Skeleton from Llanbedrgoch

Llanbedrgoch faces

A scientific approach to reinterpreting the past

The Viking Age (9th and 11th century) is a somewhat grey area in the history of Wales.

This is in part because the archaeological record is lacking the breadth and depth of evidence available from elsewhere in Britain and Ireland.

In 1997, five human skeletons were discovered in the ditch of an early medieval settlement at Llanbedrgoch, Anglesey.

The circumstances surrounding their deaths seemed suspicious and the mid-10th century date for the burials raised many questions, including whether these were local islanders who fell foul of viking activity on the island.

Stable isotope analysis was undertaken on the remains to identify whether or not they were local to Anglesey.

This talk will explore the results of the scientific analyses in order to understand the site more broadly, and to provide some insight into a viking presence in Wales at this time.

With Dr Katie Hemer, Department of Archaeology, Sheffield University.