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Representation of Anglo-Saxon warriors in battle. Source: Sarah / Adobe Stock

The Battle of Cymenshore, AD 477

In the aftermath of the Romans’ departure from Britain in the fifth century AD, the coast of the former Roman province was left vulnerable to various invaders who sought to establish kingdoms of...
Archaeologists survey the area near Trafalgar Square, London.        Source: © Archaeology South-East

Saxon ‘London’ Was Bigger Than Previously Thought

In a remarkable archaeological endeavor, the team from Archaeology South-East, a division of the UCL Institute of Archaeology, has made groundbreaking discoveries beneath the National Gallery at the...
Hengist by John Speed's  "Saxon Heptarchy" (1611) (Public Domain)

Revolt Of The Angle, Saxon and Jute Mercenaries In Britannia

Three Saxon keels slipped effortlessly through the waves towards the Kentish coast. The white cliffs glided past as the rowers, 20 on each side kept a constant rhythm. The shallow-draft oaken hull,...
The lead coffin of the aristocratic Roman woman’s burial found in Yorkshire, Northern England.          Source:  Leeds City Council

Yorkshire Dig Reveals 62 Burials, Including the Remains of a Roman Aristocratic Woman

Archaeologists have hailed the discovery of a hidden cemetery in Garforth, Leeds as a "once-in-a-lifetime find". The site, dating back 1,600 years, has yielded the remains of a high-status Roman...
The Venerable Bede and the Origins of the English ‘Nation’

The Venerable Bede and the Origins of the English ‘Nation’

How do you define a nation? Most people would probably think of a nation as being a defined geographical area governed by a political body of some sort which acts on behalf of its citizens, who are...
Rendlesham bead and Sutton Hoo

Rendlesham Royal Palace Linked to Famous Sutton Hoo Burial Site

In 2016 archaeologists unearthed an Anglo-Saxon royal palace and settlement at Rendlesham, located only 6 km (four miles) away from the famous Sutton Hoo burial site in Suffolk, England. Continued...
The Domesday Book, volume 2

The Domesday Book: Don’t Worry, It’s Not the End of The World

Have you ever wondered how many people lived in England in the late 11th century? Well, William the Conqueror did, but mostly so that he could know how much land and money those people had. To figure...
King Doniert’s Stone             Source: Andy Chisholm / Adobe Stock

King Doniert’s Stone, Memorial of a Lost Kingdom

While Britain is a land with many world-famous historical landmarks and sites, there are numerous smaller and little-known monuments that are remarkable in their own way. King Doniert’s Stone is a...
A Deadly Formula - Why Viking Weapons and Armor Were So Effective

A Deadly Formula - Why Viking Weapons and Armor Were So Effective

Nothing continues to be so inspiring and thrilling from early medieval history such as the Viking Age. This exciting historical period turned the nations of Europe upside down, and ushered in a new,...
Representation of Hengist and Horsa.           Source: Brambilla Simone / Adobe stock

Invasion of Britain by Brothers Hengist and Horsa: Truth or Legend?

Hengist and Horsa were a pair of brothers mentioned in British history. According to legend, they were the leaders of the first Germanic settlers (or Anglo-Saxons ) of Britain. They are believed to...
1110 AD was the year volcanic eruptions caused the disappearance of the Moon and sparked global famine. Pictured: representation of the Moon over a volcano. Source: Daniel / Adobe stock

1110 AD, The Year Volcanoes Vanished the Moon and Sparked Global Famine

Scientists finally explain the Moon's mysterious disappearance and the cause of a global famine in 1110 AD. While the opening line of this article sounds like a bait and switch classic, every written...
The legendary Welsh dragon. Credit: warpaintcobra / Adobe Stock

The Legendary Welsh Dragon that Expelled the Saxons

The Welsh Dragon is a heraldic symbol of Wales, and arguably one of the country’s most recognizable symbols. The image is most notably seen on the flag of Wales. Additionally, this symbol is also...
Danevirke wall defended the Danes in the north from the Germanic and Slav tribes.    Source: khosrork / Adobe Stock

From the Vikings to WWII, the Danevirke Wall Has Seen it All

All through classical history, imposing and long walls, ramparts, and fortifications played a significant role in securing the borders of nations and kingdoms from all sorts of incursions and attacks...
The Sutton Hoo movie that will tell the story of the famous Anglo-Saxon treasure is due to come out on Netflix soon. Right: A replica of the Sutton Hoo helmet produced for the British Museum by the Royal Armouries. (CC BY-SA 2.5). Left: The original Sutton Hoo helmet. (CC BY-SA 2.0)

New Sutton Hoo Movie Rights the Wrongs of Archaeological Snobbery

The new Sutton Hoo movie, called The Dig, that is due to be released on Netflix is going to tell the real story behind one of Britain’s greatest archaeological discoveries. It dramatizes the...
A metal detectorist finds coins (representational image). Credit: sablin / Adobe Stock

1,300-Year-Old Saxon Coin Found by Treasure Hunter Rewrites English History

An English metal detectorist has found a rare coin proving old London did not fall to the West Saxons until later than currently thought. Buried about four inches deep, Andy Hall, 55, found the 1,300...
St Augustine of Canterbury preaches to Aethelberht of Kent during Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England 	Photo source: James William Edmund Doyle / Public domain

How Anglo-Saxon England Made the Radical Change to Christianity

The Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England began towards the end of the 6 th century AD, and by the end of the succeeding century, all the kings of Anglo-Saxon England were Christian, at least...
Bayeux Tapestry - The death of King Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings.

Did Harold Godwinson Really Die on the Battlefield at Hastings as the Records Suggest?

The reign of Harold Godwinson, the last Saxon King of England, is mostly remembered for its ignoble end, a victim of war at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 when William of Normandy came to conquer...
This 6th-century Saxon warrior with spear and sword, was found underneath a military trackway, frequently crossed by tanks and huge military vehicles.

Excavation of Saxon Warrior Touches Home with Veteran Volunteers

Operation Nightingale was an initiative that involved injured armed forces personnel, especially veterans who had returned from recent conflict zones such as Afghanistan, in archaeological fieldwork...
Two graves with mutilated skeletons found

Archaeologists in the UK Find Two Mutilated Skeletons

According to The Guardian newspaper, archaeologists in the UK have made a grisly discovery. They have found the graves of two men who have had their lower legs detached at an archaeological site in...
Externsteine, north-eastern face, across Wiembecke pond.

Worship? Meditation? Sacrifice? What Ancient Ritual Activities Were Held at the Externsteine Sacred Stone Formation?

Externsteine is an unusual sandstone rock formation near Ostwestfalen-Lippe in the northwest of Germany. It is unique among other monolithic sites in Europe because it is a natural formation that has...
The gold pendant found in the soil.

Student’s Lucky Find Worth £145,000 Is Rewriting Anglo-Saxon History

A student in Norfolk probably never imagined that his discovery of a female skeleton wearing a pendant could rewrite Anglo Saxon history – but researchers say that the “exquisite” gold piece is doing...
Some Saxon Queens had killer reputations. (Public Domain);Deriv.

Killer Queen: Meet Queen Elfrida – The Original Wicked Stepmother

History has seen some incredible, cut-throat politics and lurid scandals, including the reign of Queen Elgiva: a teenage Saxon princess who was caught enjoying a threesome (along with her mother!),...
Wassailing revelers at night – CC BY-SA 2.0

From Saxon Sirens to Sacred Orchards: The Modern Traditions and Pagan Origins of Wassailing

Every January, in parts of rural England, people still gather to celebrate Wassailing, a tradition with distinctly Pagan origins intended to bless the coming year’s apple crops and protect orchards...
Some Saxon Queens had killer reputations. (Public Domain);Deriv.

The Wicked Queen and Her Scandalous Daughter: How Murder & Mayhem Took a Saxon Princess from Palace to Poverty

While we might be gripped by the intrigues, the machinations, and the violence of the Lannisters and the Starks in the Game of Thrones television series and the Song of Ice and Fire series of novels...

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