Alfred the Great

Alfred the Great, the youngest son of King Ethelwulf, became King of Wessex from 871 to 899 AD. He was the only king to be given the epithet 'The Great' as he was famous for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings. Wessex was under constant attack from the Vikings, who were lead by Dane Guthorm. Alfred was able to defeat the Danes at the famous Battle of Eddington. He was also the first King of the West Saxons to call himself, King of the Anglo-Saxons.

Related articles

London in the Time of the Anglo-Saxons

 

by MalcolmJ

The Anglo-Saxons were the dominant force in post-Roman Britain, and they founded a new and thriving city on the Thames. Its prosperity made it an attractive target for Viking raiders however, wars with whom would shape London and Britain's history for centuries.

London’s First Suburb: Museum of London Archaeologist Bruce Watson on Anglo-Saxon and Saxo-Norman Southwark

 

by MalcolmJ

Southwark is often referred to as "London's first suburb." As Museum of London senior archaeologist Bruce Watson explains, in the Anglo-Saxon and Saxo-Norman periods, it was so much more than that - a thriving fortress settlement with unique freedoms and autonomy.

London Before Londinium: a Prehistory of the Thames

 

by MalcolmJ

The foundation of Roman Londinium in 47 AD is the starting point of the history of London as a city. But there’s lots of evidence to suggest that humans lived, farmed, fought, worshipped and died on the banks of the Thames for hundreds and even thousands of years before that.

Related artefacts

Kite Brooch, Fake Reliquary, Helmet from the ship-burial at Sutton Hoo, Mithras Bull Slaying Scene, Head of Serapis, Head of Minerva, Head of Mithras, Head from a statue of Amenhotep III, Granodiorite seated statue of Amenhotep III, Colossal limestone bust of Amenhotep III, Colossal granite head of Amenhotep III, Shrine stela of Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye, Limestone stela with a seated figure of Akhenaten, Fragmentary limestone face of Akhenaten, Grave of a Female Gladiator

Interesting Publications

The Oxford Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology

Oxford University Press (Sep 2010)

by Helena Hamerow, David A. Hinton, Sally Crawford