In her BBC documentary The Vikings: Foe or Friend?, Roberts delves into the Viking Age, beginning in the late 8th century with infamous raids like the sacking of Lindisfarne Monastery in 793. Rather than portraying Vikings as mere barbarians, she emphasizes their roles as traders, settlers, and state-builders.
Roberts visits archaeological sites such as Jorvik (modern-day York), a major Viking town, where excavations show sophisticated urban planning, craftsmanship, and a thriving multicultural hub. She also investigates the Danelaw — the area of eastern England under Viking control — and how its influence reshaped English laws, language, and society.
Genetic studies again support her narrative, revealing Viking ancestry in significant portions of the modern British population, especially in northern and eastern England. She also reflects on the integration of Viking settlers into Anglo-Saxon society, often through intermarriage and shared governance.
Science Meets History: Alice Roberts' Unique Approach
What makes Alice Roberts’ contributions unique is her combination of science, storytelling, and public education. As a trained medical doctor and anatomist, she brings a scientific rigor to historical research. Her ability to explain DNA analysis, skeletal remains, and archaeological data in engaging, accessible ways has made history more dynamic and inclusive.
In addition to television, Roberts has authored several books like Ancestors, Buried, and Tamed, where she draws connections between personal human stories and sweeping historical trends. She advocates for a nuanced view of British history — one that embraces migration, diversity, and complexity rather than nationalism or myth.
Conclusion: A Voice for the Past and Present
Professor Alice Roberts has become a vital voice in rethinking how we understand the past. Her work on the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, and Vikings shows that British history is not a tale of isolated tribes or invasions, but a rich, interconnected story of migration, adaptation, and identity.
By combining hard science with human stories, Alice Roberts helps us not only learn about ancient peoples but see how their legacies still shape us today — in our language, our cities, our genetics, and our shared culture. In doing so, she turns the distant past into something immediate, alive, and deeply relevant to our modern world. shutdown123