Scandinavians traditionally do rather well at the Winter Olympics – for perhaps obvious reasons – but their Viking ancestors would have been no stranger to some of the delights of Sochi. Skis were used and valued in the North. Earl Rognvald I of Orkney boasted that (among several other skills) he could ‘glide on skis’,Continue reading “Vikings in Russia”
Author Archives: T J Titus Williams
The Vikings are coming …
Several years ago I worked at the Tower of London. Spending long periods of time within a building of such age, I would often start to wonder about how the area would have looked before the castle was built. Every morning I would pass the remains of Roman walls at Tower Bridge station, walls thatContinue reading “The Vikings are coming …”
Back to the trenches: Bannockburn and battlefield archaeology on the BBC
This evening BBC Scotlandwill be airing the first part of a new series investigating the Bannockburn battlefield. The series is obviously timed to coincide with interest in the battle arising from the Scottish independence debate and coming referendum, but work to precisely locate the site has been ongoing for some time. The series promises to shineContinue reading “Back to the trenches: Bannockburn and battlefield archaeology on the BBC”
The Battle of Wesenberg/Rakvere: medieval warfare in the far north
Journeys in the dark
When I was a small boy – probably I was eight years old – my grand-father gave me a board game for my birthday. This was no ordinary board game, however; this was Heroquest. Opening the box was like opening a portal into another world, like lifting the lid of the Box of Delights. One ofContinue reading “Journeys in the dark”
THOMAS J. T. WILLIAMS 