A Talk Challenging the Evidence We Think We Know

For over 300 years, people from “the land of ice and snow” arrived in the western regions of Britain and Ireland in significant numbers — or so the story goes. But where is the evidence? How can such a major cultural influx leave so little in the way of clear archaeology or DNA? And what does that absence actually tell us? This talk digs into the assumptions we’ve inherited about Viking presence in the West, examining the material, genetic, and historical record with a critical eye. Rather than repeating the popular narrative, we’ll explore what the evidence really shows — and what it doesn’t. Expect a session that challenges long‑held beliefs, questions the familiar saga‑inspired image of the Norse, and offers a grounded, evidence‑based look at one of the most misunderstood periods of early medieval history.