How Did The Vikings Affect European Society
From 793 to 1066 AD, the Vikings struck terror into the heart of every European. Their sudden, ferocious raids on villages, churches, and monasteries made them both hated and feared. However, the Vikings accomplished more than merely destroying towns. In fact, they were the best explorers of the age, venturing as far south as Africa and as far west as North America. Wherever they settled, they altered the cultural fabric of the conquered area. This paper attempts to analyze specific changes the Vikings initiated in the places they settled, particularly in the British Isles. Using traditional archaeological evidence and newer techniques, archaeologists have been able to find other effects the Vikings had on European society besides looting.
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While they are mostly known for their violent, desctructive raids, there is evidence that the long-term effects of the Viking presence in Europe were mostly positive. Recent traditional evidence suggests that the Vikings actually helped proliferate the use of coins and precious metals in the British economy (Campbell 2001). The first post-Roman British settlements to use coins were Emporia: towns of 1,000 which were specifically built for trade (Campbell 2001). Coin hoards were found the tombs in the inhabitants of these pre-Viking towns, so the native Anglo-Saxons did have knowledge of coinage (Campbell 2001). However, there are no signs of any use of coinage or coin hoards outside of the Emporia, most likely due to the collapse in trade following the withdrawal of Roman soldiers in the 5th century. The Scandinavian invaders initially introduced a bullion-based economy, in which the amount and purity of metal, was more valuable than the form. Even this appears less sophisticated than a coin economy, the Vikings managed this system very well. For example, merchants had very small scales in their pockets so they could always record the amount of silver a customer gave them (Hall 1990). This system allowed the mostly-illiterate Scandinavians to have a relatively efficient financial system. Within the Viking-controlled Danelaw, this system replaced barter even in small towns, something the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were not able to accomplish (Hadley 2000). Eventually, the Vikings adopted the coin systems of the rival English territories in order to embrace some of the conquered peoples’ customs, allowing coins to spread throughout the Danelaw. This is demonstrated by the slow transition of Viking grave goods from the 8th to the 10th centuries. While initially, the vast majority of
While they are mostly known for their violent, desctructive raids, there is evidence that the long-term effects of the Viking presence in Europe were mostly positive. Recent traditional evidence suggests that the Vikings actually helped proliferate the use of coins and precious metals in the British economy (Campbell 2001). The first post-Roman British settlements to use coins were Emporia: towns of 1,000 which were specifically built for trade (Campbell 2001). Coin hoards were found the tombs in the inhabitants of these pre-Viking towns, so the native Anglo-Saxons did have knowledge of coinage (Campbell 2001). However, there are no signs of any use of coinage or coin hoards outside of the Emporia, most likely due to the collapse in trade following the withdrawal of Roman soldiers in the 5th century. The Scandinavian invaders initially introduced a bullion-based economy, in which the amount and purity of metal, was more valuable than the form. Even this appears less sophisticated than a coin economy, the Vikings managed this system very well. For example, merchants had very small scales in their pockets so they could always record the amount of silver a customer gave them (Hall 1990). This system allowed the mostly-illiterate Scandinavians to have a relatively efficient financial system. Within the Viking-controlled Danelaw, this system replaced barter even in small towns, something the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were not able to accomplish (Hadley 2000). Eventually, the Vikings adopted the coin systems of the rival English territories in order to embrace some of the conquered peoples’ customs, allowing coins to spread throughout the Danelaw. This is demonstrated by the slow transition of Viking grave goods from the 8th to the 10th centuries. While initially, the vast majority of