Remains of timber structures can, in suitable circumstances, be closely dated by the pattern of annual growth rings in the wood. This has made it possible, for example, to discover when some ships were built, and to date the various stages of the construction of Danevirke. Such coins provide date limits for the buildings, graves, or other contexts in which they are found. Such evidence cannot, however, provide the continuous chronological framework based on the chronicles and other contemporary texts produced in Frankia, England, and Ireland.
The lack of contemporary texts particularly affects Orkney, Shetland, and the Hebrides; there is, for example, disagreement about when the Scandinavians began to occupy these islands.
Even in well-documented parts of Europe the written sources say very little about the Scandinavian settlements. Place-names provide the best evidence for this colonization but, as emphasized in Chapter 3, they can be interpreted in very different ways. The main problem is that the names reflect the influence of the Scandinavians on language and do not necessarily indicate places in which Scandinavians settled. The fact that Scandinavian influence on place-names in Normandy and Ireland is much less than in England cannot be taken to prove that fewer Scandinavians settled in those colonies than in England.
Discoveries made in the future and the re-examination of familiar evidence may help to settle some disagreements; they will certainly enlarge our understanding of the period in ways that cannot be foreseen. Do you like this book? Please share with your friends, let's read it!! Search Ebook here:. Nov 25, Riversue rated it really liked it.
Engaging and clearly written but far from comprehensive. Jun 03, Kylie Briggs rated it did not like it Shelves: couldn-t-get-into. Reads like a junior high textbook. Wavering back and forth between 3 and 4 stars. Review to come soon, rating may or may not change. I really enjoyed this collections of essays for a number of reasons. My primary level of interest in is Anglo-Saxon England and the Wessex kings especially - Alfred the Great is great for a r Wavering back and forth between 3 and 4 stars.
My primary level of interest in is Anglo-Saxon England and the Wessex kings especially - Alfred the Great is great for a reason and the only king of England with this descriptor!
I also enjoy learning about the Vikings, as so much of the history of Norway, Iceland, and Greenland was only passed down from one generation to the next by word of mouth. What we do have written is truly a treasure, as these people and cultures can come alive to us once again by these words. The text is a series of essays. Each author focused on their own area of interest, ranging from the Vikings in England, the end of he Viking age, Vikings in Russia, the ships, and so on.
While I am not really interested in the ships themselves, or learning about maritime travel, that essay still help valuable information. One essay I found especially interesting was 'Religions Old and New', which discusses the old religion of the Vikings and their gods and the advent of Christianity. Greenland and Iceland were of particular interest too, not only because it is amazing that the ships were able to travel that far, but even beyond to reach North America - long before Columbus and his germ warfare.
I would love to see the settlement ruins someday, and it is definitely on my bucket list. The essay focusing on Ireland, etc. Upon my visit with Mom in , I had no idea that the Vikings had ruled Dublin for so long and that it was an area of focus for them. Overall, while some of the essays were a bit more dry than others, I enjoyed this collection. Certainly recommended for those interested in various aspects of life as a Viking. Who doesn't get a thrill when they think "Vikings"?
Adventure, far traveling, exploration, treasure, all are associated with these Norse seafarers. Then there is looting, pillaging, plundering and taking slaves. Whatta buncha guys! However, a serious look at the civilization of the Vikings reveals much more than jolly adventurers, or pirates in long ships.
The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings will give you a look at the trading networks, land-holding practices, physical environment and Who doesn't get a thrill when they think "Vikings"? The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings will give you a look at the trading networks, land-holding practices, physical environment and governing systems that produced the Vikings. You get an overview of present day archeological digs that reveal what they wore, ate, traded for and brought home to Mrs.
From Greenland to Byzantium, these guys rocked their world, and this book will tell you all about how they did it. It is full of great color illustrations that really take you there. If you love history, gory, romantic, colorful and otherwhen, this is a must read. I like this book as an introduction to viking raids, but it does not really work as a general introduction to vikings as a people and the viking age.
There really isn't any chapters about who the vikings were, why they were vikings and why the viking age is an era. It was, however, a really good book if you're only interested in vikings raids as the defining aspect of the vikings, then this book is what you're looking for. Apr 08, Alex rated it really liked it. A broad overview of the Viking Age, this often reads like a mix between a coffee table book and a text book.
But you know what? I'm down with that. There's a wealth of interesting things to be learned in this book, and it is full to bursting with complimentary images and maps. Since I am American, these things make reading seem happier. Anyway, a good place to start if you want to wade into the historical accounts of the Vikings.
Not a terribly satisfying or enjoyable book. It's an anthology, so there's quite a lot of unevenness in the authors. Admittedly, this brings varying experts to diverse Viking topics, but the book feels halting and jagged. For an illustrated history, the illustrations are dated and sparser than one would hope. Jul 05, H.
Reed rated it liked it Shelves: history , non-fiction. The Oxford Illustrated History of the Vikings is a compendium of essays by a number of scholars on various times and aspects of Viking culture. So there is some repetition of facts, if not of inferences drawn from those facts. The authors are clear writers, the illustrations are interesting but the book as a whole didn't hang together. Mar 15, Sarah Schanze rated it liked it Shelves: historical-facts , vikings.
Took a while to get through this, but there were some interesting chapters. I especially liked the one about religion, which didn't make the Vikings seem dumb for being pagan and didn't make the Christians seem evil for trying to convert them.
It felt like a pragmatic and balanced chapter. Some interesting stuff, if a bit dry at parts. Jan 26, Kellee rated it really liked it Shelves: history , non-fiction , viking. Good overview. Thedreadcat rated it really liked it Jan 16, Rebecca Takeuchi rated it really liked it Jun 12, Gunwitch21 rated it really liked it Aug 13, Layna Smith rated it really liked it Dec 09, S rated it really liked it Apr 18, Bryan rated it it was ok Dec 28, Johnny B3 rated it it was amazing Mar 17, Kacey rated it really liked it Jul 03, Karyn rated it really liked it Jan 17, Lars rated it it was amazing Apr 28, Tom Cebic rated it it was amazing Nov 07, Ahawes91 rated it liked it May 29, Cheryl rated it it was amazing Mar 28,
0コメント