Several decades after Hardulph’s death, the Vikings attacked Repton — “the jewel in the crown of Mercia,” and took the kingdom, said archaeologist Cat Jarman, senior adviser for the museum of the Viking Age at the Museum of Cultural History at the University of Oslo. Jarman, who was not involved in the Anchor Church study, said it was known that the Vikings camped right next to the caves because metal detectorists have found lead gaming pieces, coins and silver — “a signature of the army.”

Source: Washington Post July 17, 2021 11:00 UTC