Viking Objects
Iron Buckle (1985/225-3)
An iron buckle from Mound 1 at Heath Wood, Ingleby. The pin of the buckle is bent to one side. This was part of a grave assemblage that include fragments of a sword and other belt fittings.
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Viking Objects
Coin of Aethelred (1989-58/3395)
A silver penny of Aethelred I of Wessex was found in the mass grave at Repton and minted by a moneyer apparently called Liabinc. The location of minting is unknown. Aethelred I was King of Wessex from 865 until his death in 871. Aethelred’s reign coincided with the arrival of the Viking Great Heathen Army in England and he fought them with little success during their invasion of Wessex which began in 870. After his death, he was succeeded by his youngest brother, Alfred the Great, who carried on the war with the Vikings. Minting coins was a way of controlling the means of exchange within a kingdom and which created a more easily administered standardized system of trade. Moreover, the coins themselves were often used as propaganda, portraying symbols and statements that gave off a desired message. The Vikings later used the minting of coins to legitimize their own rule.
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Viking Objects
Silver Wire Embroidery (1988/225-16)
This silver wire was found in Mound 11 at Heath Wood, Ingleby, Derbyshire. This burial mound contained fragments of the remains of an adult human together with the cremated remains of animals, including a small dog, a horse and sheep. The burial was accompanied by this silver wire, an iron spade shoe, some small iron nails and some corroded metalwork. The silver wire was found in two parts with traces of carbonised fibres attached. This suggests that it was probably attached to a piece of cloth. Silver and gold embroidery are known from a number of Viking Age graves, including from nearby Repton, Derbyshire, as well as further afield, e.g. Birka, Sweden. At Birka, wire embroidery was found on caps and headbands, although there is no reason to think that it was only used on headgear at all times.
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Viking Objects
Sword Blade (1987/590-2)
This fragment of a sword blade was found at the Viking cemetery at Heath Wood, Ingleby in Mound 1. It is incomplete and consists of a 385mm long section of the blade with a rounded tip. the blade has a fuller down the middle to reduce weight. The sword would probably have been over 900mm long when complete, so less than half the blade survives.