to excavate is to remove earth carefully from an area to find buried remains

when plants decay they sometimes make the soil peaty, which can preserve things for a long time

when something is preserved it is protected from damage or loss

something that is organic is to do with, or has come from, living things

Discovery at Coppergate

History

York's importance to the Vikings

A journey through Viking York: Houses, halls and craftspeople

A journey through Viking York: Merchants and traders

The artefacts of Viking York

How we know so much about Viking York

 In ‘The Vikings: how do we know so much about Viking York?’ pupils return to Britain in the Viking Age with a depth study about Viking York. In ‘The Vikings: how did Viking settlement help to make England?’ the focus switches to the political narrative of how Viking settlement helped to forge England.

In ‘The Great War: how did the Great War affect my local area?’ pupils momentarily left  their study of Viking Age Britain to consider the impact of the First World War on their local area at an appropriate time in the school year. In ‘The Vikings: how do we know so much about Viking York?’ they return Britain in the Viking Age with a depth study about Viking York.

In this unit, pupils learn about the archaeological discoveries made at Coppergate in York. They find out how archaeologists and historians have used artefacts to build a picture of what Viking York would have been like.

The Vikings: how do we know so much about Viking York?

if something is strategic it is important for success in war or defence

invasion means to enter a country armed and capture it

the Vikings renamed York when they captured it to Jorvik

a workshop is a room or building where a particular type of work takes place, like jewellery making

a blacksmith is a craftsperson who makes and repairs things in iron by hand

a wood turner is a craftsperson who carves wood as it rotates to create a symmetrical object like a table leg

a cobbler is a craftsperson who mends shoes as their job

a merchant is a person who trades goods with other countries

the Baltic is the area surrounding the Baltic Sea in northern Europe

carnelian is a brownish-red mineral that is often used as a gemstone to make jewellery

amber is hardened resin from ancient trees which has been preserved as a fossil over time

silk is a fine, soft and shiny material produced using the thread of a silk worm

an artefact is an object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest

a coin die is a metal stamp used to imprint a design on a coin

excavation is the process of removing earth carefully from an area to find buried remains

trade is the action of buying and selling goods and services

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