Down by the River: Exploring the Logistics of Viking Encampment across Atlantic Europe

Abstract

Like any other medieval mariner, itinerant viking hosts would regularly have made their
way ashore to regroup and reinforce their constituent craft and crews. Accordingly, historical
and archaeological records from across Atlantic Europe attest to various waterside
encampments having been established during overseas viking campaigns. The everyday
practical operation of these camps remains largely underexplored, however, maintaining
long-standing impressions that these were relatively dormant hideouts, principally used to
intersperse bouts of conflict or to wait out the winter. Bringing together the interdisciplinary
evidence for viking encampment from Ireland, England, and the Frankish realm, this study
provides a more pronounced picture of the overall logistics involved in establishing and
maintaining sites like these. Focusing on the themes of sustenance, security, industry, and
commerce, it affirms that the encampments played host to an intricate, adaptive system of
logistical (inter)relationships, which contributed to the overall sustainability of the early
viking phenomenon.