Graduate Student, Institute of Archaeology
The British Museum, Prehistory and Europe
Thesis Title: The 'Living' Sword in Anglo-Saxon England and Scandinavia, c. 500-1100: An Interdisciplinary Study
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Prof. Andrew Reynolds
Dr. Chris Abram Dr. Jeremy Tanner |
About
My research explores perceptions of two-edged swords as ‘living’ artefacts in Anglo-Saxon England and Scandinavia between c. 500 and 1100. Two interlinked avenues of ‘life’ are considered: (1) the notion that swords could acquire biographies, personalities and other person-like qualities; and (2) the nature of their relationship with warriors (as opposed to other members of society). Swords provided their wielders with an almost unique proximity to bloodshed by comparison with other weapons, and this is considered an overlooked factor in the personification and symbolic potency of swords in early medieval society.
My approach is interdisciplinary, with sections discussing archaeological, pictorial and textual evidence within a carefully-constructed methodological framework.
My research is conducted part-time. For the rest of the week, I work in the Department of Prehistory and Europe at the British Museum as Curator of the Insular Early Medieval Collections. I recently worked on the current exhibition 'Highlights from the World of Sutton Hoo' on display in Room 2, and am currently engaged in the refurbishment of Room 41, the Early Medieval Gallery.
