Fifty years ago, the Coppergate site in York began an excavation that became one of the most significant in British archaeological history. Experts and volunteers recovered 40,000 objects, including shoes, knives, coins, and animal bones, which formed the largest collection from the Viking era found in the country.
Dr Julian D Richards, who volunteered at the age of 20 in 1977, helped uncover Viking house remains and stated the dig "rewrote" what historians knew about Viking York. He noted that the excavation showed Vikings were traders and manufacturers, challenging the popular image of them as violent warriors.
The York Archaeological Trust ran the five-year excavation, which attracted visitors including a young King Charles. The Jorvik Viking Centre was built three years later to display many of the artefacts and remains a popular educational attraction.
Christine McDonnell from the Jorvik Viking Centre described the excavation as a "game-changer" for archaeology, fostering public interaction and interest. Both Dr Richards and McDonnell believe another dig of Coppergate's scale is unlikely in York, though fascination with the city's history continues.