North Ages

Reconstruction image of a hillfort

First mentioned in Roman sources over 1,700 years ago as a collective name for troublesome, barbaric peoples, the Picts went on to become the dominant kingdom in northern Britain 💪

On 12 February, explore their southern kingdoms at this online event: www.digitscotland.com/events/east-...

St Modan's Stone, a cross-slab from Rosneath.

Feb 4: Feast of Modan (6thC), abbot. His association with Falkirk may date back to the significant monastery that existed there. He came to be associated primarily with the sanctuary of Neveth (Rosneath, Argyll). 📸Canmore #medievalsky

Coin of Forkbeard, which reads SVEN REX AD DENER, 'Sveinn, king of the Danes'.

Sveinn Forkbeard, king of the Danes and the English, died at Gainesburg (Gainsborough, Lincolnshire) #OTD in 1014, and was buried at York. Later legend would hold that he was slain by the vengeful spirit of St Edmund. 📸Nationalmuseet #medievalsky

John Bannerman Lecture 2026 - Professor Fiona Edmonds | School of History, Classics & Archaeology | History Classics and Archaeology 'Dál Riata and Northumbria, c. 700‒1000: Connections and comparisons'. Hybrid.

Delighted that Prof Fiona Edmonds will deliver the 2026 John Bannerman Lecture, co-hosted by the departments of Scottish History and Celtic & Scottish Studies, on 26 March. Tuilleadh fiosrachaidh 👇

hca.ed.ac.uk/john-bannerm...

An early medieval gaming piece in the form of a monk from Mail on Shetland. Now on display at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. 📸 My own. #MedievalMonday

Hi George, fourth century.

Indeed!

A Brigit's cross, which is often woven from straw or rushes.

Feb 1: Feast of Brigit of Cell Dara (Kildare) († c.524), abbess. Ireland’s most important female saint, also widely commemorated in Scotland. 📸Culnacreann #medievalsky

The fourth-century Roman dice tower discovered at Vettweiß-Froitzheim, Germany, in 1983.

The Vettweiß-Froitzheim Dice Tower featured in Legion: life in the Roman army, which began at the British Museum #OTD in 2024. It reads PICTOS VICTOS HOSTIS DELETA LUDITE SECURI, 'The Picts are beaten, the enemy annihilated, let us play without a care'. 📸LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn #medievalsky

The silver Thor's hammer pendant beside a ruler showing it is around 5cm long.

A silver Thor’s hammer pendant was discovered in the Longtown area of Cumbria #OTD in 2008. It dates from 875-1000. 📸Portable Antiquities Scheme #medievalsky

Cumbria hill could hold grave of Viking king Ivarr the Boneless Archaeologist Steve Dickinson believes the mound could contain the 9th Century king and his ship.

Cumbria hill could hold grave of Viking king Ivarr the Boneless www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I didn’t actually notice!

Pretenders to the throne Edgar Ætheling and Sveinn Ástríðarson, king of Denmark, both commanded support among the rebels but, before the year was out, were chased out and paid off respectively. William I then enacted the Harrying of the North.

Where was Pictland? Some thoughts on the southern frontier of the Kingdom of the Picts

My latest blog is about the frontier of Pictland at Stirling!

scottisharchaeology.substack.com/p/where-was-...

Durham Cathedral.

Northumbrian rebels slew their new earl, the Fleming Robert de Comines, and hundreds of his men in Dunholm (Durham) #OTD in 1069. ‘Every street was covered with blood’ in one account. The rebels then made for York and killed the castle’s defender, Robert FitzRichard. 📸Matt Buck #medievalsky

Catherine O'Hara, star of Schitt's Creek and Home Alone, dies at 71 - follow live The Canadian-American actress was best known for her portrayals of comedic matriarchs Moira Rose and Kate McCallister.

Absolute legend 💔
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ce...

Silver penny of Æthelstan bearing his name, portrait and the title rex to Brit, 'King of all Britons'.

Æthelstan, king of the Anglo-Saxons, met Sigtryggr, king of York, at Tamoworthig (Tamworth, Staffordshire), #OTD in 926, where Æthelstan gave him his only known full sister in marriage. Roger of Wendover says Sigtryggr was also baptised on this occasion. 📸Athelstan Museum #medievalsky

Statue of Gildas in Brittany, and detail of a page from The Ruin of Britain, 10th century Cotton MS Vitellius A VI, f. 14v.

Jan 29: Feast of Gildas (†c.570), abbot. Probably a northern Briton, he worked in Wales and finally Brittany. He wrote The Ruin of Britain, which blamed the sins of contemporary British rulers and clerics for the victory of the Anglo-Saxon invaders. 📸Romary / British Library #medievalsky

Image from Twitter

Coldingham Priory.

Jan 27: Feast of Adamnán (7thC) of Coludaesburg (Coldingham). Irishman who ate only twice a week in penance for an unknown sin. He prophesied the burning of said monastery as divine punishment for the sins of its inhabitants. Also Jan 31. 📸DigVentures #medievalsky

Material Culture, Communities and Identity in Early Medieval Northumbria, 600-867 CE This book convincingly argues that the early medieval kingdom of Northumbria existed as a single political entity with a shared culture. Sián Webb makes the cas…

Material Culture, Communities and Identity in Early Medieval Northumbria, 600-867 CE: A Land of Five Languages by Sián Webb www.bloomsbury.com/uk/material-...

That’s exquisite!

Hugo Vogel painting depicting Otto and Eadgyth disembarking a ship near Magdeburg to be met by dignitaries.

Eadgyth (Edith) of Wessex, queen of East Francia as wife of Otto I, died #OTD in 946. She was supposedly a descendant of Northumbrian king St Oswald, and did much to promote his cult in her adopted home. #medievalsky

St Wilfrid’s Church, Monk Fryston.

Monk Fryston, North Yorkshire. Fristun c.1030, Munechesfryston 1166. ‘Farmstead of the Frisians’. Old English Frīsa + tūn. Affix from Old English munuc ‘monk’ referring to possession by Selby Abbey in the 11thC. Source: Oxford Dictionary of British #PlaceNames. 📸Mel Towler #medievalsky

Plus you spilt some coffee on the way, didn’t you?

Christian. The Old Testament David is rending a lion’s jaws on the right.

Church Saint-Jean-Brévelay.

Gicquello, curé of the church of Saint-Jean-Brévelay, Brittany, opened a silver head there which contained some of the relics of John of Beverley (†721) #OTD in 1793. He then hid the Northumbrian saint’s bones from rampaging French republicans. 📸fgaret #medievalsky

The main panel of the St Andrews Sarcophagus, which bears a hunting scene and David rending the lion's jaws.

The 8thC St Andrews Sarcophagus was the centrepiece of the British Museum exhibition Heirs of Rome, which began #OTD in 1997. The Pictish masterpiece resides at St Andrews Cathedral, in the grounds of which it was found. 📸Historic Environment Scotland #medievalsky

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