Episode 122 - Early Medieval Britain: Illuminating the ‘Dark Ages’

This week we’re joined by senior properties historian Susan Greaney and Howard Williams, professor of archaeology at the University of Chester, to discuss the early medieval period of British history that followed the collapse of Roman state control of lowland Britain and ended with the Norman conquest of 1066. This was a time of migrations and far-reaching contacts, Christian conversion, kingdom formation and expansion, and Viking raids and settlement. But archaeological evidence tells us so much more about these fascinating centuries. Discover what happened after the Romans left Britain, who replaced them, why this period is often referred to as ‘The Dark Ages’ and why this problematic description is now being phased out. To learn more about life in early medieval England, go to https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/story-of-england/early-medieval/ To read Howard’s open-access publication Digging into the Dark Ages: Early Medieval Public Archaeologies, visit https://www.archaeopress.com/ArchaeopressShop/Public/displayProductDetail.asp?id=%7BDE9A5B19-7AAD-4FA7-A097-060E0525533D%7D