Are Emma And Joseph Tomorrow's Time Team?October 27 2003
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The storyteller leaned towards the listening children. His golden beard glinted in the dim light. An animal skin and a huge bunch of antlers hung behind him on the wooden wall of his hut. The epic sagas of warriors, heroes and adventures began.
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Photo: Julian Richards as a modern day Viking storyteller.
© Anra Kennedy.
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Has Ancient Jorvik come back to life? Is this a Viking chieftain who has travelled through time to tell us his stories? No, It's Julian Richards - that archaeologist from the telly! It's 2003 and he's reading stories at York's Archaeological Resource Centre.
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Julian was in York to present the Young Archaeologist of the Year Awards 2003. The awards are organised by the Young Archaeologists Club every year. This year club members had to write a saga (a story) in true Viking style.
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Photo: Julian and Joseph are all smiles after the saga reading.
© Anra Kennedy.
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Joseph Thorne is 11. He won the 9 to 12 age group with a dramatic story called 'The Staeringa Saga'. He told Show Me how he got his ideas - 'I am very interested in Norse Mythology. It started when I was very little, when I was given a book about it.' Joseph's story is all about Loki, the Viking God of fire and trickery.
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Winner of the 13 to 16 age group was Emma Silvey. Her story was a fast-moving tale of greased bulls, smashed skulls and fierce battles. It was called 'Gehod's son, an atmospheric tale of jealousy and honour.'
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Photo: Joseph Thorne - one of the Young Archaeologist of the Year Award winners.
© Anra Kennedy.
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We asked Emma how she managed to write such an exciting saga. She said 'I've always liked the Viking era. I find it really interesting. One of my favourite subjects at school is English so writing a Viking saga combined two of my favourite things.'
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Julian Richards read out Emma and Joseph's sagas before reading one of his own about a strange character called 'Snorri the Seasick.' He'd written Snorri's story especially for the award ceremony.
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Photo: Emma Silvey - another Young Archaeologist of the Year 2003.
© Anra Kennedy.
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Joseph and Emma spent the whole weekend in York with their families, staying in a hotel and being given VIP treatment for two days. They visited the Jorvik Centre, the Archaeological Resource Centre and The Yorkshire Museum. They even went on a haunted ghost walk of York's spookiest places.
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If you'd like to find out more about the Young Archaeologists Club click on this link.
We'll keep you posted with news of next year's competition. You never know - you might end up being Young Archaeologist of the Year 2004!
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Photo: Julian gave Emma and Joseph a copy of his 'Blood of the Vikings' book as an extra prize.
© Anra Kennedy.
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Anra Kennedy
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