Archaeologists from Grampus Heritage & Training Limited uncovered the largest Viking Age timber building ever found in Britain near the village of Holme St Cuthbert in Cumbria, reported HeritageDaily. Measuring 50 meters in length and 15 meters in width, the structure is believed to be a grand hall dating back to the late Viking Age.
The team was initially drawn to the site by crop marks identified in satellite images, suggesting the presence of an ancient building beneath the surface. A geophysical survey conducted as part of the High Tarns Archaeology Project revealed the outlines of the timber structure without the need for immediate fieldwork,.
During the excavation, archaeologists uncovered postholes that confirmed the building’s dimensions and identified the site as a large hall, reported HeritageDaily. The discovery of these postholes was crucial in establishing the scale of the structure.
Radiocarbon dating of a load-bearing timber from the central aisle placed the construction of the building between 990 and 1040 CE, aligning it with the late Viking Age. “Furthermore, this date allows us to interpret the building as a large hall of the late Viking Age. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, this is the largest Viking Age building to be discovered and excavated in Britain,” stated the archaeological team in a press statement.
“It seems very likely that the hall was the center of an early medieval noble farmstead,” said Mark Graham, an archaeologist from Grampus Heritage. Graham noted that the discovery expands the horizons of what is known about the early medieval period in the region. “There really are not many finds from the Viking era in our county,” Graham admitted.
The excavation was a community effort with more than 50 volunteers participating. “This excavation was carried out entirely by community volunteers, who were on site in their free time. Thanks to their efforts, the past was revealed!” Graham said on BBC Radio Cumbria.
In addition to the hall, the team uncovered traces of a grain drying kiln, or corn-dryer, which included access steps, stone-lined walls, remnants of an arch over the stoke-hole, and a sub-circular drying chamber built using clay and cobble.
Researchers believe that the structure was the focus of a high-status Viking-era manor farm. Although Viking culture is well-documented in Cumbria through place names, language dialects, and burials, there is very little surviving evidence of buildings from this period.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
Author
