Scholars interested in the processes by which the history of Early Anglo Saxon England came to be recorded have long known of the existence of the annals that are referred to here as ‘The Frankish Annals of Linidisfarne and Kent’.
Holding The Border: Power, Identity, And The Conversion Of Mercia
January 6, 2013 By
Examining the conversion of the kingdom of Mercia from the perspective of that kingdom’s origins and development and its rulers’ interests and concerns will enable us to understand both resistance and conversion to Christianity in seventh-century England.
More pieces from the Staffordshire Hoard discovered
January 5, 2013 By
The Staffordshire Hoard has now grown by a further 81 pieces, after a Coroner’s Court declared yesterday that the newly found objects were part of the Anglo-Saxon treasure.
The Effects of the Muslim Conquest on the Persian Population of Iraq
December 30, 2012 By
The Muslim conquest was responsible for changes in the distribution of Persians in Iraq wrought by the combined effects of death, captivity, defection, and migration.
Property Rights in Celtic Irish Law
December 16, 2012 By
Unfortunately, many historians not specializing in the study of the ancient Irish law tracts have been unaware of the textual inaccuracies of the O’Curry – O’Donovan translations and have continued to incorporate their older unscientific work, and that of their editors, into their own work.
Confronting the Caliph: ‘Uthmân b. ‘Affân in Three ‘Abbasid Chronicles
December 16, 2012 By
Until relatively recently medieval Islamic chroniclers were viewed by modern historians in much the same way that Muslims view Muhammad – as transmitter rather than author.
Columban Christian influence in Northumbria, before and after Whitby
December 7, 2012 By
The Synod of Whitby of 664 has traditionally been regarded as the great ‘set-piece’ debate between the so-called ‘Celtic’ and Roman churches in Britain, and as the turning-point for Irish – and more specifically Columban – ecclesiastical domination in Northumbria (and beyond).
Hincmar of Reims on King-making: The Evidence of the Annals of St. Bertin, 861–882
December 5, 2012 By
The Histories and Chronicles Hincmar had in mind were presumably Frankish ones; and Lothar II, succeeding his father, thus clearly came into this section of Hincmar’s third category. But of the timing or form of Lothar’s becoming king, Hincmar said not a word, preferring, instead, to spell out the Biblical lesson that a bad king (and he hastily disclaimed any allegation that Lothar’s father had been a bad king) would see the succession depart from his line.
Call for Papers: 2013 Edinburgh University Seventh-Century Colloquium
November 30, 2012 By
The Seventh Century: Continuity or Discontinuity? – 2013 Edinburgh University Seventh Century Colloquium, 28 – 29 May 2013.
What can written sources, sculpture and archaeology tell us about Pictish identity and how this might have changed between the sixth and ninth centuries?
November 18, 2012 By
Arguably one of the biggest changes in how the Picts portrayed themselves is understood through their use of sculpture. The earliest is thought to date to around the fifth century (Historic Scotland, 2012) lending itself to the Class I typology.
Knowledge of Ephraim’s Writings in the Merovingian and Carolingian Age
October 4, 2012 By
The florilegium entitled Liber Scintillarum, the book of sparks from the words of God and of his saints, was composed by the monk Defensor of Ligugé. Our evidence for the life and date of Defensor derives entirely from his preface.
Heraclius and the Evolution of Byzantine Strategy
September 28, 2012 By
This paper aims to be an initial stepping stone in the understanding of the foundation and evolution of Byzantine strategy.
The Emperor Heraclius: investigations into the image of an emperor
September 7, 2012 By
This thesis is an investigation into the image of the emperor Heraclius as depicted by the ancient sources who cover his reign (610-641 A. D.).
Arab Siege of Egyptian Babylon : a Classic Study in Islamic Expansion of the 7th Century
September 3, 2012 By
The fall of the Byzantine Fortress of Babylon in 641 CE allowed invading Arab armies to move beyond the Lower Nile region of Egypt and ultimately conquer the whole of the province from the Byzantines, effectively ending centuries of almost totally uninterrupted Roman rule.
Kings, Peasants, and the Restless Dead: Decapitation in Anglo-Saxon Saints’ Lives
August 5, 2012 By
Decapitation is not a particularly common event, however notable, in the records of Anglo-Saxon history.
Arab-Byzantine War, 629-644 AD
June 19, 2012 By
The paper seeks to answer the question ‘Why did the Byzantine Empire fail in the defense of these territories’ by looking at diplomatic, military, economic and social differences between the Arab and Byzantine sides.
Symbols of Protection: The Significance of Animal-ornamented Shields in Early Anglo-Saxon England
June 11, 2012 By
Anthropomorphic and zoomorphic decoration of shields can be evidenced, at least sporadically, from Roman to Viking times. While textual and pictorial information contributes to this knowledge, detailed archaeological analysis depends primarily on the survival of metal fittings.
Saint Patrick and the Druids: A Window into Seventh-Century Irish Church Politics
May 31, 2012 By
Through an analysis of selected portions of Muirchú’s Life of Saint Patrick, this thesis will attempt to search out the hagiographer’s goals in writing as he did under the direction of Aed, Bishop of Sletty, during a critical time of debate in the Irish church. The primary method of accomplishing this will be through consideration of Patrick as a character in the hagiography.
Glass discovered at Glastonbury Abbey dates back to 7th century, researchers find
May 8, 2012 By
Glass furnaces recorded in 1955-7 were previously thought to date from before the Norman Conquest. However, radiocarbon dating has now revealed that they date approximately to the 680s, and are likely to be associated with a major rebuilding of the abbey undertaken by King Ine of Wessex.
British Library purchases the St Cuthbert Gospel for £9 million
April 18, 2012 By
The British Library has announced that it has successfully acquired the St Cuthbert Gospel, a miraculously well-preserved 7th century manuscript that is the oldest European book to survive fully intact and therefore one of the world’s most important books.
Byzantine Coins from the 6th and the 7th Century Found in Poland and their East Central European Context
March 20, 2012 By
Archaeologists discover 7th-century Anglo-Saxon teenager with golden cross
March 18, 2012 By
Extraordinary 7th century discovery on outskirts of Cambridge offers unique insights into the origins of English Christianity.
Great Sites: Hamwic
March 12, 2012 By
Helena Hamerow on excavations at Southampton, which reshaped our views of the origins of English towns and of long-distance trade in the 8th/9th centuries.
The Stirrup as a Revolutionary Device
March 11, 2012 By
A German legal historian, Paul Roth, published in 1850 a work that set out the basic concept of feudalism. According to Roth, Charles Martel had combined the two existing institutions of ‘vassalage’ and ‘benefice’—that is, a vassal swore allegiance to his lord in return for which he was given some kind of benefice, usually rent-free land.
Tradition and Transformation in the Cult of St. Guthlac in Early Medieval England
March 6, 2012 By
Do the variations reflect changes in purpose, patronage, doctrine, liturgy, or intended audience? Are they due to differences in authorship, geographical origin, or regional preferences? Analysis of the variations introduced into the corpus of materials, both narrative and visual, for a given saint over the course of the Middle Ages in England can elucidate the social, cultural, and historical significance of these changes.
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