River Kings: A New History of the Vikings from Scandinavia to the Silk Roads

'Astonishing and compelling'Bernard Cornwell 'A thrilling read ... Illuminates Viking culture in an utterly intriguing new light'Charles Spencer 'Extraordinarily imaginative ... You'll never see the Viking Age in the same way again'Michael Wood Follow bioarchaeologist Cat Jarman – and the cutting-edge forensic techniques central to her research – as she uncovers epic stories of the Viking age and follows a small 'Carnelian' bead found in a Viking grave in Derbyshire to its origins thousands of miles to the east in Gujarat. Dr Cat Jarman is a bioarchaeologist, specialising in forensic techniques to research the paths of Vikings who came to rest in British soil. By examining teeth that are now over one thousand years old, she can determine childhood diet, and thereby where a person was likely born. With radiocarbon dating, she can ascertain a death date down to the range of a few years. And her research offers new visions of the likely roles of women and children in Viking culture....