New
New
Year 6

How we know so much about Viking York

I can explain why we know so much about Viking York by describing some of the archaeological finds from Coppergate.

New
New
Year 6

How we know so much about Viking York

I can explain why we know so much about Viking York by describing some of the archaeological finds from Coppergate.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Lots of artefacts have been found in the Coppergate area that date from the time the Vikings lived there.
  2. These tell historians a lot about the buildings that were there and the activities that took place.
  3. They show that Viking York was a major trading hub where goods came to from all over Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
  4. Many artefacts provide an insight into the daily lives of the Vikings who lived in York.
  5. A good explanation of how we know so much will describe various artefacts and what archaeologists have learnt from them.

Common misconception

Pupils may not grasp that artefacts act like pieces to a puzzle that help us learn about how people lived in a specific time or place.

The more artefacts archaeologists uncover, the more opportunity there is to study them carefully to learn about how people lived in a specific time or place.

Keywords

  • Excavation - excavation is the process of removing earth carefully from an area to find buried remains

  • Artefact - an artefact is an object made by a human being, typically one of cultural or historical interest

  • Trade - trade is the action of buying and selling goods and services

Display an array of the artefacts discovered at the Coppergate excavation so pupils can see the extent that were found. These could be images or they could have been made by the pupils. The display could be like a pop-up exhibition.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is an artefact?
a story or legend from the past
an object made by nature, such as a shell
Correct answer: an object made by people in the past
an object made by people today
Q2.
Complete the sentence. A is a metal stamp used to imprint a design on a coin.
Correct Answer: coin die, Coin Die, Coin die
Q3.
What image on one of the coin dies represented Thor, the Norse God of Thunder?
shield
sword
Correct answer: hammer
helmet
Q4.
What were the ice skates found at Coppergate made from?
plastic
Correct answer: bone
wood
metal
Q5.
Which of the below were artefacts excavated at Coppergate?
Correct answer: wooden board games
books and magazines
Correct answer: padlocks and keys
dresses and clothes
Q6.
Where is it thought that the wood board games that were excavated came from, in Viking times?
Byzantium
Russia
Egypt
Correct answer: Scandinavia

6 Questions

Q1.
What statement accurately describes the process of 'excavation'?
Painting pictures of ancient scenes
Writing stories about the past
Correct answer: Removing earth to find remains
Building models of historical buildings
Q2.
When archaeologists discover new artefacts their learning about the Vikings can change.
Correct answer: True
False
Q3.
What was the type of soil called that helped preserve the artefacts?
sandy and dry
Correct answer: peaty and moist
sandy and moist
peaty and dry
Q4.
What description best describes how the Vikings traded goods?
The Vikings bought and sold goods only from Europe.
The Vikings bought and sold goods only from England.
Correct answer: The Vikings bought and sold goods from across the world.
The Vikings bought and sold goods only from Asia.
Q5.
Match the artefact with the findings of the excavation with the correct statement of what it tells us about Viking life.
Correct Answer:ice skates,they would use these to travel in winter months

they would use these to travel in winter months

Correct Answer:gaming board,they played this during leisure time

they played this during leisure time

Correct Answer:cowrie shells,they traded across the world, to places like the Middle East

they traded across the world, to places like the Middle East

Correct Answer:woven wattles,they made the walls of homes from woven branches

they made the walls of homes from woven branches

Correct Answer:knives and tools,they were craftspeople, including blacksmiths

they were craftspeople, including blacksmiths

Q6.
Which of the following describe what the findings at Coppergate tell us about the Vikings?
Correct answer: They traded across the world.
They were keen scholars.
They were fierce warriors.
Correct answer: They were skilled craftsmen.

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