Sub roman Britain revisited

[philjones62]

I have no idea how well this site is considered, though the author has been referred to before https://historyfirst.com/anglo-saxon-takeover-occurred-400-years-after-legions-left-scientist-says/?fbclid=IwAR0C8BX4fnkjk_A7X_sFujVI5XzkTCTtrH21DBE6HemPq1AbMrRCuEThfVM

[Imperial Dave]

Thanks Phil,

another interesting take on the story. Worth a squint although I will heavily refrain from critique based on a short overview by the reviewer....! 

[Imperial Dave]

also of note that our own President does the foreword in the book and the author has penned a couple of titles we may be familiar with.....

[Erpingham]

Presumably, the move away from using our limited contemporary resources and focussing on the science and the archaeology frees us of the need to have all the usual suspects - Arthur, Ambrosius, Vortigern etc .  Be interesting to see what the period specialists say.

[Anton]

Thanks Phil,

another interesting take on the story. Worth a squint although I will heavily refrain from critique based on a short overview by the reviewer....! 

Pretty much my thought too.  Thanks for bringing it to our attention Phil.

[Imperial Dave]

Presumably, the move away from using our limited contemporary resources and focussing on the science and the archaeology frees us of the need to have all the usual suspects - Arthur, Ambrosius, Vortigern etc .  Be interesting to see what the period specialists say.

It would be dangerous to completely ignore all of the written info pre the 8th C and rely solely on archaeology and DNA analysis, however meticulously analysed. It would be like historians 1500 years from now not having any written records and finding lots of bikes in old river courses and declaring that in the 20th C the main form of transport was the bike or worse still that they were votive offerings to river nymphs

I will obviously get this book and critique it properly though

[Erpingham]

It would be dangerous to completely ignore all of the written info pre the 8th C and rely solely on archaeology and DNA analysis, however meticulously analysed.

While I would agree with you, it is curious that the review makes no mention of the usual central figures, whereas a reviewer would normally leap on what the author has to say about Arthurian matters.  This may suggest a lack of emphasis on this area, again unusual.  I was reminded of the Scandinavian approach to their later Iron Age, where later stories are downplayed in favour of archaeology.  Anyway, the actual book may be a different kettle of fish and I look forward to what our members specialising in this area make of it. 

[Imperial Dave]

bought on kindle.....

[Anton]

Agreed Dave and Anthony. 

You can usually get an idea of where the author is coming from by reading the bibliography if the book has one.  Mind you that's far from fool proof.

Are you thinking of doing a review Dave?

[Imperial Dave]

yes will do a review Stephen....

I'll have a quick look at the biblio

[Imperial Dave]

a quick look shows no 'ancient texts' or the usual suspects in the biblio. Also the mentions of things like Vortigern (0), Arthur (4), Gildas (2), Nennius (0), Bede (1), ASC (1) in the whole book shows a dramatic departure from the norm.

Intrigued but not necessarily imbued with high hopes at this point....

[Anton]

Probably the right spirit Dave.  looking forward to seeing what you make of it.

While we are on the subject here is a thought.  The Irish learned classes expended a great deal of effort bringing the new kings within the remit of the law.  The new kings had risen on the loot of Britannia.  The effort more or less paid off.  Concurrently Christianity was on the rise to dominance.  Itself a British import.

I'm beginning to think the same process had already taken place in Britannia with the Church playing the role of the Irish learned classes.

[Imperial Dave]

I tend to agree Stephen. Early ascetic leanings gave way to a more prominent positions within society especially with the regard to the anointing of kings post 410AD and all that. Having said that, Britannia was more rooted in the duality of Christianity and secular authority imbued in the power structures before, during and after Roman control

[Nick Harbud]

It would be like historians 1500 years from now not having any written records and finding lots of bikes in old river courses and declaring that in the 20th C the main form of transport was the bike or worse still that they were votive offerings to river nymphs

One wonders what they would make of the prams they find in such places?  Child sacrifice? 

And as to all the shopping trollies...   

[Imperial Dave]

It would be like historians 1500 years from now not having any written records and finding lots of bikes in old river courses and declaring that in the 20th C the main form of transport was the bike or worse still that they were votive offerings to river nymphs

One wonders what they would make of the prams they find in such places?  Child sacrifice? 

And as to all the shopping trollies...   

chariots to the underworld