Worshiping and Living in Anglo-Saxon England

Summary of Video: Work and Faith

• Classes– Bretwalda: Unofficial “Britain Ruler”– Kings: Royal halls cf. Yeavering– Thegns– Ceorls – Free farmers– Slaves – War and lack of economic support

• Faith – Trickle down from king– Mixture of Christian and pagan practices and

symbols

Fleming, M. P. and R. C. Clarke 1998. Physical evidence for the antiquity of Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae). Journal of the International Hemp Association 5(2): 80-92

Anglo-Scandinavian stirrup10th centuryOrigins• Scythian hypothesis• Known in China 523 CE• Avars in Romania 556

CE• Franks 8th C.• Stirrup found in Vendel

III grave 7th-8th century• England - 10th C.

Scythian bracelet

Jennifer Paxton

Yeavering

• Site of late prehistoric hill-fort• Royal ‘Palace’

– Rectangular halls– Largest 300 m2

• Pagan temple• Auditorium

Yeavering layout

Yeavering: Great Hall - Palace

Yeavering

Yeavering – ‘Temple’

Bamburgh• Earliest burials – British style

(long cyst)• Later burials Christian wo grave

goods 560-730• One with knife born in Iona or

northern Ireland• Others from west

Northumberland, Cumbria or the Borders region

Anglo-Saxon Agriculture

• How did the Anglo-Saxons adapt Germanic subsistence practices to the new British environment?

• Did they introduce new breeds of animals and new animal husbandry or did they adopt local animal husbandry strategies?

Food – Animals at West Stow, Suffolk

Sickle

Plough- Ard or Light

Plough – Heavy plough

Lyminge, Kent7th C. (570-650)

Heights of English males

Studying the bones

• Osteoarthritis• Schmorl’s nodes• Low rates of tooth loss, caries• Dental attrition• One cemetery (Worthy Park) average #

children/woman 2.3• Age at death (7 cemeteries)

– Male 37.4 Female 35.2

Predominantly Males

Compassionate Care

Burwell, Cambridgeshire, 7th century

Anglo-Saxons and Leprosy

Pagan• Beckford – 6th C. - w. spear, bucket and knife• Burwell• Barrington, Cam. – 500-650 - high status womanChristian• Norwich, St John the Baptist – 10-11th C. -35 lepers,

isolated