How Pagan Was Medieval Britain?
Ronald Hutton explores how the idea of pagan survivals became prevalent among British historians, based on work by folklorist Lady Raglan and Margaret Murray.
This is the face of a teenager from early medieval England
A forensic artist has reconstructed the face of a 16-year-old woman buried in 7th-century England.
Harald Hardrada: The Battle of Stamford Bridge
The fight for the crown of England draws Harald into one last battle.
Pater Ecgberct of Rath Melsigi: The Hero of Bede’s Historia Ecclesiastica?
Are there heroes that can be celebrated in this period? Is it possible that somebody like Ecgberct could be a hero of somebody like Bede and in something like Historia Ecclesiastica?
Viking Pagan Gods in Britain
Viking Pagan Gods in Britain Lecture by Ronald Hutton Given at Gresham College on March 8, 2023 Abstract: The Norse and Danish invaders…
Scavenging in the ruins of empire, with Robin Fleming
A conversation with Robin Fleming about how the lives and material circumstances of people in Roman Britain changed when the imperial state and…
1,400 year-old artefacts to go on display at Sutton Hoo
1,400 year-old artefacts, many never before seen by the public, will now be displayed as part of a new exhibition taking place at Sutton Hoo in England. Rendlesham Revealed: The Heart of a Kingdom AD 400-800 opens to the public on 23 March 2023.
Harald Hardrada: Prelude to Invasion
With Norway under his control, King Harald looks to seize the throne of another kingdom.
New Medieval Books: The Wolf Age: The Vikings, the Anglo-Saxons and the Battle for the North Sea Empire
If you want to begin learning about the Viking Age in England, this book should be one of your top choices. Written in an engaging style but also offering a lot of details, The Wolf Age is aimed at the general reader and history enthusiast.
Medieval English monasteries found ways to survive Viking attacks, archaeologists find
English monasteries were more resilient to Viking attacks than previously thought, archaeologists have concluded.
“Once-in-a-lifetime”: 7th-century gold and gemstone necklace discovered in England
An early medieval necklace made of gold, garnets and semi-precious stones has been found by archaeologists working in central England. Dubbed the ‘Harpole Treasure’, this is being called an internationally significant discovery.
Landscapes of Defence in Early Medieval England
Beacons, lookouts, assembly sites and ‘army’ roads played key roles in the networks of local and regional civil defence of England during the Viking Age.
Massive migration came to Early Medieval England, study finds
More than 3/4 of the population in Eastern and Southern England during the early Middle Ages had ancestors who came from the European continent, according to a new study published in Nature. It reveals the huge extent of the Anglo-Saxon migrations.
“Once-in-a-generation discovery”: Early Medieval Monastery found in England
An 8th-century monastery in southern England could have enjoyed similarly important status as a trade and production centre to larger towns like London and Southampton, a new excavation has revealed.
Identity, kinship and community: early medieval death and burial across south-eastern and north-western England
Oxford Archaeology’s fifth research seminar focused on early medieval cemeteries in south-eastern and north-western England.
141 Early Medieval Burials discovered in England
Altogether, the discovery included over 2,000 beads, 89 brooches, 40 buckles, 51 knives, 15 spearheads and 7 shield bosses.
We all eat white bread because of 7th-century missionaries to England
There are many types of bread in the world, but white bread is the most popular. The reason for this goes back to seventh-century England.
New exhibition brings together Staffordshire Hoard and Sutton Hoo objects
Two of England’s most important early medieval archaeological discoveries have been reunited for a new exhibition, Swords of Kingdoms: The Staffordshire Hoard at Sutton Hoo.
Who was eating meat in early medieval England?
Very few people in England ate large amounts of meat before the Norse settled, and there is no evidence that elites ate more meat than other people, a major new bioarchaeological study suggests.
The Magical Kings of Medieval England
While magic and historical figures seem like polar opposites to many today, in the Middle Ages, they were frequently connected. Medieval historical records even contain several accounts of former kings who used magic in their reigns: one king magically constructed hot baths, while the other used magic to build a bridge over the English Channel.
An unrecoverable reality? Recent interpretations of post-Roman Britain
2021 has seen a flurry of books published about early medieval Britain
The Battle of Brunanburh
In the year 937, Æthelstan, King of England, found himself under attack from a coalition of his enemies. In this episode of Bow and Blade, Michael and Kelly tell us about the Battle of Brunanburh, including where it was fought and the amazing poem about the battle preserved in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
8th century monastery discovered in England
The location of the 8th-century monastery in the village of Cookham, on the banks of the Thames, was a mystery until now, despite being well known from contemporary historical sources.
The Staffordshire Hoard and the History of Seventh-Century England
This lecture will give a historian’s perspective on how the hoard develops our understanding of topics such as kingship, overlordship, warfare, assemblies, the impact of Christianity and the world of heroic verse.