Board-game piece from period of first Viking raid found on Lindisfarne
Board-game piece from period of first Viking raid found on Lindisfarne
Board-game piece from period of first Viking raid found on Lindisfarne
By Esther Addley
February 6, 2020
Summary
A tiny piece of worked glass unearthed during an excavation on Lindisfarne has been revealed to be a rare archaeological treasure linking the Northumbrian island with the Vikings, from the very beginning of one of the most turbulent periods in English history.
Archaeologists believe the object, made from swirling blue and white glass with a small "Crown" of white glass droplets, is a gaming piece from the Viking board game hnefatafl, or a local version of the game.
Whether dropped on the island by a Norse raider or owned by a high-status local imitating their customs, the gaming piece offers a rare tangible link between Lindisfarne's Anglo-Saxon monastery and the culture that eventually overwhelmed it.
Lindisfarne is arguably best known for its spectacular illuminated gospels, which were created in the early eighth century in the island's first monastery.
"Holy Island" also has immense significance as the site, in AD793, of the first major Viking raid in Britain or Ireland, launching almost three centuries of destruction and occupation that dramatically shaped English history.
The gaming piece, discovered last summer, came from a trench that has been dated to the eighth to ninth centuries, according to the project's lead archaeologist, David Petts, putting it squarely in the most notorious period of the island's history, around the time of the raid.
Even if the game was being played by wealthy monks or pilgrims before the Vikings attacked, he says, it shows the influence that Norse culture already had across the north Atlantic.
"The sheer quality of this piece suggests this isn't any old gaming set. Someone on the island is living an elite lifestyle."
The gaming piece is unusual not only as an artefact but because of the manner of its discovery.
You can explore a 3D interactive model of the hnefatafl piece here.
Reference
Addley, E. (2020, February 6). Board-game piece from period of first Viking raid found on Lindisfarne. Retrieved February 13, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/feb/06/boardgame-piece-first-viking-raid-found-lindisfarne-archaeology