Britain's Viking Capital: Archeologists Investigate The 1,000-Year-Old History of York

Vikings didn’t just raid York — they reinvented it. Step inside Britain’s most Viking town to uncover what truly happened after the longships arrived.

From the world-famous Coppergate excavation to a saga sung for Eric Bloodaxe, this episode reveals how Jorvik thrived. See bone skates that crossed frozen rivers, a fearsome shield wall in action, and combs that sparked a grooming craze. We handle a pristine 1,000-year-old coprolite to decode diet and parasites, examine a coin stamped with both St Peter and a Thor’s hammer, and get closer to Ulf’s extraordinary elephant-tusk horn inside York Minster. Then follow the trade routes that led to the Vale of York hoard and the shipbuilding innovation that powered them.

Discover how Vikings and Anglo-Saxons blended beliefs, businesses, and even street names to build a bustling, multicultural city. Watch to see why York’s Viking story still shapes the streets beneath your feet — and the clues hiding in plain sight.