The ‘Anglo-Saxons’ inhabited what would become England following the fall of Rome, from c.410, up until the invasion of the Normans in 1066. Their lives covered some momentous social changes – the widescale (re?)adoption of Christianity, the emergence of an idea of ‘England’, invasion and occupation by the ‘Vikings’. But there’s also a lot to […]
History is far more than simply the old dusty books of kings and rich men. Archaeology, anthropology, art, and economics (to name just a few) all contribute towards constructing a better understanding of the past. The curricula allows you to explore a broad range of methods and theories to approaching the past. If you’re starting […]
One of the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ period‘s most impressive, and most complex, artefacts is the so-called ‘Franks Casket’. A lidded whalebone box, covered in intricate carvings and text, the casket appears to originate from an early eight-century Northumbrian context. But what was it used for, and what can it tell us? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franks_Casket#/media/File:Franks_casket_03.jpg) Finding the Casket The existence […]
One of the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ period‘s most impressive, and most complex, artefacts is the so-called ‘Franks Casket’. A lidded whalebone box, covered in intricate carvings and text, the casket appears to originate from an early eight-century Northumbrian context. But what was it used for, and what can it tell us? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franks_Casket#/media/File:Franks_casket_03.jpg) Finding the Casket The existence […]
Archaeology is about much more than treasure-hunting but, inevitably, popular attention tends to be drawn towards rich and magnificent finds. Within an early medieval context, the ‘Princely’ burials of the Mid Saxon period are particularly notable in this context. The Sutton Hoo Mound 1 ship-burial is deservedly famous and the most impressive example, but the […]
As an introduction to the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ history and archaeology course I have put together (available free and online here), I’ve compiled a reading list of suggestions. It’s often hard to track down these resources even when someone name-drops them so I’ve included links to them all and, where possible, their free versions. While this reading […]
The ‘Anglo-Saxons’ inhabited what would become England following the fall of Rome, from c.410, up until the invasion of the Normans in 1066. Their lives covered some momentous social changes – the widescale (re?)adoption of Christianity, the emergence of an idea of ‘England’, invasion and occupation by the ‘Vikings’. But there’s also a lot to […]
Continuing the Museumcraft series, we take a look at the Ashmolean Cast Gallery and the questions it raises about ‘authenticity, education and experimentation in the world of museums. All the way at the back of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum lies the Cast Gallery. It houses an impressive collection of ‘Classical‘ sculpture works, collected from 1884 onwards. […]
Continuing the Museumcraft series, we take a look at the Ashmolean Cast Gallery and the questions it raises about ‘authenticity, education and experimentation in the world of museums. All the way at the back of Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum lies the Cast Gallery. It houses an impressive collection of ‘Classical‘ sculpture works, collected from 1884 onwards. […]
How did rich late ‘Anglo-Saxons’ live? Can their use of buildings and shape tell us about how they viewed themselves, and how they maintained their power? In the final part of the series discussing how Anglo-Saxon thegns expressed their power and status, after examining diet and textile use, we move onto the biggest archaeological category […]
It’s time to stop suggesting the role of aliens in archaeology as light-hearted fun – it’s a dangerous idea built on serious problems. Archaeology attracts all types, which is a wonderful thing. What is less wonderful, however, is the consistent conspiracy-theory trend for alien intervention in ancient archaeology. I’m arguing here that this shouldn’t be […]
The Emporia represent an interesting set of archaeological evidence in the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ world, likely representing a return to urbanisation for the first time since the Romans. However, as is often the case with archaeological evidence, must about them is unclear. In the latest deep-dive, we take a brief look at the conflicting arguments around the […]
#ComissionsEarned (This post includes Amazon Affiliate links)* As a continuation from my previous post about Anglo-Saxon nicknames, I thought I’d highlight a few contemporary Viking examples (if you’ve not read the previous post, check here). Viking nicknames are a generally more widely appreciated phenomenon, not least because of public familiarity with the Sagas. In fact, […]
Another consistent theme in early medieval English naming is the presence of bynames/nicknames that reflect occupation and work. Not only do these give us an interesting slice of life and employment options from the period, but also points towards a focus on the social roles played by these individuals within their communities. My interest here […]