SCI Mosaic discovery sheds fresh light on England’s early medieval history (Dark Ages)

[Melodi]

I am posting this both because it is historically interesting, but also because it shows that it is possible to maintain "pockets" of civilization (in this case Roman Civilization) for even a couple of centuries after the "center no longer holds." I thought this was an important and interesting bit of information for a "prepper site" and that it also shows that the "city-state" model may be another way to plan, not just "da little house in da big woods." A city-state run along with whatever "modern" lines one is familiar with, would also be a foundation point and trading centers for a lot of homesteaders, I suspect these people still had a small "standing army" or military built on Roman military foundations, though much smaller. This article doesn't mention it, but this is also one of the periods suggested for a historical Arthur and his buddies.

Those story cycles suggested quite a number of independent and thriving kingdoms during the early "dark ages" and it looks like historical that was probably true. The re-dating of a lot of British sites with the understanding that Roman Culture may have lasted a lot longer than centralized Roman rule from Rome is really thought-provoking. It shows it is possible for determined citizens to "keep of the standards" and even international trade after their main empire collapses. - Melodi

Mosaic discovery sheds fresh light on England’s early medieval history

New discovery suggests pockets of Roman civilisation survived even after collapse of Imperial Roman authority in Britain

www.independent.co.uk

NewsScienceArchaeology
Mosaic discovery sheds fresh light on England’s early medieval history
New discovery suggests pockets of Roman civilisation survived even after collapse of Imperial Roman authority in Britain

David Keys@davidmkeys
13 hours ago

National Trust archaeologists & volunteers digging in the northern wing of the villa
(NT Stephen Haywood)

A remarkable archaeological discovery in southwest England is helping to rewrite the country's early medieval history.
A recently discovered Roman-style mosaic is providing extraordinary new evidence that Roman civilisation didn't universally collapse after Imperial Roman authority came to an end in Britain.

Scientists have dated the mosaic – found in Gloucestershire in 2017 - to the mid or later fifth century, a generation or more after Britain ceased to be part of the Roman Empire in 410 AD.
The dating of the mosaic – and other discoveries elsewhere in western England and Wales – suggests that pockets of Roman civilisation survived to varying degrees in several different parts of Britain, including Cornwall, Shropshire and Gloucestershire, where the mosaic was discovered.


ADVERTISING

It is the first time in Britain that archaeologists have been able to date a mosaic to the post-Roman period.
The discovery is additional evidence revealing that Britain's 'Dark Age' wasn't universally as dark as often portrayed.
Read more

• 
  Roman mosaic floor dating back to ‘3rd century AD’ unearthed in Italy

The newly dated 'Dark Age' mosaic was discovered in one of Britain's most beautifully located and famous Roman villas - Chedworth in Gloucestershire.
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The new fifth century dating strongly suggests that several other mosaics at Chedworth and elsewhere in Gloucestershire don't date from the period of Roman rule in Britain, but from after it collapsed.
What's more, the new research at that villa and elsewhere suggests that the Gloucestershire area may well have been a well-run Roman-style mini-state, whose inhabitants continued to enjoy a Roman lifestyle long after the empire's legions had left Britain.




Other evidence from Chedworth reveals that it may have been a particularly important villa – potentially of substantial political significance.
Not only have archaeologists found the post-Roman mosaic at Chedworth – but they have also found evidence of ceramics and posh marble imported from the eastern Mediterranean

At the very least, it suggests that Chedworth's Roman and post-Roman owners were of very high status.

A complete view of the remains of the mosaic
(National Trust-Mike Calnan)
It is likely that the villa was owned by an important late Roman family who may well have stayed in Britain after the collapse of imperial authority.
In Gloucestershire and many other areas, local Roman-style government continued after Imperial rule of Britain as a whole had come to an end – and it is likely that the family which owned Chedworth would have been represented in the Gloucestershire area's local administrative council. Indeed, Chedworth was the nearest large villa to the important roman city of Cirencester where that council (the local 'curia') would have held its meetings.
A rare find at the villa, an inscribed silver spoon, actually reveals the name of it's probable late Roman owner, a man called Censorinus - and his descendants may well have continued to run Chedworth well after the Roman legions had departed.
Certainly in the fifth century, the villa's owner was importing very posh tableware from North Africa and in the fifth or sixth century was importing wine from Palestine.
Along with the post Roman mosaic, that strongly suggests that the family who lived there in the so-called Dark Ages were culturally Roman and of great wealth and importance.
At some stage between 410 AD and 577 AD, the Gloucestershire area changed from being a Roman-style 'county' to being an independent kingdom.
That is known because the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 577 A.D. reveals that, prior to that date, there had been a small British (rather than Anglo-Saxon) kingdom in the Cirencester area.

A group of volunteers uncovering the mosaic
(National Trust-Barry Batchelor)
In Roman times, Cirencester had been both a provincial capital and the seat of the local 'county' (i.e. sub provincial) administration. Ever since Iron Age times, the area had been home to a tribe called the Dobunni - and it is therefore conceivable that that was the name of the Cirencester-centred mini-kingdom alluded to in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
What's more, a huge complex of high status buildings was built in Cirencester in the late Roman period and refurbished and embellished, potentially in the post-Roman era – perhaps some time in the first half of the fifth century (the same period that saw at least one building remodelled, complete with mosaics, at Chedworth).
Nobody yet knows why that Cirencester complex was built and enlarged – but it is conceivable that it somehow came to be associated with the emergence of the area's post-Roman independent Dark Age mini-state.
So far, Chedworth's mosaic is the only one to have been scientifically dated to the 5th century (by radiocarbon-dating the building it was made for).
But other Roman-style mosaics in and around Gloucestershire are now likely to be reassessed to see whether they are in fact 'Dark Age', rather than conventionally Roman.
The newly-dated Chedworth mosaic was 7.6 metres square – and consisted of 350,000 red, blue, white and brown tesserae, arranged in geometric and floral patterns.
Intriguingly, recent research suggests that the Cirencester area was home to one of Dark Age Britain's most famous people – a sixth century historian called Gildas (one of Britain's earliest known authors).
Read more

• 
  Archaeologists find rare Roman mosaic in Berkshire

He was almost certainly from a wealthy background – but whether he had any links to Chedworth is as yet unknown.
The investigations into the villa have been directed by National Trust archaeologist, Martin Papworth.
“This 5th century date was so different from what is generally thought that, after discussions with the National Trust’s expert advisors, a second radiocarbon date was needed alongside pottery analysis before I could be sure,” said Dr Papworth.
“I am still reeling from the shock of this dating," said a leading Roman mosaic specialist, Dr Stephen Cosh,
One of Britain's top experts on fifth and sixth century archaeology, Professor Ken Dark of the University of Reading, author of Britain and the End of the Roman Empire, told The Independent that "the implications of the mosaic's date are substantial".
"It demonstrates the survival of Roman culture in a key area of Britain long after Roman Imperial rule had ended", he said.
Chedworth Roman villa is owned by the National Trust and will be open to the public from 13 February.

 

[northern watch]

End.of.Roman.rule.in.Britain.383.410.jpg (2582×3220) (wikimedia.org)

 

[The Mountain]

C.f. today's wealthy elite buying large estates well away from the current centers of power. The owner of this large compound may well have been an incognito Senator or other Roman high-society personality using their wealth to flee beyond the boundaries of the imploding empire (and possible retribution from Roman-era Deplorables bent on revenge for the elites' destruction of their society).

 

[northern watch]

Gloucestershire is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn, and the entire Forest of Dean.

The county town is the city of Gloucester, and other principal towns include Cheltenham, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cirencester, Dursley, Cinderford, and Lydney.

Gloucestershire - Wikipedia

 

[seraphima]

A very good point. It has been suggested to me that one of the main criteria for a small area or island to remain resiliently productive and somewhat technologically advanced is that it have a complete off-grid electric generating capacity. Food security in terms of producing much of its' own food supply is the second.

 

[WalknTrot]

Yup. I believe some of these families didn't need the Roman Army or official backing from Rome to hold their lands and power after The Fall. Even looking back into parts of my really old family line and the remnants of Roman connections in England/Wales, sooo many of the Roman elites had married into families of the indigenous leadership, that they were part of the local "landscape" and had plenty of influence/support on their own.

At least a couple of generations worth down the road sure doesn't surprise me. Back then, power and pedigree married power and pedigree - to keep it "in the family" and/or to make alliances. Funny, but I don't even see a break in that general class rule (geneologically speaking) until people hit the shores of the Americas.

 

[northern watch]

I am posting this both because it is historically interesting, but also because it shows that it is possible to maintain "pockets" of civilization (in this case Roman Civilization) for even a couple of centuries after the "center no longer holds." I thought this was an important and interesting bit of information for a "prepper site" and that it also shows that the "city-state" model may be another way to plan, not just "da little house in da big woods." A city-state run along with whatever "modern" lines one is familiar with, would also be a foundation point and trading centers for a lot of homesteaders, I suspect these people still had a small "standing army" or military built on Roman military foundations, though much smaller. This article doesn't mention it, but this is also one of the periods suggested for a historical Arthur and his buddies.

Those story cycles suggested quite a number of independent and thriving kingdoms during the early "dark ages" and it looks like historical that was probably true. The re-dating of a lot of British sites with the understanding that Roman Culture may have lasted a lot longer than centralized Roman rule from Rome is really thought-provoking. It shows it is possible for determined citizens to "keep of the standards" and even international trade after their main empire collapses. - Melodi

Mosaic discovery sheds fresh light on England’s early medieval history

New discovery suggests pockets of Roman civilisation survived even after collapse of Imperial Roman authority in Britain

www.independent.co.uk

NewsScienceArchaeology
Mosaic discovery sheds fresh light on England’s early medieval history
New discovery suggests pockets of Roman civilisation survived even after collapse of Imperial Roman authority in Britain

David Keys@davidmkeys
13 hours ago

National Trust archaeologists & volunteers digging in the northern wing of the villa
(NT Stephen Haywood)

A remarkable archaeological discovery in southwest England is helping to rewrite the country's early medieval history.
A recently discovered Roman-style mosaic is providing extraordinary new evidence that Roman civilisation didn't universally collapse after Imperial Roman authority came to an end in Britain.

Scientists have dated the mosaic – found in Gloucestershire in 2017 - to the mid or later fifth century, a generation or more after Britain ceased to be part of the Roman Empire in 410 AD.
The dating of the mosaic – and other discoveries elsewhere in western England and Wales – suggests that pockets of Roman civilisation survived to varying degrees in several different parts of Britain, including Cornwall, Shropshire and Gloucestershire, where the mosaic was discovered.


ADVERTISING

It is the first time in Britain that archaeologists have been able to date a mosaic to the post-Roman period.
The discovery is additional evidence revealing that Britain's 'Dark Age' wasn't universally as dark as often portrayed.
Read more

• 
  Roman mosaic floor dating back to ‘3rd century AD’ unearthed in Italy

The newly dated 'Dark Age' mosaic was discovered in one of Britain's most beautifully located and famous Roman villas - Chedworth in Gloucestershire.
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The Independent would like to keep you informed about offers, events and updates by email, please tick the box if you would like to be contacted
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The new fifth century dating strongly suggests that several other mosaics at Chedworth and elsewhere in Gloucestershire don't date from the period of Roman rule in Britain, but from after it collapsed.
What's more, the new research at that villa and elsewhere suggests that the Gloucestershire area may well have been a well-run Roman-style mini-state, whose inhabitants continued to enjoy a Roman lifestyle long after the empire's legions had left Britain.




Other evidence from Chedworth reveals that it may have been a particularly important villa – potentially of substantial political significance.
Not only have archaeologists found the post-Roman mosaic at Chedworth – but they have also found evidence of ceramics and posh marble imported from the eastern Mediterranean

At the very least, it suggests that Chedworth's Roman and post-Roman owners were of very high status.

A complete view of the remains of the mosaic
(National Trust-Mike Calnan)
It is likely that the villa was owned by an important late Roman family who may well have stayed in Britain after the collapse of imperial authority.
In Gloucestershire and many other areas, local Roman-style government continued after Imperial rule of Britain as a whole had come to an end – and it is likely that the family which owned Chedworth would have been represented in the Gloucestershire area's local administrative council. Indeed, Chedworth was the nearest large villa to the important roman city of Cirencester where that council (the local 'curia') would have held its meetings.
A rare find at the villa, an inscribed silver spoon, actually reveals the name of it's probable late Roman owner, a man called Censorinus - and his descendants may well have continued to run Chedworth well after the Roman legions had departed.
Certainly in the fifth century, the villa's owner was importing very posh tableware from North Africa and in the fifth or sixth century was importing wine from Palestine.
Along with the post Roman mosaic, that strongly suggests that the family who lived there in the so-called Dark Ages were culturally Roman and of great wealth and importance.
At some stage between 410 AD and 577 AD, the Gloucestershire area changed from being a Roman-style 'county' to being an independent kingdom.
That is known because the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle entry for 577 A.D. reveals that, prior to that date, there had been a small British (rather than Anglo-Saxon) kingdom in the Cirencester area.

A group of volunteers uncovering the mosaic
(National Trust-Barry Batchelor)
In Roman times, Cirencester had been both a provincial capital and the seat of the local 'county' (i.e. sub provincial) administration. Ever since Iron Age times, the area had been home to a tribe called the Dobunni - and it is therefore conceivable that that was the name of the Cirencester-centred mini-kingdom alluded to in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.
What's more, a huge complex of high status buildings was built in Cirencester in the late Roman period and refurbished and embellished, potentially in the post-Roman era – perhaps some time in the first half of the fifth century (the same period that saw at least one building remodelled, complete with mosaics, at Chedworth).
Nobody yet knows why that Cirencester complex was built and enlarged – but it is conceivable that it somehow came to be associated with the emergence of the area's post-Roman independent Dark Age mini-state.
So far, Chedworth's mosaic is the only one to have been scientifically dated to the 5th century (by radiocarbon-dating the building it was made for).
But other Roman-style mosaics in and around Gloucestershire are now likely to be reassessed to see whether they are in fact 'Dark Age', rather than conventionally Roman.
The newly-dated Chedworth mosaic was 7.6 metres square – and consisted of 350,000 red, blue, white and brown tesserae, arranged in geometric and floral patterns.
Intriguingly, recent research suggests that the Cirencester area was home to one of Dark Age Britain's most famous people – a sixth century historian called Gildas (one of Britain's earliest known authors).
Read more

• 
  Archaeologists find rare Roman mosaic in Berkshire

He was almost certainly from a wealthy background – but whether he had any links to Chedworth is as yet unknown.
The investigations into the villa have been directed by National Trust archaeologist, Martin Papworth.
“This 5th century date was so different from what is generally thought that, after discussions with the National Trust’s expert advisors, a second radiocarbon date was needed alongside pottery analysis before I could be sure,” said Dr Papworth.
“I am still reeling from the shock of this dating," said a leading Roman mosaic specialist, Dr Stephen Cosh,
One of Britain's top experts on fifth and sixth century archaeology, Professor Ken Dark of the University of Reading, author of Britain and the End of the Roman Empire, told The Independent that "the implications of the mosaic's date are substantial".
"It demonstrates the survival of Roman culture in a key area of Britain long after Roman Imperial rule had ended", he said.
Chedworth Roman villa is owned by the National Trust and will be open to the public from 13 February.

Thank you Melodi, for posting this article

 

[Melodi]

I had a long talk with Nightwolf on this, this is his period of study though mostly in Scandinavia, he pointed out how Scandinavian archeology which is much better funded than that of anywhere in the British Isles found tons of evidence that supported their story-cycles.

Beowulf is also from this same time period and for generations, it was the traditional dating for the time of "Arthur" or at least the story cycles of that period, regardless of the arguments over the actual existence of a war leader by that name.

They don't mention it in the article (for good political reasons by politics I mean those of archeologists and historians) but this places the potential for "Arthur" and all those petty kingdoms mentioned in those stories to have existed independent of Rome but living more or less like Romans almost up into the Anglo-Saxons finally "win" or at least marry in and take over with a blended culture by the 7th century or so.

The current "political line" spouting by Academics for the last 40 years is not only was "Arthur" probably just a bunch of stories but that if he or anyone like him existed it had to be around 410 AD because we "knew" that later all was just sort of chaos and darkness.

Also that it simply "wasn't possible" for organized local kingdoms or city-states based on a Roman Model to have continued during this period.

That's now all been shown to be as wrong as the "Clovis Only" theory in the Americas which destroyed the careers of young archeologists for about 3 generations until it was absolutely proved that there were people in both North and South America before 11,000 years ago. Now of course, they are finding older sites all over the place since it is now "legal" to excavate the sites and publish the evidence without ending up in a job at Mcdonald's Hamburgers and losing tenure.

The total silence on this topic (the time period and dating of anything potentially related to "Camelot" including all those small Kingdoms and lesser Kings mentioned in the story cycles) speaks volumes about this "problem."

Like the finds in Scandinavia proving that many of the heroes and Kings in Beowulf were real and historical people, although the stories about dragons may be a bit exaggerated, was a shock to archeology at the time; but it wasn't as controversial as finding that even if Arthur himself is a composite of four of five people; he or people like him could have existed - so could have all the wars and infighting between actual Kingdom/City-States vs the Saxons and others.

The knowledge of building wasn't lost and I know from other recent articles neither was AGRICULTURE, very recent studies have shown that England et al did NOT simply return to one vast forest, local areas were often just as heavily plowed and tended as they were under Roman rule.

Sorry if this is too much information but I've studied this period off and on throughout my life (though I'm not a scholar of the period) and I am just amazed and delighted with all of this that is coming out both as a history buff and because it suggests that civilization CAN be maintained at least up to a point if you have the resources and the will to stay organized (and defended).

 

[WalknTrot]

Yup. Being able to finally, accurately date these finds is world-shattering.

 

[Cardinal]

I'm not sure if you posted this info Melodi, or I got it from a YT vid, but evidently Roman -Celtic civ lasted until that time in the 500s when either an asteroid hit or a major volcano blew.
The ensuing volcanic winter caused plague to break out in Africa.
Rome imported that plague and then exported it to Western Britain.
It so decimated the Roman Celts that the Angles and Saxons were able to overcome them and lay the foundation for modern day England.
Fascinating stuff. But yeah, After the Romans withdrew from Britain, the romanized Celts continued to trade with Rome.
The Angles and saxons however, traded with their own homelands, thus avoiding the black plague.

 

[summerthyme]

Jack Whyte's Skystone series of books covers this quite beautifully.

Summerthyme

 

[Ogre]

Fascinating, Melodi. Thanks for posting the article and your comments.

 

[Grouchy Granny]

Jack Whyte's Skystone series of books covers this quite beautifully.

Summerthyme

Nice to see his books aren't just a work of "fiction". Now there's fact to support his books. Time to re-read the series!

 

[Melodi]

Jack Whyte's Skystone series of books covers this quite beautifully.

Summerthyme

I was thinking of those, also Nightwolf pointed out, "Mary Stewart and others who had novels set in a post-Roman but still Romano-Celtic civilization called it right."

As for the whole volcano thing, it really isn't that cut and dried (though for a short time it was thought to be) the massive eruption in the middle of the 500s, may actually have been two eruptions.

It did disrupt weather patterns and it became so cold in the UK and Ireland that in Northern Ireland people who had been practicing agriculture for generations were forced back into being hunters and gatherers for a couple of decades at least.

Also, we now know that the "Plague of Justinian" spread throughout Europe and was in fact a visitation of the Black Death, it just wasn't known to be Yersinia Pestis until very recently because the symptoms (well recorded in the Eastern Empire) were not the same as the Plague in the 14th century - but the DNA from plague pits in both the 6th and the 14th-century show it was the same bacteria causing both.

It has also only recently been understood that it wasn't just the Eastern Empire (now Turkey and Greece) that was affected but that as in the 14th century, probably at least 1/3 to 1/2 of Western Europe died as well.

So those things did happen, however, there is no evidence that all agriculture ceased (or if it did it was only disrupted for a year or three); the weather did get a lot colder, life spans got shorter (party from breathing wood fires and being stuck indoors) sea levels got higher (no one knows why) and people in the far North started "migrating" South as their lands washed away and their crops couldn't be grown.

People further South were forced out as new people came in and that's why historians call it The Migration Age and not the Dark Ages.

What the archeology in the UK is starting to show is that things were not that "cut and dried" in the British Isles, that pockets of "civilized" life seem to have continued there, especially in the Southern areas, and even stayed culturally and politically Roman; even without Rome sending legions and tax collectors to keep it going.

Crops and focus may have changed a bit, but agriculture did not cease (Northern Ireland is very far North, like Scotland, and remember even in the Arthurian Cycles Lot of Orkney is from a dark, cold place that probably did have to rely more on hunting and fishing than people further South did).

A lot of this information is very new, some are controversial because it either upsets applecarts or because the technology is still being sorted. During "lock-down" thousands of people looking at new "Lidar" scans and found thousands of potential sites to excavate while other people found everything from hordes of gold coins to pottery shards in their back yards using things like metal detectors or digging up a new victory garden plot.

So I expect to see a lot of these stories over the next couple of years, some of them painting a fuller picture of this era and others just causing more confusion than ever (which happens every time one theory dies and another takes its place).

But over-all, while it is totally possible that the horrific weather and disease did change the course of history; it did not utterly destroy Roman Britain either.

Nightwolf is even starting to speculate (and remember he can read Anglo-Saxon as well as Old Norse) that in some cases while there were obvious conflicts between "Romanized Celts and Saxons" (or Roman Britians) "once the incoming Ango-Saxons start to settle down and convert to Christianity, they start to intermarry and it may be more a case of the two cultures combining to form a new one than a simply 'the Saxon's conquered and won the day, destroying the earlier culture.'"

 

[teneo]

Thank you Melodi. Fascinating information and please convey my thanks to Nightwolf as well.

 

[Trivium Pursuit]

I was thinking of those, also Nightwolf pointed out, "Mary Stewart and others who had novels set in a post-Roman but still Romano-Celtic civilization called it right."

As for the whole volcano thing, it really isn't that cut and dried (though for a short time it was thought to be) the massive eruption in the middle of the 500s, may actually have been two eruptions.

It did disrupt weather patterns and it became so cold in the UK and Ireland that in Northern Ireland people who had been practicing agriculture for generations were forced back into being hunters and gatherers for a couple of decades at least.

Also, we now know that the "Plague of Justinian" spread throughout Europe and was in fact a visitation of the Black Death, it just wasn't known to be Yersinia Pestis until very recently because the symptoms (well recorded in the Eastern Empire) were not the same as the Plague in the 14th century - but the DNA from plague pits in both the 6th and the 14th-century show it was the same bacteria causing both.

It has also only recently been understood that it wasn't just the Eastern Empire (now Turkey and Greece) that was affected but that as in the 14th century, probably at least 1/3 to 1/2 of Western Europe died as well.

So those things did happen, however, there is no evidence that all agriculture ceased (or if it did it was only disrupted for a year or three); the weather did get a lot colder, life spans got shorter (party from breathing wood fires and being stuck indoors) sea levels got higher (no one knows why) and people in the far North started "migrating" South as their lands washed away and their crops couldn't be grown.

People further South were forced out as new people came in and that's why historians call it The Migration Age and not the Dark Ages.

What the archeology in the UK is starting to show is that things were not that "cut and dried" in the British Isles, that pockets of "civilized" life seem to have continued there, especially in the Southern areas, and even stayed culturally and politically Roman; even without Rome sending legions and tax collectors to keep it going.

Crops and focus may have changed a bit, but agriculture did not cease (Northern Ireland is very far North, like Scotland, and remember even in the Arthurian Cycles Lot of Orkney is from a dark, cold place that probably did have to rely more on hunting and fishing than people further South did).

A lot of this information is very new, some are controversial because it either upsets applecarts or because the technology is still being sorted. During "lock-down" thousands of people looking at new "Lidar" scans and found thousands of potential sites to excavate while other people found everything from hordes of gold coins to pottery shards in their back yards using things like metal detectors or digging up a new victory garden plot.

So I expect to see a lot of these stories over the next couple of years, some of them painting a fuller picture of this era and others just causing more confusion than ever (which happens every time one theory dies and another takes its place).

But over-all, while it is totally possible that the horrific weather and disease did change the course of history; it did not utterly destroy Roman Britain either.

Nightwolf is even starting to speculate (and remember he can read Anglo-Saxon as well as Old Norse) that in some cases while there were obvious conflicts between "Romanized Celts and Saxons" (or Roman Britians) "once the incoming Ango-Saxons start to settle down and convert to Christianity, they start to intermarry and it may be more a case of the two cultures combining to form a new one than a simply 'the Saxon's conquered and won the day, destroying the earlier culture.'"

Very cool, thanks Melodi. I saw the thumbnail for a video on Youtube not long ago whose title was something like "The year 537 A.D. was the worst ever"... likelyi referrring to the volcanic-induced weather changes and Justinian Plague.

 

[Dozdoats]

Happy to see that I did not have to be the first to encourage reading Jack Whyte's Skystone series of historical novels. Time well spent in reading them from an educational/prep
perspective, AND enjoyable to boot ...

And 536 seems not to have been a very good year - there are a number of articles and videos about it on the web.

Sixth-Century Misery Tied to Not One, But Two, Volcanic Eruptions | Science | Smithsonian Magazine

 

[northern watch]

RT Less than 5 min
Archaeologists discover amazing mosaics from the Dark Ages

Archaeologists discover amazing mosaics from the Dark Ages Life in the Dark Ages in Britain is generally viewed as an unpleasant era, as it was full of turmoil and conflicts with the departure of the Roman rulers, which led to economic difficulties and cultural stagnation. But the startling new discovery in a villa at the famous Roman archaeological site, Chidworth, in the Cotswolds, indicates that at least some people have managed to preserve a rich and sophisticated lifestyle.

And archaeologists of the National Trust have established that the mosaics in the Villa of Gloucestershire may have been placed in the mid-fifth century, years after it was believed that the houses were abandoned and rendered in ruins. The mosaics, found in a summer dining room, are not quite as impressive as those in villas dating back to Roman times, but the residents seem to have been sticking to a very decent standard of living.

Martin Papworth, an archaeologist for the National Trust, said the discovery was very exciting. He added, "The fifth century is the time that marks the beginning of the sub-Roman era, which is often called the Dark Ages, and a time from which few documents and rare archaeological evidence have survived." Roman rule ended in Britain around 410 AD.

"It was generally believed that most of the population converted to subsistence agriculture (which is self-sufficient agriculture), and after the separation from Rome, Britain's administrative system split into a series of local fiefdoms," Papworth said. "What is very exciting about the dating of this mosaic in Chidworth is that it is evidence of a further gradual decline. The creation of a new room and the laying of a new ground indicates wealth, and the continuation of the mosaic making 50 years later than previously expected," Papworth continued.

The mosaic of the 5th century is intricate, and its outer borders are a series of circles filled with flowers and alternating knots. They are of a lower quality than the 4th century ones found in Chidworth Villas and other similar ones. There are several errors indicating the craftsmen's lack of skill, but they are nonetheless attractive grounds. There is no information about the identities of the people who lived in the villa at that time, and Papworth explained: "They could be high-profile personalities, people with money and influence, and friends of those in high positions." He indicated that the region was not severely affected by the hostile raids that were taking place in the north and east.

"It is interesting to speculate why the Chidworth villa owners lived in this fashion until the fifth century. It seems that in the West, the Roman way of life continued for some time," he said. The mosaics could be dated thanks to carbon traces found in a trench dug to build a wall to create the room in which the mosaic was found. Carbon dating strongly indicates that the wall was built between AD 424 and 544.

The mosaics were placed in the newly created room after the wall was built. It will be important to look for more sites in the area to see if we can demonstrate similar renovation in other villas that continued to house residents in the fifth century, said Stephen Couch, who has written about the Roman mosaics known in Britain. But there is no doubt that this discovery is of immense significance, it is very exciting. " Source: The Guardian

 

[northern watch]

RT Less than 5 min

Archaeologists ‘still reeling from shock’ after Cotswolds Dark Age mosaic discovery

 

[Kathy in FL]

C.f. today's wealthy elite buying large estates well away from the current centers of power. The owner of this large compound may well have been an incognito Senator or other Roman high-society personality using their wealth to flee beyond the boundaries of the imploding empire (and possible retribution from Roman-era Deplorables bent on revenge for the elites' destruction of their society).

Sounds kinda like what the Nazi elites did when they picked up and moved to places like Argentina. A little modern archaeology shows several compounds that were used by the Nazis well into the 1960s and possibly 70s.

 

[Cardinal]

Nightwolf is even starting to speculate (and remember he can read Anglo-Saxon as well as Old Norse) that in some cases while there were obvious conflicts between "Romanized Celts and Saxons" (or Roman Britians) "once the incoming Ango-Saxons start to settle down and convert to Christianity, they start to intermarry and it may be more a case of the two cultures combining to form a new one than a simply 'the Saxon's conquered and won the day, destroying the earlier culture.'"

That was the theory of a book I read postulating that Arthur did indeed exist, and the real reason he is so famous to this day is that he stopped the Saxon incursions long enough for those "barbarians" to become Christians.
Intermarriage did indeed occur, leading to modern day England.

 

[ShadowMan]

I've always thought that depicting our ancestors as ignorant blithering idiots was foolish and wrong. Just as stupid is depicting ancient indigenous "Indians" as primitives lacking of society and culture. We really know SO LITTLE of these past times and yet consider ourselves superior just because we have advanced technology, electricity and paved roads, etc., etc.

I spent sometime as a "Mountain Man" reenactor and I can assure you that those native cultures were very wise and resourceful in their own way. They KNEW the land and all that was upon it and made great use of the resources they had available. I've often wondered just how well folks in the modern world today would fair if we suddenly lost our precious electricity??? The learning curve would be brutal and deadly.

We may have gained technology but we've lost tons of basic knowledge and skills that really are necessary for survival on this planet.....when the technology fails. It seems totally obvious to me that when such an event as Rome fading out of existance that there would be pockets of "Civilization" that would linger on for years, decades, even generations until slowly over time becoming on their own something new and different.

 

[northern watch]

RT 47:45

Britain AD ~ The Invasion That Never Was ~ Francis Pryor

Finding new and previously unexplained evidence Francis Pryor overturns the idea that Britain was crushed under Roman rule, then reverted to a state of anarchy and disorder after the Romans left in 410 AD. Instead of doom and gloom Francis discovers a continuous culture that assimilated influences from as far a field as the Middle East and Constantinople.

Francis is confronted by evidence that confounds traditional views of Britain as a powerless bunch or warring barbarian tribes. Nor was there the invasion of bloodthirsty Anglo Saxons, rampaging across the countryside, which our school books have always depicted. With new archaeological evidence Francis discovers a far more interesting and complex story, one that puts the continuing energy of the Ancient Britons at the core. According to conventional wisdom, native British culture was suppressed by 400 years of Roman rule, and the withdrawal of the mighty imperial army in 410 AD threw the country into a state of primitive barbarism, which only came to an end with the invasion of the more advanced Anglo Saxons. With detailed archaeology, cutting-edge academic research and his own brand of iconoclasm, writer and broadcaster, and presenter of Britain AD, Francis Pryor argues that we've got this version of British history wrong.

Francis shows how archaeologists are beginning to reveal that the early history of Britain was in fact a vibrant period in which the population thrived from a series of foreign influences from as far afield as the Middle East and Constantinople without losing its own cultural identity. In the second episode of this series, Francis Pryor sheds light on the so-called 'Dark Ages'. He shows that far from a 'Dark Age', archaeologists have discovered evidence of a resurgence of native culture. The classic image of the Romans departing and 'turning out the lights' is shown to be completely false. Francis finds a world inhabited by Christianised, literate Britons engaging in trade and diplomacy with the Byzantine Empire. So far reaching are the implications of these discoveries that the 'dark age' period in Britain has been renamed Late Antiquity.«

 

[Melodi]

RT 47:45

Britain AD ~ The Invasion That Never Was ~ Francis Pryor

Finding new and previously unexplained evidence Francis Pryor overturns the idea that Britain was crushed under Roman rule, then reverted to a state of anarchy and disorder after the Romans left in 410 AD. Instead of doom and gloom Francis discovers a continuous culture that assimilated influences from as far a field as the Middle East and Constantinople.

Francis is confronted by evidence that confounds traditional views of Britain as a powerless bunch or warring barbarian tribes. Nor was there the invasion of bloodthirsty Anglo Saxons, rampaging across the countryside, which our school books have always depicted. With new archaeological evidence Francis discovers a far more interesting and complex story, one that puts the continuing energy of the Ancient Britons at the core. According to conventional wisdom, native British culture was suppressed by 400 years of Roman rule, and the withdrawal of the mighty imperial army in 410 AD threw the country into a state of primitive barbarism, which only came to an end with the invasion of the more advanced Anglo Saxons. With detailed archaeology, cutting-edge academic research and his own brand of iconoclasm, writer and broadcaster, and presenter of Britain AD, Francis Pryor argues that we've got this version of British history wrong.

Francis shows how archaeologists are beginning to reveal that the early history of Britain was in fact a vibrant period in which the population thrived from a series of foreign influences from as far afield as the Middle East and Constantinople without losing its own cultural identity. In the second episode of this series, Francis Pryor sheds light on the so-called 'Dark Ages'. He shows that far from a 'Dark Age', archaeologists have discovered evidence of a resurgence of native culture. The classic image of the Romans departing and 'turning out the lights' is shown to be completely false. Francis finds a world inhabited by Christianised, literate Britons engaging in trade and diplomacy with the Byzantine Empire. So far reaching are the implications of these discoveries that the 'dark age' period in Britain has been renamed Late Antiquity.«

Thanks for posting this, I stumbled on this documentary a couple of months ago by accident; it is one of the places that got me thinking about this, especially the continuation of trade and agriculture.

 

[Cardinal]

Thanks for posting this, I stumbled on this documentary a couple of months ago by accident; it is one of the places that got me thinking about this, especially the continuation of trade and agriculture.

Yeah, there are a couple of really good ones on YT. Fascinating stuff and history is being rewritten almost daily.

 

[Hi-D]

Some of you might find this of interest. Do your own due diligence.

England, the Remnant of Judah and the Israel of Ephraim: The Two Families ... - Frederick Robert Augustus Glover - Google Books

 

[Orion Commander]

This is all quite interesting. All the history I was taught seems to be not quite totally correct.

It's hard not to snark. If today's ignoramus thinking is to be applied people in this time would have only needed to mask up to survive.

Global climate change has occurred before so why are certain moderns running around like their hair is on fire?

Scripture says there is nothing new under the sun.

How do we educate modern chicken littles the climate changes many times.

 

[northern watch]

Britain c. AD 425
Political Divisions
EBK presents a map of Britain as it may have appeared around AD 425. This was around the time that Vortigern is said to have emerged from the Gloucester area as the chief political power in the country [Pink}. The Saxons and Irish were already settling in coastal areas. Little is known of the Northern Pictish regions [Purple], but presumably the tribal divisions of previous ages survived into the 5th century.



EBK: Map of Britain in AD 425 (earlybritishkingdoms.com)

 

[northern watch]

Britain c. AD 450
Political Divisions
EBK presents a map of Britain as it may have appeared around AD 450. Vortigern's homeland has been divided amongst his sons, although he is still overlord [Pink]. A similar situation occurs in South Wales, but in Dyfed & Brycheiniog the heiresses marry Irish princes [Light Red]. In contrast, King Cunedda and his sons have arrived in North Wales and expelled the Irish. Gwynedd has many sub-kingdoms not shown [Dark Red]. Dumnonia is also divided between heirs, and possibly expands into Durotrigia [Yellow]. The Saxons are invited into Britain as mercenary allies. They appear to setlle around the Upper Thames. Later influxes establish themselves in Kent, Lincolnshire and Norfolk [Green]. Little is known of the Northern Pictish regions [Purple], but presumably the tribal divisions of previous ages survived into the 5th century.



EBK: Map of Britain in AD 450 (earlybritishkingdoms.com)

 

[Deena in GA]

How exciting it must have been to make this discovery!!! And so much beauty left of the tiles! This whole thread is fascinating!

 

[northern watch]

HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY of the
EARLY BRITISH KINGDOMS
PART 1: AD 410-495​

410 - Emperor Honorius of Rome tells Britain to attend to its own affairs. Zosmius reports Roman officials expelled and native government establishes "independence".

c.410 - Governor Owain Finddu of Glywysing is assassinated in Gwynedd. Irish incursions into Gwynedd, Powys, Garth Madrun, Dyfed & the Gower Peninsula.

411 - Capture, at Arles, of Constatine, last Emperor of Britain. He is executed at Ravenna soon afterward.

413 - The spread of the Pelagian heresy is said to have begun, by Prosper (Tiro) of Aquitaine in his "Chronicle".

418 - The Pelagian heresy is outlawed in Rome.

c.419 - Decurian Tewdrig of Garth Madrun's daughter and heiress, Princess Marchell, marries an aristocratic Irish settler in Wales, Prince Anlach.

420 - In Britain, the Pelagian heresy supposedly enjoys much support from pro-Celtic faction. Pro-Roman Traditionalists support the Roman Church. During this time, according to Prosper, Britain is ruled by petty "tyrants".

c.420 - Death of Coel Hen, probably the last Roman Dux Brittanniarum. The lands of his office in Northern Britain are divided between his descendants and become petty kingdoms of the "Gwyr y Gogledd".

421 - Supposed death of King Gradlon Mawr of Brittany. Probable division of Brittany into sub-kingdoms of Cornouaille and Domnonée.

c.423 - Birth of St. Patrick in Banna Venta Burniae, thought to be near Birdoswald.

425 - Vortigern usurps Imperial power in Britain, possibly as High-King.

c.425 - Cunedda Wledig and his retinue are moved south from Manau Gododdin to Gwynedd in order to expel the invading Irish.

c.425-50 - King Conomor flourishes in Dumnonia, probably from his capital at Castle Dore.

428 - Vortigern invites a number of Germanic warriors to aid him in consolidating his position in Britain. This appears to have been an early use of German mercenaries, who probably settled in the Dorchester-upon-Thames area.

429 - At the request of Palladius, a British deacon, Pope Celestine I dispatches Bishops Germanus of Auxerre and Lupus of Troyes to Britain to combat the Pelagian heresy. While in Britain, Germanus, a former military man, leads the Britons in their 'Hallelujah' victory at Maes Garmon, near Mold on the Welsh border. St. Cadfan founds the Monastery of Barsdey.

c.430 - Death of Tewdrig of Garth Madrun. His British kingdom is taken over by the Irish aristocracy when his son-in-law, Prince Anlach, inherits.

c.434 - St. Patrick is captured by pirates and taken to Ireland as a slave.

435 - Tibatto leads an Armorican movement for independence from Roman Gaul.

c.435 - War breaks out between the Irish settlers in Garth Madrun and Powys. King Anlach of Garth Madrun is defeated and forced to send his son, Brychan, as a hostage to the Powysian Court.

437 - Ambrosius Aurelianus appears as the leader of the Pro-Roman faction in Britain (traditionally returning from exile in Brittany). Vortigern's apparent relative, Guidolin (Vitalinus), fights against Ambrosius at the Battle of Wallop. The latter is probably victorious and is "given all the kingdoms of the western side of Britain".

c.437 - Triffyn Farfog, the Irish chieftain and resident of West Wales, marries, Princess Gwledyr, heiress of the Kingdom of Dyfed.

c.440 - St. Patrick escapes from his captors and returns to Britain.

440 - The Gallic Chronicle records, rather prematurely, that "Britain, abandoned by the Romans, passed into the power of the Saxons." This is probably inspired by Vortigern authorizings the use of Saxon mercenaries, known as foederati, in Britain. They defend the northern parts against barbarian attack and guard against further Irish incursions. The Saxons are given a little land in Lincolnshire.

c.440-50 - King Glywys of Glywysing flourishes in Glywysing.

c.440-90 - King Brychan flourishes in Brycheiniog. His three wives give birth to many saintly children who evangelize Dumnonia.

443 - Death of King Constantine Corneu of Dumnonia. His kingdom is divided between his two sons as Dumnonia and Cerniw.

c.445-50 - A period of Civil War and famine in Britain, caused by the ruling council's weakness and inability to deal with Pictish invasions. The situation is aggravated by tensions between the Pelagian and Roman factions. Semi-desertion of many towns. Migration of pro-Roman citizens toward the West. The country begins to be become divided, geographically, along factional lines.

446 - The Britons (probably the pro-Roman party) appeal to Aetius, the Gaulish Consul, for military assistance in their struggle against the Picts and the Irish. Aetius has his hands full with Attila the Hun and is unable to send any help.

447 - Second visit of St. Germanus (this time accompanied by Severus, Bishop of Trier) to Britain. His visit may have been spiritually motivated to combat a revived Pelagian threat; or possibly he was sent in Aetius' stead, to do whatever he could to help the desperate Britons. Vortigern is accused of incest. Germanus expells the Irish from Powys and restores Cadeyrn's son, Cadell Ddernllwg, to the throne.

c.447 - The Britons, aroused to heroic effort, "inflicted a massacre" on their enemies, the Picts and Irish, and are left in peace for a brief time. Possibly led by St. Germanus.

c.448 - Civil war and plague ravage Britain.

c.451 - During the consulship of Marcian and Valentinian (450-7), Hengest arrives on the shores of Britain with '3 keels' of warriors, and are welcomed by Vortigern. This event later becomes known as the Adventus Saxonum - "the coming of the Saxons".

c.452 - There is increasing Saxon settlement in Britain. Vortigern marries Hengest's daughter, Rowenna, and supposedly offers the Jutish leader the kingdom of Kent. Hengest invites his son, Octha, from Germany with "16 keels" of warriors, who occupy the northern lands, to defend against the Picts. Pictish invasions cease soon afterward.

c.453 - Raids on British towns and cities becoming more frequent. Increasing Saxon unrest.

455 - Prince Vortimer apparently rebels against the pro-Saxon policies of his father, Vortigern, and fights Hengest at the Battle of Derguentid (Crayford). Hengest is victorious and the British army flees back to London.

c.455 - Death of King Clotri of Dyfed. His kingdom is inherited by his son-in-law, Prince Triffyn Farfog, and taken over by his Irish aristocratic relatives.

456 - The indecisve Battle of Rithergabail (Aylesford) in which the rebellious sons of Vortigern, Vortimer and Cadeyrn, defeat Hengest for the first time. Cadeyrn is killed in the fighting.

c.456 - St. Patrick leaves Britain once more to evangelise Ireland. The Saxons call the British nobles to a peace conference at Stonehenge, then turn on them and massacre almost everyone. This is the original 'Night of the Long Knives'.

c.458 - The Saxon uprising is in full-swing. Hengest finally conquers Kent.

c.458-60 - Full-scale migration of British aristocrats and city-dwellers across the English Channel to Armorica, in north-western Gaul. The British contingent may have been led by one Riothamus.

c.459 - Vortigern is burnt to death while being besieged by Ambrosius Aurelianus at Ganarew.

c.460 - Death of King Vortimer Fendigaid of Gwerthefyriwg. He is succeeded by his son-in-law, Ynyr, a minor prince of the House of Dyfed. He changes the Kingdom's name to Gwent, after its capital city of Caer-Gwent (Caerwent).

c.460-70 - Ambrosius Aurelianus, from the pro-Roman faction, takes full control of Britain, leading the Britons in years of back-and-forth fighting with Saxons. The British strategy seems to have been to allow Saxon landings and to then contain them there.

464 - Supposed death of the legendary King Aldrien of Brittany.

465 - Battle of Lapis Tituli (Richborough alias Wippedsfleet), in which the Britons defeat the Saxons, but with great slaughter on both sides. The latter are confined to the Isle of Thanet and there is a respite from fighting "for a long time."

c.465 - High-King Arthur probably born around this time. Birth of St. Dyfrig also.

c.466-73 - A period of minimal Saxon activity. Re-fortification of ancient hillforts and construction of the Wansdyke possibly take place during this time.

c.469 - The Roman Emperor, Anthemius, appeals to the Britons for military help against the Visigoths. Reliable accounts, by Sidonius Apolonaris and Jordanes, name the leader of the 12,000 man Breton force as Riothamus. The bulk of the British force is wiped out in battle against Euric, the Visigothic King, and the survivors, including Riothamus, vanish and are never heard from again.

c.471 - The army of King Ceretic of Strathclyde raids the Irish Coast and carries off some of St. Patrick's new flock and sells them into slavery. The King receives a written reprimand from the Irish Evangelist.

473 - The men of Kent, under Hengest, move westward, driving the Britons back before them "as one flees fire."

c.475 - Death of King Gwrast Ledlwm of Rheged. His kingdom is divided between his sons: Meirchion Gul retains the central Rheged homeland and Masgwid Gloff becomes King of Elmet. The death of King Mor of Greater Ebrauc occurs around the same time. He is succeeded by his son, Arthwys, who probably takes the opportunity to seize the Peak District from Elmet.

477 - The Saxon chieftain, Aelle, lands on the Sussex coast with his sons. The Britons engage him upon landing but his superior force besieges them at Caer-Anderida (Pevensey) and drives them into the Weald.

477-486 - Saxon coastal holdings are gradually expanded in Sussex.

c.480 - Traditional ascendancy of Arthur to the High-Kingship of Britain. King Erbin of Dumnonia abdicates in favour of his son, King Gerren Llygesoc. Death of King Glywys of Glywysing. His kingdom is divided into Gwynllwg, Penychen, Gorfynedd, Edeligion and others.

c.485 - Birth of St. Samson.

c.485-96 - Period of King Arthur's "twelve battles" during which he gains a reputation for invincibility.

486 - Aelle and his sons overreach their normal territory and are engaged by the Britons at battle of Mercredesburne. The Battle is bloody, but indecisive, and ends with both sides pledging friendship.

c.487 - Birth of St. David.

c.490 - Hengest dies. His son, Aesc, takes over and rules for 34 years. Death of Einion Yrth of Gwynedd. His kingdom is divided into Gwynedd and Rhos. St. Cybi Felyn is born in Callington in Cerniw. Death of King Cinuit of Strathclyde. The major portion of his kingdom is inherited by his eldest son, Dumnagual Hen. Galwyddel & Ynys Manaw, however, become independent under the rule of his younger son, Tutgual.

493 - Death of St. Patrick, in Glastonbury according to local legend. Down Patrick seems more likely.

c.495 - The Germanic King Cerdic and his son, Cynric, land somewhere on the south coast, probably near the Hampshire-Dorset border. Their followers establish the beginnings of the Kingdom of Wessex. King Gwynllyw of Gwynllwg carries off Princess Gwladys of Brycheiniog. War between the two kingdoms is narrowly avoided by the intercession of the legendary King Arthur. The couple marry.

EBK: Historical Chronology of the Early British Kingdoms AD 410-495

 

[northern watch]

HISTORICAL CHRONOLOGY of the
EARLY BRITISH KINGDOMS
PART 2: AD 496-599​

c.496 - The Siege of Mount Badon. The Britons, under the command of the "war leader" Arthur, defeat the Saxons, under King Esla of Bernicia and probably Cerdic of Wessex. Probable expulsion of King Mark of Cerniw. He flees to his Principality of Poher in Brittany. King Gerren Llyngesoc of Dumnonia give Cerniw to his younger brother, Salom.

c.496-537 - Following the victory at Mount Badon, the Saxon advance is halted with the invaders returning to their own enclaves. A generation of peace ensues. Corrupt leadership, more civil turmoil, public forgetfulness and individual apathy further erode Romano-British culture over the next fifty years, making Britain ripe for the final Saxon "picking."

497 - Birth of St. Cadog. Death of former King Erbin of Dumnonia.

c.500-17 - King Cadwallon Lawhir expels the Irish from Anglesey.

c.500 - Death of King Arthwys of Ebrauc. His kingdom is divided amongst his sons: Eliffer takes Ebrauc and Pabo takes the Pennines. The others may have held smaller areas.

c.505 - Death of St. Paulinus of Wales.

c.507 - A pestilence strikes Cerniw and its Royal family flee the ensuing famine. King Fracan settles in Ploufragan in Brittany and does not return. Birth of his son, St. Winwaloe. Cerniw probably falls back under the control of Dumnonia.

508 - King Cerdic of Wessex begins to move inland and defeats British king, Nudd-Lludd (Natanleod), at the Battle of Netley.

c.510 - The Battle of Llongborth (possibly Langport or Portsmouth), where King Gerren Llyngesoc of Dumnonia, was killed. Prince Riwal of Brittany murders his brother, King Meliau, and usurps the Breton throne. Many of the Breton Royal family flee to Britain, including Prince Budic who seeks refuge at the court of King Aircol Lawhir in Dyfed.

517 - Death of King Cadwallon Lawhir of Gwynedd. His son, Maelgwn takes the throne, murders his uncle, probably King Owain Danwyn of Rhos, and re-unites the two kingdoms.

517-49 - King Maelgwn flourishes in Gwynedd. Invades Dyfed and generally tries to assert himself as High-King of Britain.

519 - The Kingdom of the Wessex is founded with Cerdic, a leader probably of mixed Saxo-Celtic birth.

c.520 - King Pabo Post Prydain of the Pennines abdicates his throne in order to retire to a hermitage on Ynys Mon (Anglesey). He divides his kingdom between his two sons: Dunaut Bwr and Sawyl Penuchel. The former founds Dunoting in the North while the latter holds the Peak District in the South. Their cousin, Cynwyd, is probably forced to seek land elsewhere and establishes his own Kingdom of Cynwydion, around the Chiltern Hills. Death of King Riwal Mawr Marchou of Domnonée. King Budic II of Brittany returns to Cornouaille to claim the Breton throne.

521 - St. Samson is consecrated a bishop by St. Dyfrig, Archbishop of Glywysing & Gwent.

523 - Death of King Gwynllyw of Gwynllwg. Gwnllywg and Penychen are united under his son, St. Cadog

c.525 -St. Samson founds the Monastery of Dol and becomes its first Abbot.

c.528 - King & Saint Cadog of Glywysing abdicates in favour of King Meurig of Gwent, who is joined in marriage to Cadog's aunt. Banishment of Princess Thaney of Gododdin. Birth of her son, St. Kentigern.

530 - Saint Pabo Post Prydain, former King of the Pennines dies at Llanbabo. The British of the Isle of Wight are defeated by King Cerdic of Wessex at the Battle of Carisbrooke.

c.530 - St. Ninian founds the cathedral at Whithorn. He is opposed by King Tutgual Tutclyd of Strathclyde.

c.535 - Kings Sawyl Penuchel of the Southern Pennines is expelled from his kingdom (enemy uncertain) and flees to Powys. The Saxons of Mercia probably move into the area. Death of King Meirchion Gul of Rheged. The kingdom is divided into North and South. Death of St. Illtud, Abbot of Llanilltud Fawr.

537 - Battle of Camlann (according to the Annales Cambriae which may record the event up to twenty years late), fought between the forces of Arthur and the rebellious Medrod. Death od both. Saint and King Constantine, ruling in Dumnonia, takes on the High-Kingship.

c.538 - King Cynlas Goch of Rhos abandons his wife in favour of his sister-in-law, a nun who he drags from her convent. Civil War between Cynlas and his cousin, King Maelgwn of Gwynedd. Maelgwn enters a monastery, but soon returns to secular life and murders his nephew in order to marry his widow! Civil War also in Powys due to the tyranny of King Cyngen Glodrydd.

540 - King Jonas of Domnonée is murdered by King Cono-Mark of Cerniw and Poher. Cono-Mark marries Jonas' widow and rules Domnonée.

c.540 - Probable writing of Gildas' "De Excidio Britanniae." King Caradog Freichfras of Gwent gives Caerwent to St. Tathyw and moves the Royal court to Portskewett. Death of King Cedic of Strathclyde. His kingdom is divided between at least two of his sons: Tutgual Tutclyd retains central Strathclyde, while Senyllt receives the area around Selkirk.

545 - Death of the joint-Kings Budic II and his son Hoel I Mawr of Brittany. King Tewdwr Mawr succeeds to the throne, but is quickly ousted from Cornouaille by King Macliau of the Vannetais. Tewdwr flees to Cerniw and sets himself up as King of the Penwith region.

c.545 - The Synod of Brefi is held at Llandewi Brefi to condemn the Pelagian heresy. St. Dyfrig, Archbishop of South Wales resigns his position in favour of St. David. David moves the Archdiocese from Caerleon to St. Davids. Death of St. Dyfrig. He is succeeded as Bishop of Glywysing & Gwent by St. Teilo. Death of King Cynwyd of Cynwydion. He is succeeded by his son, Cadrod, who renames the Kingdom Calchfynedd after its chalk hills. Prince Judwal of Domnonée flees from his murderous step-father to the court of King Childebert of the Franks.

546 - St. Cadog returns to Brittany.

547 - The King of Bryneich is expelled from his fortress of Bamburgh by King Ida of Bernicia. Apparent death of the, probably joint-king, Hoel II Fychan of Brittany.

c.548 - King Cono-Mark of Cerniw, Poher and Domnonée marries Princess Triphine of Broërec.

549 - A 'Yellow' Plague hits the British territories, causing many deaths, including King Maelgwn of Gwynedd. Ireland is also affected. The Saxons in the south and east seem to be unaffected by it.

c.550 - Death of St. Ninian, Bishop of Whithorn. King Senyllt of Galwyddel is expelled from the mainland portion of his kingdom by the forces of King Tutgual Tutclyd of Strathclyde. He flees with his family to Ynys Manaw. In the confusion, Prince Gwenddoleu of Ebrauc seizes the area around Caer-Wenddoleu (Carwinley). A probable land shortage in Strathclyde forces Prince Clydno to invade Gododdin and take control of Din-Eidyn (Edinburgh). The Birth of St. Tremeur. Murder of his mother, Triphine, by his father, King Cono-Mark of Cerniw, Poher and Domnonée. Prince Judwal of Domnonée retakes his throne. Cono-Mark flees to Cornwall. The semi-legendary Kingdom of Lyonesse possibly inundated by the sea.

552 - King Cynric of Wessex lays siege to the British at Old Sarum and put them to flight.

c.553 - St. Kentigern Garthwys founds Glasgow Cathedral, adjoining a Christian cemetery established by St. Ninian at the request of the local monarch, possibly Prince Riderch Hael of Strathclyde.

c.554 - Death of King Tutgual Tutclyd of Strathclyde. The kingdom is probably divided between his sons, Morcant Mwynfawr & Riderch Hael.

555 - St. Cybi Felyn, Abbot of Holyhead, dies at his monastery. Murder of St. Tremeur. Death of his father, King Cono-Mark of Cerniw and Poher.

c.555 - Death of King Erb of Gwent. The kingdom is divided into Gwent and Ergyng. St. Kentigern Garthwys, Bishop of Glasgow, tours his diocese and is opposed by King Morcant Mwynfawr of Lesser Strathclyde.

556 - King Cynric of Wessex lays siege to the British at Barbury Castle and is victorious.

558 - Broërec is attacked by King Childebert of the Franks. King Canao II leads resistance.

c.560 - Prince Elidyr of Strathclyde invades Gwynedd in right of his wife. He tries to expel his brother-in-law, King Rhun Hir of Gwynedd, at the Battle of the Cadnant Brook, but is killed in the process. Due to heightened persecution by King Morcant Mwynfawr of Lesser Strathclyde, St. Kentigern Garthwys flees his Glasgow diocese for the safety of South Wales, before moving Northwards to Llanelwy (St. Asaphs).

564 - Death of St. Tugdual, Bishop of Tréguier.

c.564 - St. Cadog settles in Weedon in Calchfynedd and is made Bishop there. St. Samson attends the Council of Paris and witnesses several Royal decrees.

c.565 - King Riderch Hael of Strathclyde mounts an unsuccessful revenge attack on King Rhun Hir of Gwynedd. Rhun marches on Strathclyde and reinforces the armies of his half-brother, Brudei, in Pictland. Death of St. Samson. St. Gildas retuns to Ireland for a while and then retires to Llantokay (Street) in Glastening.

569 - St. David holds the Synod of Victoria to denounce the Pelagian heresy once more.

570 - Death of St. Gildas at Llantokay (Street). He is buried at Glastonbury Abbey.

c.570-75 - The Northern British Alliance is forged between the kingdoms of North Rheged, Strathclyde, Bryneich and Elmet. They fight the Northumbrians at the Battles of Gwen Ystrad and the Cells of Berwyn

571 - King Cuthwulf of Wessex invades Midland Britain and conquers the British, probably under King Cadrod of Calchfynedd, at the Battle of Bedford.

573 - Kings Peredur and Gwrgi of Ebrauc ally themselves with Kings Dunaut Bwr of the Northern Pennines and Riderch Hael of Strathclyde. They march north to claim the fort at Caer-Laverock from King Gwenddoleu of Caer-Wenddoleu. The latter was killed in the Battle of Arderydd (Arthuret) and his bard, Myrddin, is forced to flee into the Caledonian Forest.

574 - St. Kentigern Garthwys leaves his Northern Welsh diocese of Llanelwy (St. Asaphs) in the hands of St. Asaph and returns to Strathclyde to reclaim the Bishopric of Glasgow.

c.574 - After defeating King Gwenddoleu, the security of Strathclyde is at a low ebb. King Urien of North Rheged takes advantage of the situation and conquers Galwyddel.

575 - Prince Owein of North Rheged kills King Theodoric of Bernicia at the Battle of Leeming Lane.

577 - Wessex invades the lower Severn Valley. Kings Ffernfael of Caer-Baddan (Bath), Cyndyddan of Caer-Ceri (Cirencester) and Cynfael of Caer-Gloui (Gloucester) are killed at the Battle of Dyrham. Wessex overuns the Cirencester area. King Tewdwr Mawr of Brittany returns to Cornouaille, reclaims his throne and kills King Macliau of the Vannetais in battle.

580 - The army of Kings Peredur and Gwrgi of Ebrauc march north to fight the Anglians of Bernicia. Both are killed by King Adda's forces at Caer Greu. The Deirans rise up, under King Aelle, and move on the City of Ebrauc. King Peredur's son is forced to flee the Kingdom. St. Cadog is martyred in Calchfynedd by invading Mercians.

584 - Death of St. Deiniol Gwyn, Bishop of Bangor Fawr. The British are victorious over King Ceawlin of Wessex at the Battle of Fethanleigh and kill his brother, Cuthwine. Ceawlin ravages the surrounding countryside in revenge.

585 - Death of King Alain I of Brittany.

586 - Death of King Rhun Hir of Gwynedd. Death of King Judwal of Domnonée.

588 - King Edwin of Deira is ousted from his Kingdom by the Bernicians and seeks refuge at the court of King Iago of Gwynedd.

589 - Death of Saint and King Constantine of Dumnonia. Death of St. David, Archbishop of St. Davids.

590 - The Siege of Ynys Metcaut (Lindisfarne). The Northern British Alliance (North Rheged, Strathclyde, Bryneich and Elmet) lays siege to King Hussa of Bernicia and almost exterminates the Northumbrians from Northern Britain. King Urien of North Rheged is assassinated at the behest of his jealous ally King Morcant Bulc of Bryneich. The Northumbrians recover while internal squabbles tear the British Alliance apart.

c.591 - King Dunaut Bwr of the Northern Pennines mounts an invasion of North Rheged, but is repulsed by its King, Owein, and his brother, Prince Pasgen. Prince Elffin of North Rheged is simultaneously attacked by King Gwallawc Marchawc Trin of Elmet.

c.593 - King Morcant Bulc of Bryneich invades North Rheged and kills King Owein in battle. Prince Pasgen of North Rheged flees to the Gower Peninsula. A greatly diminished North Rheged probably continues under the rule of their brother, Rhun.

595 - The aging King Dunaut Bwr of the Northern Pennines dies fighting off a Bernician invasion. His kingdom is overrun and his family flee to join his grandson in Gwynedd.

598 - King Mynyddog Mwynfawr & Prince Cynan of Din-Eidyn ride south to fight Saxon Bernicia against enormous odds at the Battle of Catraeth (Catterick). The British are victorious, though King Gerren of Dumnonia is killed in the fighting. He is buried at Dingerein. Probable expansion of North & South Rheged to fill the vacuum left in North Yorkshire. Din-Eidyn (Edinburgh) possibly falls back under Gododdin control.

EBK: Historical Chronology of the Early British Kingdoms AD 496-599

 

[northern watch]

How exciting it must have been to make this discovery!!! And so much beauty left of the tiles! This whole thread is fascinating!

Yes

 

[northern watch]

Sub-Roman Britain is the period of late antiquity in Great Britain, covering the end of Roman rule in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, and its aftermath into the 6th century. The term "sub-Roman" was originally used to describe archaeological remains such as potsherds found in sites of the 5th and 6th centuries, and hinted at the decay of locally made wares from a previous higher standard that had existed under the Roman Empire. It is now more often used to denote this period of history instead. The term Post-Roman Britain is also used, mainly in non-archaeological contexts.

Kingdoms

Various British kingdoms existed at some point in the period. Some changed their names and some were absorbed by others. Not all of their names, especially in the southeast, are known, nor are the details of their political development; some authority structures left from the Roman period may have continued in charge of some areas for some time. At times some of the kingdoms were united by a ruler who was an overlord, while wars occurred between others. During the period the boundaries are likely to have changed. The major ones were:

• Bryneich – Northumberland; eventually taken by the Angles of Bernicia
• Dumnonia – south west England, Cornwall and much of Devon
• Lindinis - Somerset, Bristol, and parts of Devon, north Dorset, and western Wiltshire.
• Dyfed – south west Wales
• Ergyng – south west Herefordshire, northern Monmouthshire and the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
• Gwent, Brycheiniog and Glywysing – south Wales
• Powys – mid Wales
• Gwynedd – north Wales
• Elmet – south west Yorkshire
• Rheged – Cumbria and Lancashire
• Ebrauc – around York and northern Yorkshire
• Strathclyde – (c. 900 – c. 1100) in south west Scotland, Cumberland, Westmorland
• Gododdin – centred on Traprain Law in Lothian

Some areas fell under the domination of Anglian or Saxon chieftains, later kingdoms:

• Bernicia – the Anglian kingdom of Bernicia before joining with Deira to become Northumbria
• Deira – the Anglian kingdom of Deira before joining with Bernicia to become Northumbria (East Yorkshire)
• East Anglia – including Suffolk and Norfolk
• Kent
• Hwicce – most of Gloucestershire except the Forest of Dean and western Oxfordshire.
• Sussex - including the settlement of Haestingas, containing people of possibly Jutish origin.
• Essex – including Middlesex and Surrey
• Wessex – formed from areas in the upper Thames valley and later incorporating an area of Jutish settlement in the Meon Valley and around Southampton (including Isle of Wight)
• Mercia – centred on Repton
• Middle Anglia – east Midlands, later joined with Mercia
• Northumbria – formed from Bernicia and Deira
• Wihtwara

Sub-Roman Britain - Wikipedia

 

[northern watch]

Map of Early Independent Britain AD 400-425

Faced with an economic downturn in the second half of the fourth century and various barbarian raids and more serious incursions, Roman Britain exhibited a marked decline in fortunes. Various internal revolts meant that military units were greatly depleted, with two strong forces being taken onto the Continent never, it seems, to return in any great number.

Various client states were set up (or officially acknowledged) in the west and north. Renewed war flared up against the Picts of the far north, apparently lasting 'for many years'. Further Scotti (Irish) raids took place on the south coast of Britain in 404/405, just as a major force of imperial troops was being withdrawn. The British provinces were relatively isolated and lacking in support from Rome in their fight against barbarian incursions. In 409 the Britons expelled all Roman officials, breaking ties that were never renewed.

Following the break with Rome there came a period in which central administration apparently began to break down. And then Vortigern seemingly came to the fore, already powerful in the semi-independent Pagenses territories of the west...

All borders are conjectural, but rough territorial boundaries are known.

Map of Early Independent Britain (historyfiles.co.uk)

 

[northern watch]

Roman Empire 450 AD

The Roman Empire officially ended in 476 AD, Roman troops left Britain in 410 AD. The map above is the Roman Empire in 450 AD, 40 years after Roman troops left Britain. The coast of modern day France opposite Britain is still part of the Roman Empire. I think therefore it is not unreasonable to have pockets of Roman life remaining in Britain at least for 100 years or more after 410 AD.

shepherd-c-048.jpg (1538×965) (utexas.edu)

 

[Melodi]

Thanks for posting all that (the traditional history and dating based on Gildas and others) I think the main thing the Mosiac and other finds (some in other places in the UK) is showing is that Roman organization and skills didn't go away when the Central government did.

Instead, in some places, perhaps many places; the new "Kingdoms" and City-States not only really existed (they were not just myths or 5 acres with 6 cows on them - the minimum needed to be an Irish 'king'," but they were actually "real" kingdoms and independent urban centers.

Centers that still had the means and technology to teach, train and continue Roman technology for at least 150 to 200 years (2 or 3 long lifetimes) until things morph together with the Anglo-Saxons by both treaty and conquest to forge a new culture.

I mean we know that over time some skills are lost and then re-invented or morphed, which is obvious in both the artwork and the remains of buildings that have come down to us.

But I think the modern idea that there could be "no heroic" period during this time because it was a "dark, damp, degenerated, place to live" is going back into the dust bin of history where it belongs.

Instead, it looks like the "tales of the Round Table" while partly fiction did come out of a world of actually warring kingdoms, leftover Roman administrative centers (and probably military training).

A world where someone like Merlin COULD have gone to Constantinople to study medicine and diplomacy (one of many legends about him) or a warlord named Arthur could have become a Celtic style "High King" and build a totally new Capitol City (or refit an older one) with proper architecture and Roman designs.

Something that may have seemed like magic to their descendants three hundred or so years later when many of these skills really were lost or difficult to implement.

By the 1100s, we see the return of stone monumental building projects in Europe - the great Cathedrals and fortresses, but there seems to have been a re-learning curve while people figured out how to build them without the roofs falling, as shown brilliantly in the books and movies based on The Pillars of the Earth.

The information seems to start cycling back into Europe slowly during this period via the Crusades because the writings of the Axeandrian and other engineers still existed from ancient times, but they were mostly in Arabic translations in the Muslim world or some from the Eastern Roman Empire that now wrote (and translated) these materials into Greek.