Apart from castles, the material dimensions of the Norman Conquest have rarely formed a part of our common understanding of the period. Dr Aleksandra McClain will explore the material culture of the 11th and 12th centuries in northern England, the potential of material culture to introduce more complex and nuanced narratives to the story of the Normans in the North and the importance of taking archaeological evidence into account in order to fully understand why the Conquest happened as it did.