Yesterday, I had the absolute privilege to be among the first people to view artefacts thought to be evidence for the 1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge. If these artefacts are found to date to the mid 11th century, they would be the first archaeological evidence for the battle and could be of national importance.
My group and I were invited to share in this historic occasion by our friends and colleagues in the Stamford Bridge Heritage Society, with whom we run re-enactment events of the battle every September. Metal detectorists Simon Richardson and John Benfield brought along a portion of their finds, which are all sourced from a currently undisclosed site in the Stamford Bridge area.
Brian Birkett, chairman of the Stamford Bridge Heritage Society said of the discovery: “On the face of it, these finds could be a game changer in our search for the battle. We have worked for many years on researching the battle site and for these artefacts now to be discovered is remarkable. It is the aim of both the Society, and John and Simon, that one day we will be able to display these artefacts in a purpose built museum and visitors centre here in Stamford Bridge.”
According to Brian, some of the finds are pretty unusual in terms of appearance- several items resemble examples from Eastern Europe more than they do ones from the British Isles and Scandinavia. If indeed they are genuine, they would be the first of their type to be found in the UK and would really reshape our view of the period.
It is also possible that some of the artefacts could date to different time periods, both before and after the Viking Age. This would be unsurprising when you take into account the very nature of metal detecting and that the items are divorced from their original context. That being said, they could still provide valuable historical insight for the area.
The finds are currently being researched and analysed by the Heritage Society alongside national institutions, while plans for further investigation into the area are being developed. All of this is of course very exciting to me and to all fans of the period!
While I am a very enthusiastic living historian, I am not an archaeologist- so I will refrain from speculating too much on the purpose or origin of any of the finds. All photos are my own, unless otherwise stated.
This is only a portion of what has been found so far. I was told originally that they’d found an axe head “or two” and some arrowheads- cue my absolute astonishment when I saw what they’d brought!
As with all metal detector finds, there is a process to be undergone to scientifically confirm authenticity and to provide dating- they are at the beginning of this process. However, it would be amazing if any of these artefacts are found to have an authenticated link to the battle itself. I for one am cautiously excited! Dig on, lads!
To keep up with any updates in Stamford Bridge, you can follow the Heritage Society on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/BOSB1066HeritageSociety/
If you’d like to have a look at my group Vanaheim, you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Vanaheim Vikings York.
The Eoforwic Project 