Viking York and the Danelaw Culture · Summer Term

Jorvik: The Viking Capital

Using archaeological evidence from Coppergate to reconstruct life in Viking York.

About This Topic

Jorvik (Viking York) was one of the most important cities in the Viking world, serving as a bustling hub of trade, craft, and culture. The 1970s excavations at Coppergate revealed incredibly well-preserved remains of Viking houses, workshops, and even everyday items like shoes, combs, and food. For Year 5 students, Jorvik is the perfect case study for how archaeology allows us to reconstruct the daily lives of people from over 1,000 years ago.

Students explore the 'Danelaw' culture, where Viking and Anglo-Saxon traditions blended together. This connects to National Curriculum targets for settlements and land use, as well as historical enquiry. This topic comes alive when students can use archaeological 'finds' to deduce the jobs, diet, and living conditions of the people of Jorvik, moving beyond the image of Vikings as only warriors.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze archaeological evidence from Coppergate to infer the types of goods traded in Jorvik.
• Describe the varied occupations of people living in Jorvik based on material remains.
• Explain how Viking and Anglo-Saxon cultural practices coexisted within Jorvik.
• Classify artifacts found in Jorvik according to their likely use and origin.

Before You Start

Settlements and Homes

Why: Students need a basic understanding of how people live and organize themselves in settlements before studying the specific structure of Jorvik.

Introduction to the Anglo-Saxons

Why: Understanding the Anglo-Saxon context is necessary to grasp the cultural blending and conflicts that occurred with the arrival of the Vikings.

Key Vocabulary

Danelaw	A historical region of England under Viking control from the 9th to the 11th centuries, where Norse law and customs were influential.
Archaeology	The study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains.
Artifact	An object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest, such as tools, pottery, or jewelry.
Reconstruction	The process of rebuilding or recreating something, in this context, using evidence to understand what life was like in Viking York.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: The Coppergate Dig

Provide groups with 'finds bags' containing pictures or replicas of items found at Jorvik (e.g., a bone comb, a leather shoe, a silk scrap, a piece of amber). Students must identify what the item is, what it's made of, and what it tells us about the person who owned it (e.g., the silk suggests trade with the East).

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Gallery Walk: A Street in Jorvik

Set up stations around the room representing different parts of a Viking house: 'The Hearth' (cooking), 'The Workshop' (making things), and 'The Backyard' (waste and animals). Students move around and record what they 'see', 'smell', and 'hear' based on archaeological evidence provided at each station.

⏱ 35 min·Pairs

Generate mission

Think-Pair-Share: Why was Jorvik so successful?

Students are given a list of Jorvik's features (e.g., near two rivers, centre of the Danelaw, lots of skilled craftsmen). They think about which feature was most important for its growth, discuss with a partner, and then share their reasoning with the class.

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Generate mission

Real-World Connections

Museum curators, like those at the Jorvik Viking Centre, use archaeological finds to create immersive exhibits that help the public understand past societies.

Urban planners today consider historical land use and settlement patterns, similar to how archaeologists study the layout of Jorvik to understand its growth and function.

Modern trade networks, involving the import and export of goods like textiles and timber, echo the extensive trade links established by Viking merchants in Jorvik.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Viking cities were always dirty and primitive.

What to Teach Instead

While they were certainly smelly by modern standards, the people of Jorvik were very clean! Archaeologists found more combs than almost any other item, showing they cared about their hair. A 'grooming kit' activity helps students see the Vikings as people who valued hygiene.

Common Misconception

Only Vikings lived in Jorvik.

What to Teach Instead

Jorvik was a multicultural city where Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, and even traders from as far as the Middle East lived and worked together. Peer discussion about 'modern cities' can help students understand how Jorvik was a 'melting pot' of different cultures and languages.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

Provide students with images of 3-4 different artifacts (e.g., a wooden comb, a metal brooch, a pottery shard). Ask them to write one sentence for each artifact explaining what job or aspect of daily life it might represent in Jorvik.

Discussion Prompt

Pose the question: 'Imagine you are a merchant arriving in Jorvik in the 10th century. Based on what we've learned from the Coppergate dig, what goods might you expect to buy or sell, and what would the city look like?' Encourage students to reference specific evidence.

Quick Check

Present students with two short descriptions: one detailing a Viking way of life and another an Anglo-Saxon way of life. Ask them to identify at least two similarities and two differences, explaining how Jorvik might have blended these traditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name 'Jorvik' mean?

It was the Viking name for the city of York. The Romans called it Eboracum, and the Anglo-Saxons called it Eoforwic. When the Vikings captured it in AD 866, they changed the name to Jorvik, which was easier for them to say. Over time, 'Jorvik' slowly turned into the modern name 'York'.

What did archaeologists find at Coppergate?

They found over 40,000 objects! Because the soil in York is very wet and has no oxygen, things that usually rot, like wood, leather, and even textiles, were perfectly preserved. They found entire house foundations, workshops for making jewellery, and even a 1,000-year-old 'fossilised' Viking poo (coprolite) which told them what the person had eaten!

How can active learning help students understand Viking York?

Active learning, like the 'Coppergate Dig' investigation, turns students into scientists. Instead of just being told that Jorvik was a trade centre, they 'discover' it themselves by looking at the silk and amber. This makes the evidence feel much more real and helps them understand how we know so much about a period with very few written records.

What was a typical house like in Jorvik?

Houses were usually long and narrow, made of wood and wattle-and-daub (sticks and mud). They had a central hearth for fire, which was used for cooking and warmth, but there were no chimneys, so it would have been quite smoky. People slept on raised wooden benches along the walls, which they also used for sitting during the day.