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Welcome to my blog!
Hello, my name is Tristan and I'm a first-year history PhD researcher at Oxford.
The aim of this blog is to share my research and wider history on the early medieval world, help give any advice on applying to university and explaining about Oxford, and generally expanding engagement with the Humanities.
So if you fall under any of those categories, why not fill out the subscription box below to stay up to date.


'Anglo-Saxon' thegnly buildings
How did rich late 'Anglo-Saxons' live? Can their use of buildings and shape tell us about how they viewed themselves, and how they...

An Oxford Historian
May 16, 20217 min read


Anglo-Saxon clothes and textiles - lost forever?
How did the elite in Anglo-Saxon England use textiles and clothes to express their status and power? As an archaeologist, can we ever...

An Oxford Historian
May 8, 20214 min read


Blogging about History - an introduction
How easy is it to set up a new blog? What history content do readers enjoy? Howe many views can you expect? How much money can you make?...

An Oxford Historian
May 8, 20213 min read


'Vikings' in the Danelaw - an Archaeological Footprint
Did the 'Vikings' leave an archaeologically identifiable footprint in England when they settled? Can we excavate those remains and find...

An Oxford Historian
May 2, 202110 min read


Rude 'Viking' Nicknames
'Viking' nicknames are often shocking and offensive to the modern reader. In a continuation from previous articles, here are a number of...

An Oxford Historian
May 1, 20213 min read


Icelandic 'Viking' Nicknames - My First Conference Paper
This last week I was fortunate enough to give a presentation at The Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North, a wonderful...

An Oxford Historian
Apr 21, 20211 min read


Resources for Early Medieval Language Learning
A brief look into learning, understanding and translating four major early medieval languages - Latin, Old English, Old Norse, and Old...

An Oxford Historian
Apr 19, 20214 min read


Exploring Domesday Book: 3 Key Resources
Three free online resources to explore the people and places mentioned in Domesday Book. Domesday Book, written after William the...

An Oxford Historian
Apr 8, 20213 min read


Old English Bynames by G. Tengvik: Book Review
Tengvik's 'Old English Bynames' is a towering contribution to the study of early medieval nicknames, and is equally valuable to both the...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 28, 20213 min read


Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft: Museum Review
In the second installment in our MuseumCraft series, we take a look at Iceland's Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft, a small but amazing...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 26, 20213 min read


The Terracotta Warriors: Museum Review
In a new series on MuseumCraft, we take a look at Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi'an China, known popularly for its Terracotta...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 23, 20213 min read


The World's Hardest Exam: All Souls, Oxford
All Souls College at the University of Oxford University is widely accepted to have the hardest exam in the world its entry test. How...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 23, 20213 min read


Anglo-Saxon Emporia: an Exploration
The Emporia represent an interesting set of archaeological evidence in the 'Anglo-Saxon' world, likely representing a return to...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 22, 20214 min read


Aliens in Archaeology: Dangerous, not just Stupid
It's time to stop suggesting the role of aliens in archaeology as light-hearted fun - it's a dangerous idea built on serious problems....

An Oxford Historian
Mar 16, 20213 min read


The British Museum - Sutton Hoo
The British Museum has a wonderful collection of online resources on the Sutton Hoo finds that can be explored from your computer. One of...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 16, 20212 min read


Top 9 History Documentaries for History Buffs
Nine of the best history documentaries for history buffs and fans, including serious documentaries, docu-dramas and light-hearted comedy,...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 14, 20215 min read


Social Media Updates - Help Spread the Word!
AnOxford Historian now has both a Facebook page and an Instagram page - do please follow them if you use either! Facebook:...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 11, 20211 min read


Experimental Archaeology and Ethnoarchaeology: An Introduction
A brief introduction to Experimental Archaeology - what it includes, how it's theoretically useful, and its major drawbacks....

An Oxford Historian
Mar 7, 20214 min read


Anglo-Saxon Charters - The Electronic Sawyer
The latest summary of free and easy-access resources for those interested in early medieval history. The Electronic Sawyer is a free...

An Oxford Historian
Mar 4, 20212 min read


The Vikings and Post-Colonialism
This week, in a cannibalised version of a piece of coursework I once wrote, I thought it would be interesting to explore the question of...

An Oxford Historian
Feb 27, 20218 min read
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