Astronomical and Atmospheric Observations in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and in Bede
Chronicles and narrative histories of the Early Middle Ages contain a number of entries relating to astronomical events and atmospheric phenomena.
The Politics of Hegemony and the ‘Empires’ of Anglo-Saxon England
This examination does not intend to add to that ‘wild confusion’ by proposing a new definition of empire to encompass the hegemonies of Æthelstan and Cnut, nor does it seek to force those disparate kingships into an existing definition of the term. Rather, it simply questions whether it makes sense for historians to use the term ’empire’ to denote a distinct and coherent category of political power in the context of Anglo-Saxon monarchical hegemonies.
The Reuse of ‘Antiques’ in Anglo-Saxon Graves
Were these curated or items ‘won or stolen’ from earlier sites? At a different level, it is suggested that a type of Iron Age ‘safety pin’ brooch became popular at this time in the mid- 7th century.
Romans, Britons or Anglo-Saxons in Fifth Century Britain: How do we know, why should we care?
Romans, Britons or Anglo-Saxons in Fifth Century Britain: How do we know, why should we care? Paper by Paul Gorton Given at the Theoretical…
Close to Home or Far Away? Exploring identity in early Medieval Suffolk
What do changes in the material expression of identity tell us about social dynamics in 5th to 9th century Eastern England? Do wider geographic patterns show influences shifting from east to west, or is societal change a localized process
The Origins of Wessex – Archaeology and Landscape in the Upper Thames Valley, 5th-7th centuries AD
Most people are very well aware that the kingdom of the West Saxons – Wessex -was ultimately the most successful of all the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms … but a lot of people are unaware that the heartland of early Wessex wasn’t in fact around Winchester which of course became its later capital but rather it lay in the Upper Thames Valley.
King Alfred, Mercia and London, 874-86: A reassessment
The status of London in the later ninth century has for some time been the subject of enquiry by historians, numismatists and archaeologists
Etheldreda: Queen, Abbess, Saint
Saint Etheldreda / Ӕthelthryth / Audrey (636 -679 AD) was an East-Anglian princess who became the Queen of Northumbria and later the founder and abbess of a monastery at Ely in Cambridgeshire.
How to be a Holy Man and a Pragmatist: The story of Hybald
Any type of leader will often have to balance their convictions with pragmatism. For a seventh-century Anglo-Saxon abbot, perhaps there could be a way to display both.
Collapse, Reconfiguration or Renegotiation? The Strange End of the Mercian Kingdom, 850-924
The Kingdom of Mercians is generally assumed to have come to an end, largely as a result of Viking incursions, in the late ninth century
“In the resurrection, no weakness will remain”: Perceptions of disability in Christian Anglo-Saxon England
This paper will focus on perceptions of physical impairment in the later Anglo-Saxon period (c. 800–1066 AD).
How the borders of Wessex changed in the Anglo-Saxon Era
Tracking the development of the Kingdom of Wessex between the years 495 and 927.
The ritual recycling of Roman building material in late 4th- and early 5th-century Britain
This article examines the widespread late- and post-Roman practice in Britain of including recycled Roman building material in ritual activities, especially in closure deposits made in wells.
Anglo-Saxon cemetery discovered
Archaeologists from the University of Sheffield have uncovered a previously unknown Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
Staffordshire Hoard helmet reconstructions revealed
After spending years studying hundreds of fragments and then using both cutting-edge technology and ancient craft techniques, two reconstructions have been made of the magnificent helmet contained within the Staffordshire Hoard.
Worlds of Arthur: Reflections on the fictional world of post-Roman Britain
I would suggest that post-Roman Britain is one of those periods in which there is a particular intimacy to the relationship between history and historical fiction.
Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms: Art, Word, War opens at the British Library
The British Library has opened what they are calling the largest ever exhibition on Anglo-Saxon England.
Royal Daughters in Anglo-Saxon England
The daughters of Anglo-Saxon kings included among their number faithful wives, devout saints, land magnates, military leaders, and even murderers.
Slave Trading in the British Isles and the Czech Lands, 7th-11th Centuries
This thesis examines slave trading from a regional, comparative perspective for the British Isles and the Czech lands, from the seventh through eleventh centuries.
Searching for Brunanburh: The Yorkshire Context of the ‘Great War’ of 937
The location of Brunanburh, however, is still an unsolved mystery. For the last 300 years or more, antiquarians and historians have puzzled over the question. Over thirty sites have been suggested, but none has passed rigorous scrutiny, let alone gained general acceptance.
What Anglo-Saxon teeth can tell us about modern health
Evidence from the teeth of Anglo-Saxon children could help identify modern children most at risk from conditions such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Heart, Hand, and Mind: Grasping the Cross in Early Medieval England
Far removed from the bodies they once adorned and the graves which from which they were unearthed gold cross pendants richly inlaid with garnets sit behind glass in various museums in Great Britain.
The return to hill forts in the Dark Ages: what can this tell us about post-Roman Britain?
After being abandoned for nearly 400 years, some of the ancient Iron Age hill forts were re-occupied and re-fortified in the later fifth and early sixth centuries. Interestingly, some ‘new’ hill forts were also erected at this time.
“As pounded gaping metal”: Translating Saint Aldhelm’s Aenigmata
Perhaps the greatest pleasure of translating the Aenigmata came from the fact that doing the work well required a scavenger hunt through Anglo-Saxon life—from history to medicine to food and many other arcane topics.
