iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Gazing at the #solareclipse today we reflect on how early medieval people viewed this awesome phenomenon! Early medieval scholars including Bede (c. 703 CE) accurately described eclipses as natural occurrences caused by the moon hiding the sun, & the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle often recorded them…

131 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Please be advised, our website Thegns.org is currently down (error 404). We are working to restore it. In the meantime an up-to-date backup (including event-calendar and blog) can be accessed at thegnsofmercia.weebly.com

thegnsofmercia.weebly.com

Thegns of Mercia

Thegns of Mercia Home page

000 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Craft. Colour. Complexity.

072 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

An absolute joy for @oxembi.bsky.social to welcome members of @thegns.bsky.social to @ballioloxford.bsky.social this afternoon where they so vividly evoked the vibrancy of early Mercia.

3113 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Child’s Silver Neck-Ring (c6th) — a simple symbol of status, or something darker? #findsfridsy This neck ring was found in the burial of a child in the piecemeal-excavated early #AngloSaxon cemetery at Ruskington Lincolnshire. (Displayed at Lincoln Museum). Rare #archaeology finds, such collars…

An archaeological silver collar formed of thick wire, now broken into two pieces but originally one piece & in penannular form with the wire bending into a small hook, at each end, which could fasten to each-other (the hooks sitting at the right-back of the wearer’s neck). The front has been hammered flat forming a curving strip which would sit on the collar bones and may once have been decorated or inscribed.

152 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

A princely belt from early C7th Kent — thanks to member Phil Ratcliffe. Replica of the Faversham buckle (found in c19th & displayed in the British Museum @britishmuseum.bsky.social) by Danegeld Historic Jewellery. Belt by member @aedthompson.bsky.social woven from plant dyed wools, on leather.

A large triangular buckle with shield-on-tongue and three bossed rivets, with alternate-twist filligree borders and intertwined filligree beasts filling the centre panel. The buckle is mounted on a belt made of colourful patterned, woven braid of red, yellow, orange and blue sewn onto leather backing. The outer borders are dark blue, then yellow, with the central zone comprised of red-in-orange-in-yellow-in-blue lozenges, set into a dark red background. Arms reach out from the lozenges - those on the right reaching forward, those on the left reaching backward. A pattern described as “colourful diamonds swimming freestyle through a river of lava”.

1162 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 24/05/2025

7-8th century Anglo-Saxon priest (team member James Wenn). “Dalmatic” by Æd Thompson. Previously we shared the foundations of James’ work to reconstruct a plausible image of the Gregorian missionaries and first bishops of the Anglo-Saxon church whose deeds are well documented but… 🧵

132 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

One-piece shoes by member Marc Smith based upon the 3rd-4th century shoes found at Obenaltendorf, Germany in 1895. Shoes of this type — represented by many finds from anaerobic bogs (so sometimes called “bog shoes”) — were used across Europe during the #IronAge & #MigrationPeriod…

110 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 19/04/2025

Sheath for a 7th century broadseax; a project by member Matthijs Demedts, inspired by various finds but particularly Dover Buckland grave 93. Cast rivets (Tattershall Thorpe and Shrubland Hall Coddenham) by Andrew Mason. 🧵

261 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 27/02/2025

Thegns of Mercia at Sutton Hoo in summer 2024; we will return in spring 2025! (Date to be announced). Pictured; members Æd and Andrew Thompson, photo credit: AHLewis. #earlymedieval #medieval #anglosaxon (cooler than #viking #vikings) #migrationperiod #livinghistory #archaeology #reenactment

020 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Staffordshire Archaeological & Historical Society @staffsarch.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Dr Sue Brunning; curator of the European Early Medieval Collections in the Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory at The British Museum will be visiting Lichfield Cathedral on Wed 29th Jan to present 'Silk Roads'. To book please visit www.lichfield-cathedral.org/what-s-on/wh...

053 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Aed Thompson @aedthompson.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Way ahead of you (ft. @thegns.bsky.social )

072 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 21/12/2024

Proud to announce that work by Thegns of Mercia members has featured in the British Museum’s innovative ‘Silk Roads’ temporary exhibition, which shares our goal of promoting awareness of the cultural richness, diversity and interconnectedness of the early medieval world. …🧵

Left: Member James Wenn dressed as an Anglo Saxon priest, presenting his research at Sutton Hoo, with the aluminium print showing the scabbard boss diagrams.

Right, above; the recoloured diagram in the British Museum exhibition; the central cross-like motif formed of dozens of carefully shaped tesselating garnets is coloured red, the remainder black. Its caption reads “illustration showing the different coloured garnets on the sword scabbard button, creating a cross of orange bohemian and Sri Lankan garnets against purple Indian stones. (c) Trustees of the British Museum. Image adapted after James R Syrett 2023, with thanks to Byrga Geniht Ltd.

Right, below; a zoomed out image of the cabinet the above appears in, showing the original scabbard boss and other treasures from Sutton Hoo and Prittlewell, in the Silk Roads exhibition.

141 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

The festive season approaches! How did folk in #earlymedieval Britain mark this time of year? What kinds of festivities took place & how did they change during the long Anglo-Saxon period? Find out more at www.thegns.org/blog/yule (Article by Æd Thompson, for Sutton Hoo’s #Yule exhibition)

Above image; Two early Anglo-Saxon nobles lit by firelight, in brightly coloured wool coats and cloaks lined with fur, over which, garlands of ivy; the elder of the two holds a large drinking horn adorned with gold fittings aloft as if making a toast.
Image below: • a feast table laid out with wooden bowls and cups and pottery, a gold-decorated drinking horn and flask, and glittering glass breakers, framed by garlands of Holly and ivy.
•A wooden altar-cross painted gold, red and green, surrounded by candles on iron lamps / stands.

020 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Aed Thompson @aedthompson.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Made with the help of Andrew Mason and now part of the @thegns.bsky.social Thegns of Mercia collection, for educational display, exploring craftsmanship, art and identity in late antiquity - early medieval central Britain.

031 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 22/11/2024

The Taplow Lyre (c6-7th); replica by member Æd Thompson. One of 12 such lyres (so far) found in early Anglo-Saxon graves, this example uniquely features horn veneers & silver pins on the yoke, placing its tuning pegs within a representation of the night sky. #archaeology #livinghistory #medieval

060 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Dr Tom Horne @hornesupremacy.bsky.social · 21/11/2024

My 📷 of the Govan Warrior, a name I coined, found in the early medieval churchyard surrounding the @govanstones.bsky.social museum in Govan Old. Note the shallow carving, making it more like Pictish carvings than the heavier relief produced in the Brittonic Viking-Age Kingdom of Strathclyde.

0326 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

But did we really suddenly invade, did we arrive gradually or were we actually already here all along? The truth is much more complicated. … And now with this much bigger character limit we can outline how, in reality, evidence including archaeoDNA meta-analysis shows we were a diverse mixture of…

221 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

221 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

We were in that other place, and now we’re suddenly over here, making inroads, establishing ourselves, forming community networks. Reminds us of the Migration Period. #medieval #archaeology

021 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

We were in that other place, and now we’re suddenly over here, making inroads, establishing ourselves, forming community networks. Reminds us of the Migration Period. #medieval #archaeology

021 0

Reposted by Thegns of Mercia

Dr Tom Horne @hornesupremacy.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

One of the outrageously important runic inscriptions on the Viking-style Galloway Hoard, deposited c. 900 in what is now SW Scotland. The exciting kicker is that the runes are ANGLIAN, not Old Norse, likely made by an Anglo-Saxon Northumbrian. My images from the Treasure Trove in Scotland viewing.

912232 0

Thegns of Mercia @thegns.bsky.social · 18/11/2024

Broadly speaking, no two #earlymedieval #archaeology finds are precisely the same. Be like your predecessors — dare to be different.

Three owls sitting on a tree branch, and wearing Anglo-Saxon helmets. One after the other the owls cry “Sutton HOO!”

The last owl pauses for a moment to consider, then replies thoughtfully “Sutton WHOM.”

030 0