Anglo Saxon Bonework

Bones from mostly cattle, horses, sheep, and pigs were used to make a variety of different things that have been preserved through time quite well. Horns, antlers, and ivory from tusked animals were also used but much more rare. "Bone and antler were used for a wide variety of uses such as combs, sword mounts, bracelets, pottery stamps, pins, needles, ice skates, toggles, dice, gaming pieces, spoons, weaving battens, boxes, pendants, weaving tablets, beads, needle cases, spindle whorls, planes, seals, bodkins, whistles, musical pipes, knife handles, skates, buckles, strap ends, writing tablets, axes, 'ironing boards', tuning pegs, moulds for pewter casting and even for jewellers hammers and clamps." Bones were usually thrown away so there was no need of a skilled craftsman to creat these objects and they were inexpensive. Some jewelery made of whale bone though did used skilled craftsmen to creat and wore worn by many of the vikings.

(1)


This is an article about the picture of helmets that they many times drew. This helmet is one that they wear to battle.


Tiw = God of war and legislation. This was carved in the 9th century. It represents Tiw and his sword and battleaxe.
It was carved on a soap stone tablet. (3)

Anglo-Saxon Pottery

The British Isles have a steady supply of clay from natural deposits and the Anglo-Saxons used the clay to form many of their everyday objects. Pottery was crucial in supplying the Anglo-Saxons with cooking pots, cups, bowls, etc. Common people would form their pots using methods like coiling, but there were highly skilled potters who would form pots by "throwing" them on a "pottery wheel". The tools of the trade were rather crude, like an animal rib for shaping the pot, knives for trimming, and antlers for piercing the pots. During Pagan times highly decorated urns were used to hold the ashes of people that had been cremated.(4)
These are replicas of typical Anglo-Saxon pottery. (8)





The Alfred Jewel This is a priceless artifact that was made during the reign of King Alfred. The inscription woven around
the jewel translates into "Alfred ordered me to be made." The priceless artifact is now kept in Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. (5)

History of Art

Manuscript art, jewelery, sculpted crosses were of the main types of art from the late 5th century to the early 11th century in Anglo Saxon artwork. They were mainly influenced by the Romans, Celtics, Britons, and Norse brought by close location, invasion, or the catholic church. (6)



The Jelling Cup
This was said to be used by Viking King Gormr, it is a10th Century silver chalice that was found in Jelling, which is in Jylland, Denmark - "the site of the Great Stone". The King was the first king from Scandanavia to take a major part in Christianity in 960AD .(7)

Architecture

Anglo saxon architecture was generally simple, including thatched timber and wooden structures. They were built centered around agriculture and included main buildings for the public. Many churches from the period still survive today. Influences were varied ranging from Coptic to Early Christian Basillica. (9)

Sources:

(1)http://www.regia.org/bonework.htm
(2)http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://members.tripod.com/~midgley/helmet.jpg&imgrefurl=http://members.tripod.com/~midgley/anglosaxons.html&h=849&w=675&sz=131&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=H4FiWHUzBvYNHM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=115&prev=/images%3Fq%3Danglo-saxon%2Bart%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN
(3) www.runemaker.com/anglosax2.shtml
(4)http://www.regia.org/life/pottery.htm
(5)http://www.mirror.org/people/ken.roberts/alfred.jewel.html
(6)http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0023715.html
(7)http://www.runemaker.com/anglosax2.shtml
(8)http://www.regia.org/life/pottery.htm
(9) http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/adversaries/archaeology/index.html