Norse warriors do battle in York as Viking Festival begins (From York Press)

Norse warriors do battle in York as Viking Festival begins

8:23am Monday 18th February 2013 in News By Kate Liptrot, kate.liptrot@thepress.co.uk

NORSEMEN and women have once again taken over York with the launch of the popular Viking Festival.

The 28th festival, which runs until Sunday, offers a varied programme for adults and children, with combat and craft displays, Viking feasts, and performances from children’s authors and award-winning musicians running throughout the week.

To launch the festival, Mick Aston, a former presenter of Channel 4’s Time Team, was on hand at York Guildhall to help identify artefacts found by budding archaeologists in their homes and outdoors and to plot on a giant York archaeology map.

Festival organiser Danielle Daglan said: “Archaeology is incredibly exciting. Through the discovery of historic objects we can piece together our own individual histories, as well as the history of the local area.

"We’re not expecting people to have unearthed the remains of a 15th century monarch in their back gardens, but the identification of Richard III’s skeleton has certainly reignited interest in archaeology.”

The weekend also saw story telling in Coppergate camp, skirmishes in the Eye of York and a concert at Barley Hall by folk musician Ray Cooper.

For more information about upcoming events, visit yorkfestivals.com/jorvik-viking-festival.html