W

hen a long-standing building was demolished in 1966, the York Archaeological Trust moved in. What they discovered was extensive evidence of Viking settlements dating back to the 7th Century.

Instead of building a shopping centre on the ground, it was decided that the site should be turned into the JORVIK Viking Centre.

The institution now unravels the stories of many varied and colourful figures, such as Ivar The Boneless, who invaded the city in the 9th Century. Some think his nickname was literal, that he had a bone problem, others think it was a reference to his snake-like character.

Certainly he was ruthless: he killed King Edmund of East Anglia by tying him to a tree and letting his archers have some target practice, and another foe met his death when Ivar gave him a ‘blood eagle’: the poor man’s lungs were pulled out of his back.

Not that it’s all gruesome. Walk in, jump in the ‘time capsule’ and be transported back to the 880AD. Feel the warm blast from a blacksmith’s furnace, and try viking-cooked stew in the bustling and authentic market, and learn where the invaders came from, what their mission was, and how they shaped our own history.