1600 years ago, the Romans left Britain. 'The End of Roman Lincolnshire' at the University of Lincoln (in conjunction with RESCUE - The British Archaeological Trust) is part of the AD 410 anniversary celebrations.
The programme:
Late Roman Settlements in Lincolnshire by Dr. Steve Malone
The rural economy by Mike Wood
Changing times at the Piddington Villa by Roy Friendship-Taylor
Late Roman hoarding in East Anglia by Jude Plouviez
The use of precious metals in Late Roman Lincolnshire by Adam Daubney
Late Roman pottery in Lincolnshire by Alex Beeby
Roman to Saxon in the Fens by Tom Lane
The Demise of Roman Lincoln by Dr. Mick Jones
Dark Age, Sub-Roman, Anglo-Saxon: What should we call Lincolnshire in the 5th and 6th Centuries? by Tom Green
Located in Colchester is the first English Augustinian priory church known as St Botolph's Priory. The church was founded in 1110 by the Anglo-Saxon community minister of Colchester. The former exterior plaster has weathered away, revealing the flints and reused Roman bricks of which the priory was constructed. However, the church remains an impressive example of early Norman architecture with circular pillars and large round arches. The church holds a large library and many miraculous relics dating back to the 11th century.
In 2008 an Anglo-Saxon cemetery was discovered which dates the Covent Garden district to atleast 100 years older than previously thought. From analyzing the skeletons and artefacts discovered in the ancient cemetery archaeologists now think that the formerly Anglo Saxon city of Lundenwic dates back to 550 AD or earlier. The graves are thought to be the burial places of middle to high class wealthy inhabitants of the ancient settlement, as the grave stones and objects which were left as offerings to the deceased were mostly valuable. The bodies found are thought to all belong to Anglo Saxons, descendants of three Germanic tribes who settled in south and east Britain during the 5th century AD.
Lundenwic was an early Anglo-Saxon settlement in the London area, strategically located on the River Thames. Its prime location attracted settlers, and from as early as the 5th century Anglo-Saxons began to inhabit the area. Thus the settlement became a village and trading centre, and Lundenwic in the early 8th century was described by the author and scholar Venerable Bede as 'a trading centre for many nations who visit it by land and sea'.
In 2004 this rich tomb of a Dark Age Anglo-Saxon king was discovered in Essex. The tomb that was unearthed intact is of an early 7th century Saxon monarch, and it is almost certainly the burial place of either Saeberht or Sigeberht, both kings of Dark Age Essex. The grave is decorated and designed to enable the king to live on in the next world, contaning many fine and expensive goods from his sword and shield to copper bowls, glass vessels and treasures that were imported. Due to soils acidic nature the king's skeleton has not survived. The royal tomb is one of the most important archaeological discoveries in Britain, dating from the same period as the great Sutton Hoo ship burial, found in Suffolk in 1939.
The Holy Trinity Church in Colchester is the oldest surviving church building in the city. Parts of the church tower are dated back to around 1050 during the Anglo-Saxon period, and it is believed that the site may have held an earlier church building. The building features triangle arches, basket windows and reused Roman bricks. The church was once used as Colchester's Social History Museum, however today the building is unconsecrated.
What was it like in early Anglo-Saxon times? At West Stow you can walk in the footsteps of our ancestors, explore their homes and see the evidence for yourself.
The site has been occupied by a succession of peoples since the end of the last ice age. The site was used by stone age hunter-gatherer groups six or seven thousand years ago. There are traces of Neolithic burial mounds, as well evidence of an Iron Age settlement which lasted to 60AD.
The reconstructed buildings have been produced through a technique called Experimental Archaeology, this is testing out different ideas about how things were done in that time, using the same tools and techniques availble to the Anglo-Saxon builders. Therefore every reconstruction is different as different techniques were tried out to find the most likely way the original buidings were constructed.
In the museum you will see fascinating displays of some of the objects found during the excavation of the village telling the fascinating story of this settlement and the people who lived here, plus see an exhibition of Replica Anglo-Saxon costume. Early Anglo-Saxon material from West Stow, Icklingham, Westgarth Gardens and Eriswell is displayed.
Submitted by E P Wohlfart on Wed, 02/24/2010 - 11:58
The streets of London are the stage of a daily war. It is the worst it has ever been, newspapers frequently report. The actors are young men with guns and knives. No two commentators seem in agreement as to the object; it might be about drugs, it may be about territory, or it may be about repute. One thing is for certain: it is part of the city now. Gang warfare has created an informal geography of the city. Hackney streets are known colloquially as Murder Mile.
What the newspapers fail to mention is that London has never been a safe place to live. The city has since its earliest history seen violent clashes between opposing groups.
The history of Southwark is just as integral to the story of Britain’s great capital on the River Thames as that of the City of London itself. There was major settlement there in the Roman era, based around the endpoint of Roman London Bridge. After a long phase of abandonment following Roman withdrawal from Britain in 410, Southwark was re-established during the Anglo-Saxon period, circa 886, and became what many people often refer to as “London’s first suburb.”
Highlighted Quote:
“Imagine you were an estate agent – 'cor blimey mate, riverside moorings, bridge crossing, ten minutes walk from the city – they’re all going to be coming in!'”
During the Roman times the city of Canterbury in England was surrounded by city walls. Traces of the wall still remain in selected areas. The walls are mentioned in several Anglo-Saxon documents, dating back to 1011 when the Danes succeeded in breaking into the city, slaughtering the inhabitants, and tossing them over the walls. The walls were frequently rebuilt and reconstructed but never had to withstand any other real siege after the events of 1011. The length of the wall was 1.5 miles and was strengthened by 21 watch towers, most of which have survived.
