Natasha Symes

DPhil Research Topic

Anglo-Saxon Ships: Society, Culture and Belief

Supervisor: Helen Gittos

My research seeks to explore the place of ships in Anglo-Saxon society, considering them both as practical vessels and powerful cultural symbols. Ships were vital in early medieval England for trade, migration, warfare and governance, yet are often overlooked due to a focus on Viking seafaring. My project aims to bring together textual, archaeological and visual evidence to address three questions: 1) Why do Old English and Latin texts portray sea-journeys so differently; 2) Why is river transport, so vital for commerce, largely absent from written sources; and 3) What can archaeology reveal about the communities involved in ship-building and maintenance?

With a background in medieval Latin, Old English and palaeography, I will analyse poems, hagiography, charters and chronicles alongside manuscript art, sculpture and coinage. I also collaborate with the Sutton Hoo Ship's Company, whose Anglo-Saxon ship reconstruction offers unique opportunities for experimental archaeology. This research aims to shed light on both the realia and imaginary world of Anglo-Saxon ships, revealing their power to shape understandings of labour, belief and identity in early medieval England. 

My work is generously funded by the AHRC and Clarendon Fund.