as the objects themselves, show very high levels of skill.
Domestic

10th century oak buildings, which served both as dwellings and workshops, have been preserved at Coppergate, as have a great many domestic items. There are wooden cups, spoons, plates and bowls, pottery cooking vessels and knives of every size. There is even an iron frying pan, patched in antiquity. To while away the long winter evenings sagas — tales of the adventures of gods and mortals — were told and music was played. A set of boxwood pan pipes, a tuning peg from a stringed instrument, beautifully decorated with animal heads, and a flute made from a swan’s leg bone are all rare finds. We have also found an abundance of gaming counters, bone dice, bone and stone pieces for playing the Viking game of hnefatafl and even part of a wooden gaming board.
Religion

Although the inhabitants of York were at least nominally Christian from the mid 9th century, they appear to have continued to hedge their bets, mingling Christian and pagan beliefs. This is illustrated well by the use of both Thor’s hammer and the symbol of the cross on a rare die for minting St Peter’s pennies found at Coppergate. The Viking period saw the beginning of the parish system and a number of churches are known to have existed at this early date. A 10th century stone grave marker, carved with animal design and found at Coppergate, may have come from All Saints church nearby.
Dress

Jewellery worn in Viking York ranged from mass-produced low-cost items such as lead buckles and brooches to gold earrings and glass beads decorated with gold leaf. Necklaces were made of amber, jet and glass beads, and garments were held together by bone and copper alloy pins. We have recovered many objects which are remarkably well preserved. These include pieces of cloth, ornately decorated belts and scabbards, knives and decorated antler combs. Two particularly rare finds are a woollen sock, knitted on a single needle (nålebinding), and a woman’s silk cap.
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Accommodation in York.

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