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Vikings brought horses and dogs to England, cremated bones confirm

The first physical proof that Vikings brought horses and dogs to England has been unearthed

By Jeremy Hsu

1 February 2023

Excavations at Heath Wood in England

Excavations at Heath Wood in England

Julian Richards, University of York

Archaeologists have uncovered the first physical evidence that confirms some Vikings shipped their own horses and dogs from Scandinavia to England.

The animal bone evidence comes from a burial mound at the only known Viking cremation cemetery in the British Isles. The Heath Wood cemetery – located in what is now Derbyshire in central England – is believed to be a burial ground for the first large Viking army to travel to the country. The soldiers arrived in AD 873 on a campaign of conquest against the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.

“We know…

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