Rediscovering Viking-age Scotland with Michael Wood

Acclaimed historian and broadcaster Michael Wood joined Dr Adrián Maldonado, Glenmorangie Research Fellow, to discuss Adrián’s new book, Crucible of Nations: Scotland from Viking Age to Medieval Kingdom. The book reassesses the museum’s 9-12th century collections, uncovering an exciting new vision of Scotland’s diverse and creative past.
Adrián and Michael took a fresh look at some of the iconic objects on display in the National Museum of Scotland and discuss new research on objects in the museum’s stores. Live Q&A was chaired by writer and broadcaster, Sally Magnusson. 
Crucible of Nations is the culmination of the Glenmorangie Research Project Creating Scotland: Making a Medieval Kingdom, exploring objects from the National Collection dated 9-12th centuries AD, covering the arrival of the Vikings to Scotland, the last days of the Picts, and the rise of the medieval kingdom of Scotland.
Crucible of Nations is now available to pre-order from our shop.
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[@BinkyTheElf1]

Michael Wood is a national and international treasure, who has asked new questions about history, and brought it to new life for the public. Greetings from Canada.

[@cedainty]

I'm 80 yrs old and I wish I were ten people so I could learn more from internet programs like this!! I am of Danish and German lineage there is sooo much to learn and so little time.

[@stephenpotts832]

Great presentation, fantastic presenters👍

[@dogriffiths]

Thank you for a fantastic event. I was astonished at the amount of information Dr. Maldonado extracted from items already in the museum's collections. I also particularly enjoyed Michael Wood's talk, which brought the details of the objects into context. I found the whole thing entirely enthralling, making me want to enjoy it, leaning back with a glass of Glenmorangie. Thank you so much to all involved. I hope I will be able to visit the Kingdom of the Scots galleries in the next year and see some of the artifacts for myself.

[@MICROCLEAN100]

Thank you!

[@johncothren8861]

I was fortunate to have been stationed in Iceland 90-91. My first foreign cultural experience. Mad respect for their unchanged tradions and approach on nature. A geological wonderland of fire and ice. Appreciate the responsibility your father took to instill upon you, is truly a blessing!

[@Tyler.i.81]

Michael Woods is a living legend love the 80s series on the anglo saxons so much passion his twinkling eyes as the talks about this period in history makes for great viewing. It would be nice if there was a series on the early British and Welsh King's it's something that needs to be talked about more.

[@Bjowolf2]

Do check out his brilliant and captivating masterpiece "In Search of the Trojan War" - from way back when the BBC took their viewers seriously and would take their time and spend the money to do these things properly and in depth instead of the mostly superficial, rushed and foolish junk that we are mostly getting from them - and other broadcasters! - these days in these areas 😉

[@garygalt4146]

Micheal introduce me to Beowulf in a academic way. Until then I didn’t know he was from these isles. He 1980s programs hold up to the test of time.

[@Bjowolf2]

@@garygalt4146Well, from Scandinavia to more precise - Sweden & Denmark 😉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z3STpHmOipWGgtE

[@MsSteelphoenix]

Fascinating stuff! I particularly enjoyed the details of the hoards and how cosmpolitan they actually are, and what it says about the world at that time.

[@nathanielwhite7007]

Great to hear from latest research !

[@yvonnefarrell1029]

Brilliant presentation and this follows right along with my family-history research, which includes Scots, Irish, English, and Scandinavian heritage. Thank you all so much.

[@MichaelWhitty-pv9uz]

Excellent event and video which builds on the knowledge we have about Early Medieval Britain but focuses more on Scotland and the king we hear mentioned but rarely find out much about, namely Constantine. Looking forward to more revelations about the vikings (note small v) in Scotland and how they interacted with the kingdoms in the Northern England/Scotland region.

[@batmscot6149]

I know you have a limited amount of space which takes lot of planing in the placement of artifacts to show to the public . Yet I still find it maddening that alot of finds still haven't seen again the light of day or by the general public, and yet they were at the time of finding then taken into museums placed into numerous drawers and cellars for our eyes the peoples not just for those with the right set of credentials allowing certain people access.

[@nathanielwhite7007]

Wonderful talk from Both. !

[@peterrandall9523]

A splendid presentation. I’ve learnt so much from you all.

[@moiradavis8364]

This was amazing to watch and I feel like I learned a lot. The only thing that kind of rubs me the wrong way is that so many of these artifacts are hidden away from people and hardly ever seen. It just feels like hoarding things that are sensitive and won’t be here forever.

[@ruadhagainagaidheal9398]

As a Highland man I love a wee drop of the malt. Glenmorangie is one of my local brands and ,oddly, is one of the very few single malt whiskies that I actually dislike.

[@cyan1616]

It's interesting how many Islamic coins were found in these hoards. I can only think that these were from payments made for Irish Sea slaves taken in Viking raids. At this time the taking of slaves was peaking in the area. How come no one has made the connection?

[@kc3718]

what a shame such material is hidden from view to the extent that an object was in the collection for 130 years before anyone had a good look at it ! Took me 30 years to get a look at at local object that the British Museum scurried away in its vaults.

[@johnlee5423]

Been watching the TV programme Vikings, not exactly hippies back then were they.

[@elliottg.1954]

Items "rarely on public view"; why are our heritage assets rarely on view? Museums are custodians, they should not be acting as authorities deciding what we can or cannot see. Likewise, museum workers are custodians of the long-term, charged with preserving our natural and cultural heritage. This includes ancient material culture, and none of them own anything in their charge.

[@seanmcnally6658]

Space and cost.

[@Lanarkish]

Nobody should journey to Kirkudbright to see the Galloway Hoard. It left Kirkudbright three months ago in July 2022.

[@katharineharrison9091]

Is Michael Canadian? He referred to her grave goods as ‘stuff’

[@ruadhagainagaidheal9398]

When a Mexican-American historian, apparently working in Scotland for several years, pronounces Gaelic as ‘Gay-lick’ one has to ask oneself how much he actually knows about Scotland and our history. Is he just marketing his book and the whisky brand of his sponsor ?

[@esbliss13]

It's really too bad the film crew didn't move the trash bin next to her stool. It really contrasts with her classy outfit.

[@warrenhailes2388]

Galloway GAELoway! The Urn Came From Persia and its Zorostrian. Because SHE IS ZOD! ;)