The iconic early medieval royal palace of Yeavering is located at the base of the Cheviot Hills along the modern-day Anglo-Scottish border in a quiet bucolic valley. In the 6th century AD, it was one of the key royal settlements and assembly sites of the early medieval kingdom of Northumbria, linked to the site noted in Bede’s histories as King Edwin’s royal villa of Ad Gefrin. The initial investigations of the site, led by Dr. Brian Hope-Taylor, revealed a multi-faceted complex containing large timber-framed Halles, cemeteries, and evidences of reuse and reinterpretation of prehistoric features. Archaeologists from Durham University, Eastern Washington University, and the Gefrin Trust have restarted investigations of the site and its environs using remote sensing, landscape archaeology, and excavations. This presentation discusses the historic and archaeological background of the site, its importance for the development of early medieval Britain, and how new findings are re-shaping our understanding of this important site.
Dr. Brian Buchanan, Eastern Washington University.