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Welcome to my blog!
Hello, my name is Tristan and I'm a first-year history PhD researcher at Oxford.
The aim of this blog is to share my research and wider history on the early medieval world, help give any advice on applying to university and explaining about Oxford, and generally expanding engagement with the Humanities.
So if you fall under any of those categories, why not fill out the subscription box below to stay up to date.
Crossing Boundaries - Insular metalwork in 'Viking' Scandinavia
How did the Insular metalwork that we find in 'Viking Age' Scandinavia get there? What might the social and cultural significance of...
An Oxford Historian
May 1, 20224 min read
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'Anglo-Saxon' boat burials - why?
The burial at Sutton Hoo Mound 1 is England's most famous archaeological site, and contains a body buried in a magnificent ship. But why...
An Oxford Historian
Mar 27, 20224 min read
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Westfield Farm - a high-status 'Anglo-Saxon' female burial
The Westfield Farm (Ely) cemetery represents a crucial yet under-appreciated piece of 'Anglo-Saxon' funerary archaeology - a cemetery...
An Oxford Historian
Feb 21, 20223 min read
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The 'Viking' World - Artefact Database
The Swedish History Museum in Stockholm hosts the world's largest collection of Viking artefacts, which tell an impressive story of life,...
An Oxford Historian
Dec 21, 20211 min read
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The 'Viking' Settlement of Northumbria: Large and Archaeologically Distinctive, or Invisible?
Contrasting views of the Scandinavian settlement of the Northumbrian 'Danelaw' have emerged in the historiography of the period....
An Oxford Historian
Nov 24, 202122 min read
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Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb: A Review
★★★★☆ A must-watch for archaeology enthusiasts, or anyone with a love of the history of Egypt, this stunningly-shot documentary takes us...
An Oxford Historian
Nov 11, 20213 min read
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The Dig: A Review
★★★★☆ Beautifully shot and movingly emotional, The Dig is an impressive example of how the process of history and archaeology can be...
An Oxford Historian
Nov 11, 20213 min read
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'Viking' Lead Trade Weights
This week, in a repurposing of my Masters Degree dissertation, we have a look at the trade weights used by the Vikings. Often found by...
An Oxford Historian
Oct 29, 202113 min read
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Vikings in the Americas in AD1021, study finds
The presence of the Vikings in the Americas has always been a long-contested topic. Although Saga and archaeological evidence suggest ...
An Oxford Historian
Oct 20, 20212 min read
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Archaeology Maps - the Aerial Archaeology Mapping Explorer
To the great happiness of anyone interested in Landscape Archaeology, Historical England have just released a new free online...
An Oxford Historian
Oct 8, 20212 min read
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Archaeology - A Beginner's Recommended Reading List
Archaeology is a fascinating subject, but is often quite difficult to get into. There's an awful lot of complex jargon associated with...
An Oxford Historian
Oct 1, 20215 min read
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'New'/Processual Archaeology - an introduction
This week, I thought I'd run through the beginnings of a broader introduction to archaeological theory I have planned. The focus here is...
An Oxford Historian
Sep 24, 202113 min read
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The Franks Casket
One of the 'Anglo-Saxon' period's most impressive, and most complex, artefacts is the so-called 'Franks Casket'. A lidded whalebone box,...
An Oxford Historian
Sep 19, 20213 min read
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The Prittlewell Prince
Introduction Archaeology is about much more than treasure-hunting but, inevitably, popular attention tends to be drawn towards rich and...
An Oxford Historian
Sep 3, 20214 min read
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The Ashmolean Cast Gallery - do 'fakes' matter?
Continuing the Museumcraft series, we take a look at the Ashmolean Cast Gallery and the questions it raises about 'authenticity,...
An Oxford Historian
Jun 28, 20214 min read
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Snape - England's Other Ship Burial
Although Sutton Hoo dominates the popular imagination of Anglo-Saxon ship burials, there is another prime example excavated substantially...
An Oxford Historian
Jun 27, 20214 min read
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River Kings by Cat Jarman: A Review
Cat Jarman's new book River Kings is a huge triumph, not only for the study of the Vikings in England more broadly, but for the...
An Oxford Historian
Jun 14, 20213 min read
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Internet Archaeology - a free online Archaeology journal
Emerging from behind the paywall, the journal of Internet Archaeology provides free access to a wide range of archaeology papers for...
An Oxford Historian
Jun 10, 20212 min read
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The Corpus of Early Medieval Coin Finds
Continuing the search for free online resources for those interested in history, this week we take a look at the Corpus of Early Medieval...
An Oxford Historian
May 30, 20212 min read
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'Anglo-Saxon' thegns - Power, Image and Spectacle
A dominant question in late 'Anglo-Saxon' history and archaeology is how and why the newly solidified thegnly class establish themselves,...
An Oxford Historian
May 16, 20214 min read
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