Researchers find Britain’s 11th-century ‘Conquest Man’ was Scandinavian - but did he land with the Norman army?
Researchers have analyzed the remains of an 11th-century individual found in Britain, dubbed 'Conquest Man,' discovering he was of Scandinavian origin. The findings suggest he may have been an immigrant to the Viking-controlled Danelaw rather than a participant in the Norman Conquest.
Why it matters
This study challenges historical assumptions about the demographics and migration patterns of medieval Britain during a pivotal era.
A reconstruction of Conquest Man by the Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University. Photograph: Liverpool John Moores University A reconstruction of Conquest Man by the Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University. Photograph: Liverpool John Moores University North of England Researchers find Britain’s 11th-century ‘Conquest Man’ was Scandinavian – but did he land with the Norman army? It’s ‘plausible’, though more likely the Humberside resident was one of many immigrants to Viking-controlled Danelaw
Prefer the Guardian on Google O ne of the most consequential showdowns in the history of the British Isles, the Battle of Hastings is seen as the foundational event of the Anglo-Saxons’ conquest by their Norman enemy across the Channel.
But researchers who have put flesh on the bones of one man who lived through the turmoil of the era are learning more about the fighters who may have belonged to neither side.
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