The kingdom of Northumbria
Northumbria emerged in the early seventh century as one of the three great Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, dominating northern England and southern Scotland, and maintaining its separate identity right up to the Norman Conquest. This volume examines the history and archaeology of Northumbria, tracing the roots of this distinctive northern community from its origins in Brigantia and the Roman province of Britannia Secunda. It tells the story of the region's development as a powerful English kingdom, whose Church gave rise to a golden age in Anglo-Saxon art, and emphasizes its role during the Viking Age as the stronghold of Scandinavian influence in Britain. Its subsequent history as an earldom of the new kingdom of England after 950 through to its independence in response to the brutal Norman campaign of 1069/70 concludes this comprehensive survey. In relating the political and military events of Northumbrian history the author also examines, where archaeological evidence allows, the effects these had upon the people of the region and the society in which they lived. With over 250 illustrations, many in colour, this book will appeal to all those intrigued by this fascinating and formative period of British history and to any resident or visitor to the area (stretching from the Mersey and Humber in the south to the Clyde and Forth in the north) keen to piece together the significance of the surviving fragments from the Anglo-Saxon period that still hint at what the area and its inhabitants were like over a thousand years ago
History
ix, 296 pages : illustrations
9780862997304, 0862997305
1013448194