HOARDS which have hit the headlines will be the focus of a special event ahead of this year's Jorvik Viking Festival.
Internationally-renowned experts will be taking part in the Richard Hall Symposium with lectures focused on hoards discovered in the North such as the Silverdale Hoard, on display at Jorvik Viking Centre.
The event is on Sunday, May 22, ahead of the Jorvik Viking Festival, which starts the following weekend on May 28 to June 1.
Hoards in the north will come the spotlight at the Richard Symposium, ahead of the Jorvik Viking Festival 2022.
Speakers include Lucy Moore, of the University of York, talking about hoards and hoarding in Anglian Northumbria.
Joining her will be Allison Fox, of Manx National Heritage, with a talk about the Isle of Man’s Viking age hoards.
Martin Goldberg, of National Museums Scotland, will discuss complex identities and the Galloway Hoard; John Sheehan, University College Cork, will share his views on hoards from Ireland, the Irish Sea Region and Northern England; and Gareth Williams, of the British Museum, will discuss hoards and identities in Viking Northumbria.
Dr Chris Tuckley, head of interpretation and learning for Jorvik Viking Centre, said: “Whether you are a Viking expert looking to hear about the latest research, or a history enthusiast who wants to know more, we’ll be looking at the many different aspects of hoards, from why and how they were concealed to what they tell us about the people that buried them.
“The symposium will consider in particular how questions of identity in the Viking world might be addressed with reference to hoards, and how recent discoveries have shifted our understanding.”
The Symposium is in the De Grey Court Lecture Theatre at York St John University from 9am to 5pm on Sunday, May 22, and will be livestreamed.
Event manager, Gareth Henry, said: “Even in the depths of lockdown, we were able to host the Richard Hall Symposium, and by moving the event online in 2021, we reached a wider audience than ever before, with people watching live from several different continents.
"While we know that much of our local and regional audience will look forward to getting together and enjoying a discussion over lunch, we can still involve people who are unable to travel to York with the online livestream.”
Tickets are £30 adults/ £25 concessions, with lunch and refreshments. The online event costs £15.
During Jorvik Viking Festival, the keynote academic event is The Helen Thirza Addyman Lecture, on Tuesday, May 31, at 7pm.
The University of York's Steve Ashby will explain how we are now able to refine and redraw the chronology and geography of the Viking world through applying novel biomolecular techniques to the study of hair combs found in settlement and burial contexts.
Tickets are £10 for adults, £8 concessions, and £5 for the livestream.
Details at jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk
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