Why Britain's Dark Ages Remain Shrouded In Mystery | King Arthur's Britain | Timeline
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2024
- Francis Pryor examines the relics of the Dark Ages to build a fuller picture of this much-maligned era. Popular belief has always held that the departure of the Romans led to barbarism in Britain, but archaeological finds have shed light on a cultured, literate society that embraced the growing Romanised Christian religion and embarked on a profitable trading relationship with the Byzantine Empire.
Sheep-farming archaeologist, Francis Pryor, presents a brand new historical series which explores Britain A.D, the British national character and the ultimate British icon King Arthur.
Finding new and previously unexplained evidence, Francis Pryor overturns the idea that Britain 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. Through scrutinising the myth of King Arthur to find out what was really going on when the Romans left, Francis is confronted by evidence that confounds traditional views of the 'Dark Ages'. There was also no invasion of bloodthirsty Anglo Saxons, rampaging across the countryside. With new archaeological evidence Francis discovers a far more interesting story.
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@Toni San Clemente ]]p]]pp]]]))
@Toni San Clemente Please then, illuminate us to the truth.
Never put history in the same sentence with George Sorros's Netflix,
+
@@hoppermantis7615 time for you to put the tin foil hat back on
Such a joy to have Francis host this, memories of his enthusiasm as part of Time Team.
Yes, I agree, he is good. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
As enthusiastic as an old Brit can be I suppose.
I love these documentaries !! As an American, I learn so much of my Engish/ Welsh Ancestry !! And, I became a Time Team Addict a few years ago, too !!
No it wasn't a good documentary .....
I never thought that the Dark Ages were dark because nothing happened, but because we didn’t know what happened. Dark because we couldn’t see.
exactly, same reason we call dark matter and dark energy "dark". Little, if anything, is known about it, not because it was physically dark
Fantastic. Just what I needed to watch tonight. Although I feel there are some unanswered questions. Some of the questions are more obvious realities that are not really answered here, but there’s only so much time a quality production can dedicate to create a story worth following. Thanks a lot to everyone who made this. This is fabulous and worthy of more time spent throughout the whole of the isles on the same topic.
Such a magical production. Full of facts, yes, but also full of hope in the human imagination and spirit. Wow is all I can say. Thank you.
What a good watch! Thanks for this. I kept waiting for someone to suggest that perhaps Geoffery of Monmouth had access to something we don't, that the Arthurian legend possibly generated from TINtagel, where the tin came from that put Britain on the world map all the way back to 1100 BC and before. You need tin to make bronze. It was the oil of the ancient world.
This shows several aspects of Hagia Sophia: the worn threshold into the transept, several shots of the dome from the first floor, the bare marble floor scarred with artifacts, and the mosaic of Justinian who built it. None of them are visible now, thanks to the recent regression of the main basilica into a mosque. I find it ironic that women are not allowed near the area that was the altar, since Justinian built the temple with his beloved Empress Theodora. Thank the gods for the Internet, which preserves these images.
On my part, I beg your pardon for this transformation of the basilica into mosque. Unfortunately, these abdals do not repect anything worthwhile..
Did you know that the round table was designed by Sir Cumference?
;hmm;
So obvious, once you hear it!
LoL! This made my morning...
@@mooseontheloose-2531 ...and they ate Pi at the table....
:-D
43:10 - He says that Britons were the only people in Europe at the time that didn't speak a Romance language?! I think a great number of Germanic tribes and Gaelic speakers in Ireland might have something to say about that. Basques/Gascons too.
@Whatevers Clever Basque is an isolate. Gaulish was a Continental Celtic language. Of course, both Latin and Gaulish are Indo-European, so there are many cognate words. Latin would doubtless have influenced Gaulish over the years due to contact and invasion, much as English in modern times has had some influence on, say, Latin-American Spanish.
@Whatevers Clever Oh, I see, thanks. That's correct, English got its first big influx of Romance vocabulary in the aftermath of the Norman invasion. Interestingly, for as Latinate as the English church was during the Anglo-Saxon era (English monks being praised for the purity of their written Latin), Latin didn't make much of an impression on Old English.
@Michael Halligan Irish is in the Goidelic family of Celtic languages (like its Scottish variant), commonly referred to as Gaelic languages. And if Irish isn't Celtic, what on earth would be its family?
@Whatevers Clever Hey, sorry I haven't responded, been busy. Thanks for your kind words, and I'll reply at length later.
@Michael Halligan There is no 1:1 correspondence between ethnicity and language. The Irish language is firmly in the Goidelic branch of the Celtic family, as are Scottish Gaelic and Manx.
So glad to see this, thank you! Glad to see you again.
Incredible! I wasn't ready for this documentary to end!
Thank you for this incredibly insightful examination of the post-roman civilization in Britain and its roots of a golden age of intellectual activity and development during a period commonly referred to as the dark ages.
Thanks, I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
Oh wow.@34:10 ! An Aussie ! And one who is (very) well educated and well spoken, instead of some bogan in a tourist pub spouting nonsense. It’s silly I know but I feel quite proud lol.
While I’m here, though...this is a terrific production. Each third could stand alone,, but there’s more to be had by watching them all. This isn’t a typical American show where they ‘recap’ every seemingly every three minutes. Francis Pryor has a wonderful voice, his style is easy and natural, and his interviews show some media savvy, because he leaves his subjects to answer and expand on his questions. He’s good at feeding them the next point too. So neither presenter or expert get to pontificate, which is always a bonus!
The King Arthur connection is almost academic click bait but there’s just enough to be interesting, and it’s used as an introduction to a detailed history of the area.
Thank you so much for the upload, much appreciated. I’m off to look for more by this guy.
47:05 Best illustration of the Arthurian legend ever given! Beautifully put too.
Its almost like people believed that when Rome left people forgot they were house trained... "You people are completely uncivilized and rude.... We out!..." Everybody gathers at the center of town, "now what?"
"Let's take off all our clothes, sharpen sticks, and run around pooping and poking each other."
"Sounds legit..."
@Association of Free People ?
@Association of Free People It didn't happen overnight either, and the Romans didn't leave - it's the chief military figures and most of the troops that did: the idea that every Roman administrator and soldier left is completely unrealistic, but even if they did then they'd left the entire society behind their backs; the society kept moving on and likely their mentality hadn't changed a bit in that they continued to think of themselves as of being Romans. In fact, the main bulk of the Anglo-Saxon incursion occurred 100 years later and even then it doesn't mean there weren't isolated enclaves of the high culture and civilization or, for that matter, that we have complete knowledge of the relationship between civilized and uncivilized factions. Also, what we're used to seeing from the POV of the modern-day layman's knowledge as the classic invasion was quite different: it all began as a hired dogs tactics before the end of Roman Britain when the Anglo-Saxons were granted a lot and salary in exchange for protecting the shores from their wayward country-mates. Others arrived as traders. Any historic event isn't simple.
HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Sounds like San Francisco!!!
Humm? Sounds like San Francisco today!!
@Association of Free People If they didn't wear clothes, they would have gotten awfully cold in the Winter.
The BRITONS & GAELS (so people don't nitpick) travelled to Britain by sea, traded by sea during the bronze age, through the iron age and certainly during the Roman occupation... Why would they stop when the Romans left?
During the Bronze Age Britain would have been one of the richest countries around due to tins rarity and the vast deposits in Cornwall.
There are no celtic people. But there was a style of art which we now call celtic which spread across Europe among the various different peoples. Maybe via trade. The seas along the western edge of Europe from Iberia up to Northern Scotland was a highway.
@@helenamcginty4920 We are by and large 80% Celtic dna, the people were also called ancient Britons, Bretagne, and Basque, so the Celtic race existed and still exists to this day
@@kevinwilliams1602 that same DNA applies to the central eruopean La Tene culture - the greeks called them Keltoi but they were a culture, not a race and ecompassed many tribes - the Belgae for example are generally thought to be a germanic tribe but they loved in both western Gaul and eastern Britain
That is so logical, even the bubonic plague came to Britain through the trading routes entering from the celtic west country.
@@CarlinConnolly bet they did ;-)
Professor Ward Perkins, in his book 'The fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation' states that in 380 AD Britain was at a height of civilisation never seen before - Towns prospered, one could send a letter from York to Alexandria, villas prospered in the countryside, which was safe and free of banditry. Peasents and animals lived under tiled roofs, and ordinary people had access to quality, mass produced consumer items. By 430 AD all this had changed. All over the Western world buildings became smaller , made from perishable materials or reused stone and brick from demolished Roman buildings. Standing armies disbanded, and currencies went out of use. Huge tracts of farmland returned to forest, and roads fell into disuse. The term 'Dark Age' may be out of vogue at present, but there is no denying that after the Fall of the West there was a massive economic and population drop (concurrent to the political collapse of the central government) which did not level out until 800 AD. The economy and material culture of Western Europe did not return to 2nd century levels until the 14th century, and trans Mediterranean trade did not reach 2nd century levels until the early 18th century. This is a good documentary, but Francis Pryor is discussing Romano British culture persisting a few generations after the central collapse, and gradually changing into something new, merging with other trends, which is usually what happens when any central power suddenly collapses. And despite Gibbon, western Roman power collapse was sudden, i.e. a few decades from start to finish. In the time of Theodosius the Western Roman Empire was still a superpower, and 70 years later it had gone. A powerful warlord may well have built an impressive building in Wroxeter in the 6th century, but it was a building of wood and thatch, with an earthen floor. As was the very mediaeval looking hall at the Birdoswald fort. Moreover, the names of their builders didn't make it to the historical record. High quality pottery may still have been made in York, but the general picture in Britain (and Western Europe north of the Alps) was a return to non wheel - turned pottery, of poor quality. Trade with the Mediterranean world was indeed maintained at Tintagel and one or two other centres of power - but this has been a matter of record since Victorian times and does not indicate a widespread consumption of Mediterranean goods which existed a century before. Latin inscriptions, very common prior to 350 AD, lost their factual, archival nature and became mystical and church related. Also very rare. Mosaic production ended, stone buildings with tiled roofs did not reappear until 850, and bath houses became silted up and quarried for building stone. In the 530's an epidemic of the plague swept across the former western Roman Empire and its still existing eastern half, killing off an estimated 40 per cent of the population. This led to the final extinction of Roman material culture west of the Balkans, the rise of feudalism, and the conquest of all Roman provinces south of Anatolia by the Arabs. Interesting stuff may have happened between 410 and 600 which paved the way for stuff that came later, but I'm afraid the Dark ages were actually a 'thing'. czcams.com/video/iHduMbabjFM/video.html
Yep, and the conspicuous lack of any 'records' during that entire period ain't exactly a 'positive' sign either. BTW, by the time of the Middle Ages, an estimated over 80,000 'witches' had already been executed in Europe during these 'enlightened' years.
Along with the plague, was the blocking out of the Sun from the atmosphere filled with material from a major catastrophe. Most likely Krakatoa erupting. Cold, dark, dry, bleak, famine, etc. From about 535 AD to .... ??? .... 544 AD (I forget off hand). This no doubt caused the plague of which you speak (write in proper English there). But as for Tintagel, it was most likely lead by former Roman Officers, Generals, Officials who were able to be relatively safe there from the "barbarians" around London and elsewhere in Britain. Trade ships from the "East"/Byzantine could sail there, and thus bypass all the "barbarians" in Europe. So in effect, it may have been an easy trade route and task to undertake. Just sail around all the trouble areas.
@@mingonmongo1 Ouch!!
@@mingonmongo1 do you have any references to that estimate? I've read all such estimates are wildly exaggerated..
@@mingonmongo1 Witches, cathars, ... Why do yo think Roman Empire people did execute, kill, assassinate, ... nobody?
Thank you for this. Very enjoyable and informative. Bravo and keep it coming! Peace, Paul
Of course people still farmed and built buildings. They don't give the people much credit if they think 8 generations lived under Roman rule and didn't become a little "Romanized". They didn't revert to Cro magnon man huddled around fires.
In caves. But if they did not possess the skill nor desire to build out of stone and tiles, then they would have built out of wood, thatch, mud, and grass. If they lacked the blacksmith skills to make tools, then they are limited in what they could do. Take a large group of average people from any city, put them out in the wilderness, and tell them to build a nice large stone building, with windows, and steam heating under the floors, and hot and cold running water baths, and tiled roofs. How do you think they'd do?
If Britons south of the Hadrian Wall had been Romanized before 410 CE, the Welsh would today speak a Romance language. The fact that a Celtic language survived in Wales gives evidence that at least the population living in Wales was never Romanized. (The same in Cornwall until the 1700s.) Every time a Germanic tribe invaded the territory of the West Roman Empire after 400 CE, its members became linguistically Romanized because Latin had a higher social prestige than Germanic dialects being considered as barbarian. (E.g. the Franks and Normans in Gaul, the Visigoths in Spain, or the Langobards in Italy.) If Britons had been Romanized speaking (Vulgar-)Latin or a Romance idiom, the Anglo-Saxons would have taken it on, either. The English language wouldn't exist today.
you know, the men huddled around fires had things that we don't.
@@c.norbertneumann4986 and both the Welsh and Cornish societies were very sophisticated , wealthy and civilised.
Yes, "look, people still made pots" isn't exactly a convincing debunking of collapse in the context of a complete lack of coins...
i'm sure that in the countryside the farmers would probably not given a dam. They would continue doing what they did BEFORE Rome and continued after Rome.
Actually the farmers used dams for their water supplies the whole time.
I suspect that they would’ve cared considerably about protecting their farm, family and livestock in the absence of any authority maintaining law and order.
The big chance is who did they pay their taxes to.
@@unclepatrick2 the iron plough was brought to Ireland at this time and it probably was stolen from Britain 🐎🐷🐕along with any thing that u could get in a boat ie Saint Patrick.
Exactly, it's the land that dictates most precepts when it is not overridden by large controlling interests like cities and rulers and these seem to be places already adapted to protecting and caring after themselves. Consequently they probably point to less than accurate generalities about larger populations in cities. More like exceptions that prove the rule.
The idea that Romano-Celtic society lived on is not a new one. But I did enjoy all the sites visited and the clever language games towards the end, and the way it was read - almost makes me want to learn Latin.
Excellent! I've been waiting for Part 2. On to Part 3!
"From taxation to protection racket, is not that large a jump..." - Ace, love Francis and his bonkers mates... they cant help but drip truth into unwilling ears......
You can't have civilisation without tax.
Thanks, I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
#taxationistheft
Professor Pryor is always uncovering the truth.
Amazing and oh so fascinating. My admiration and gratitude goes to all involved.
In school we were taught that Britain was some far flung part of the empire that they found cold and inhospitable and didn't stay very long.
Later in life I learned that Britain was a major part of the empire rich in tin and other raw materials, an Emperor was born here & goods were traded all over from here.
To think that going from brick houses to wood houses is a progress of some kind sounds a bit delusional. I see where the Brexit delusion originated...
@@Unoduetrequattro340 Don't spin my innocent historical statement into a bigoted political statement.
Go and comment elsewhere.
@@Unoduetrequattro340 Also, go educate yourself on timber framing. Penguin do a rather good paperback on the subject. Timber framed buildings can be incredibly sophisticated and last for centuries.
To think that brick is automatically better than wood shows how ignorant you are.
Look up Little Moreton Hall if you don't believe me.
To even attempt to draw a comparison between Dark Age Britain and modern day political sensibilities shows an incredible lack of contextual awareness and general reasoning faculty.
@@andrews6653 I think I have every right to comment, and you have the right to reply, but I read and understand Latin and Greek, got a PhD and am neither stupid nor lacking contextual awareness. Your derogatory comments, both, only show your sensitivity on the subject. Enjoy your insularity, your pride, your uniqueness, and of course, your governments.
I've always seen it as "dark" as in no communication. Its not that nothing happened, it's that our written record disappeared
Well, the dark ages timeline does coincide with a world wide event in the 6th century that blocked out the sun for a long time..?? Perhaps it was really dark..??
what written records disappeared? like what period in the last 2000 years do we not know about?
@Michael The Dark ages, in this context, refer to the period between 410 and 590 AD. Islam started around 630 and it is utterly irrelevant in the context of this documentary and its time frame.
@Michael Yep, you are definitely wrong.
Britain was always a backwater, even when it was a Roman province. There is very little written about it from historians of the time, we don't even know the names of many of the roman governors from that period. There wasn't actually much of a written record to lose.
We will always “-get it wrong about the Dark Ages.” Why? “Because that’s history- not what happened, but what people believe MUST have happened.” - Alistair Cooke
rico567 By getting it wrong repeatedly we will ever increasingly get it more right. Because history is not just ‘what people think must have happened’. It’s the logical and irrefutable way the facts that we all agree on must of necessity tie together that we arrive at more closely every time.
Algemeen3 Vhm Ignoring entropy in your equation won’t make it go away. Layer after layer of opinion, no matter the stamp of authority or authenticity, still amounts to “-a fable agreed upon.”
rico567 Using fancy words while saying nothing doesn't prove anything. There is no truly pure science. There is no science devoid of interpretation whatsoever. And still it seems to work.
his story
history is written by the victors. It seems Tartary was written out as late as 1800's. Napoleon attacked Moscow, but Moscow was not the capital of Russia, but maybe Tartary capital.
Thomas Larsen No history is also written by the losers. History is the outcome of the discussion up till now.
The victors and the vanquished both contribute to that debate.
It may take some time before the vanquished are taken seriously in their contribution but eventually they always will.
Napoleon attacked Moskou. And so he did.
Whether it was the capital of Russia or not is irrelevant in that respect.
One of the best video out there on the Dark Ages in England.
Amazing all the past history thats being discovered worldwide. Very exciting!
I would like to learn more of the structure of government, military, life in general during the Roman occupation, and who would be considered "free" to stay in England when the Romans left. Would love to know if anyone that was supposed to return to Rome stayed, and if they were under threat for doing so! This is indeed a fascinating period of history!
Well no doubt many Romans stayed in Britain. All were not necessarily Roman either. The Romans had other ethnic groups in their ranks. Many had long retired, took local tribal wives, had half Roman kids. When the Romans left, they just stayed or fled to country. No penalty cuz Romans were leaving or left. I'm an American, in Boston, of English, Irish, Welsh, and a bit of Scottish and Dutch ancestry no doubt. Do I have any Roman ancestry? I don't know. Viking? I don't know, Vikings founded most Irish cities. Descendant from which local Tribes? I don't know. Anglo Saxon? Probably.
All Roman held areas became a smelting pots
Sometimes sliding the red time line along its length several time until the yellow advert dots disappear seems to work most of the time. Was able to eliminate 90% of the annoying commercials. Was trying to trick the video into thinking that I actually watched their annoying ads.
Just use Adblock
Just scroll video to end. Watch last few seconds. Then press the reload button.
Yukon Farnsworth Thank you. Will try anything to get rid of those annoying, interrupting ads.
I don't mind a couple of ads but this video came with ten
It might be a "Red herring" but check out the Eastburn Manor that still exists East of York. Our family lived there for many many generations. The town is named for it as it was the town or created it. It may be older than thought. Martin Eastburn
When the fellow extracted the name VIOLA, coded in the inscription, it was like I could feel that barrier of time parting, someone standing behind me, also watching the screen.
The Comet of 562 AD did a lot of damage, especially to Wales.
I thought it was a volcano.
@The Reverend Braindead Different time and place, irrelevant to this discussion.
@The Reverend Braindead no you don't. I thought it funny 😁
Fractured rocks everywhere around merthyr tydfil area on the hills very large too and large rocky areas that look like they've been fractured and debris thrown everywhere in huge pieces of rock looks like the kind of damage a comet explosion would do
@@craigmoyle2924 The Comet was so close it was like a rock skimming off the water. The trajectory, it came in on a low angle from North East Scotland (signs of vitrified rock) it scarred up Wales and part of Ireland (the fires was seen from France). Further trajectory calculations projected it to possibly have hit Puma Punku at Tiwanaku.
As an American, I am grateful to see other places also reevaluating their history 🖤 This was super interesting.
Brilliant. Fascinating. Educational. Thank you
..."the country had reverted to a wild wood once the Romans had withdrawn."
This is where I wish Lucy Worsley was doing the narration.
I love Lucy
"The countwy had revewted to a wild wood wonce the Womans had withdwawn". You cruel bugger. Nobody else got the reference.
Ohhh poor woocy.....we do wuv her
😂 That’s so cheeky
Because she ignores facts ?
I find the similarities between Britain and Romania. Both conquered by Romans. Both romanised. Both abandoned but later picked up by the other half of the Roman Empire. But what I find most common about our 2 countries, is the impossibility to actually discern what was before the romans. Since one roman said: history is written by the victor. And that shows.
Lol we don't know because our history wasn't even written lol
@Celto Loco how do you know there is ‘very little truth in them’. As you said nothing was written.
I love to listen to Francis Pryor.
Thanks, I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
Brilliant. At the end of my teaching career, I only now have time to study in more detail the whole concept of the Dark Ages, something I have always found so misleading and useless since I was aware of how much development occurred in this period. Thank you.
Wondering if there was a pdf/ bibliography connect to this video?
Would like not read and research far more. My belief is that it was almost impossible for the Romans to have left Britain. 400 years....!!!! Really? Australia is virtually 250 years under a sort of British occupation and we still maintain an enormous amount of English culture. Hence, I find it difficult to see that after the army left, there was a sudden change. This video certainly corrects many of the more traditional beliefs. Thank You. Nicolas Prior.
"They were highly literate!" "We have almost no written records from that time."
So which is it?
Thank you for pointing this out
I hate neo revisionism of history. It was a ghastly dark age. No serious intellrctual scholarship outside monasteries took place. The little that did by those monks was almost entirely ecclestiatical. Famines war disease was rife the whole of europe during this period. What hezproposing here is insane
Highly literate all the written records are in Welsh from that time and are being deliberately ignored by academics
In one segment, Lord Francis declares Britons had their own distinct culture, language, economy, and infrastructure in place well before the Romans arrived and in another segment he is fawning over Latin stone inscriptions found in Wales as evidence of a British age of enlightenment that somehow came about through the Romans. At no point does he look at or even mention that not all the letters carved in those stones are Latin letters. So in essence he enhancing Eastern Britains claim to have a culture pre-existent to the Romans while in Western Britain he's suggesting their entire relevance is based on the Romans. Seems to me like he's deliberately covering a much older history that can be found in and around Wales proving that academics, just like politicians, come with an agenda.
We have the Norman invasion 1066, reformation and then civil war to thank for that...loads of ancient anglosaxon documents were lost or deliberately destroyed in the 1,000 years since Anglosaxon times.
The point about history is that it was still happening, whether written or not!
And still is.
Great video really enjoyed thanks
This was great. Thanks
There were two big volcano's around 535 big ones. It was cold a good 10 years.
Please share, what were the volcanos names, and where were their locals ?
Blaney Crabbe en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_weather_events_of_535-536
Krakatoa
@@sygrovesteve5819 . . . . east of Java.
This channel has a great video on the impact of this volcanic erruption
This episode is amazing.
British history documentaries are the best.
Thank you for these illluminating pieces of information not well known.
I like Francis he always brings enthusiasm and his passion for archeology is tremendous
I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
as Professor Charles Thomas , archeologist at Tintagel and Director of the Institute of Cornish Studies said in 2004 ... "My own belief , for what it is worth , is that there was an Arthur , that he was a local war leader , and it all took place in the north of Briton" ... to find Arthur you must look to the lands of the Gododdin ... "Leader , warrior , brother kinsman - Red stained spearpoint attacking - Death sung by blue blade - Swift before the charge - Most worthy to lead - Foe-men in terror flee - Graves for foe-men that stand - No Quarter given - No retreat made - Bear in the turmoil of combat - Slayer of enemy hosts - Celebrated , loved , renown champion - Dragon of the Army - Arthur , Gododdin king of battle" ... If you are in the land of the Gododdin even today and the wind blows , is that hiss from the wind moving through the branches or from Arthur's draconarious as he and his men ride and watch over their countrymen?
Woof!!!
Have you read "Pennine Dragon" by Simon Keegan?
@@sanchinuk I have not ... but I will check it out ... thanks
Interesting program and informative, but only 18 mins in and there have been 4 ad breaks?? Who tolerates this? Don't know if I can make it to the end...
loved this.
The main difference between paying taxes to a central authority that calls itself a 'government', and a local so-called 'protection racket', is mainly one of scale, but also differences of law, regulations and established authority and tradition. But they are not totally different classes of things.
Wrong. People are naturally savages. Gov is necessary to civilize them. Protection rackets are the exact opposite of gov.
I’m a volunteer Tour Guide in the city of York, one of my favourite old buildings is St Leonard’s Hospital. Founded in 936, although the current ruined building dates back just to the 1100s. It had 255 beds and 70 staff. Surprisingly modern with high ceilings to circulate the air and so reduce infection. Patients were kept clean, warm and well fed. All treated equally. Paid for through local taxation. York was also a place of education. St Peter’s School still exists after being founded in 627. The street pattern and street names were established during the 70 year Danish period starting in 866. We still have a section of the original Roman Wall built in 107. The first Bishop of York dates to 314 shortly after emperor Constantine was declared emperor whilst visiting the city. Although Christianity was abandoned after the Romans left it was reestablished in the early 600s when the first Minster Church was built. So for the people of York, the so called ‘Dark Ages’ are not dark at all and simply mark the conversion of our city from the Iron Age spiritual site of the Brigantines to the place we all love today.
History is being rewritten as I watch this.modern technology has changed so much in so short a time for archeology and science.its wonderful we have been so much more as humans for so much longer than we first thought.
GReat episode!!
I'm about 1/3 through, and so far at least, they've only been talking about Britain. Could it be that the Dark Ages weren't as dark in the British Isles as they were in places closer to the center of the Empire, perhaps because they were less connected to begin with?
We all know what went wrong with the Dark Ages: Y1K!
Sun dials
I hope they stocked up on toilet paper!
@@raycruickshank4928 Ray, had a good friend die last year - Jim Cruickshank of Virginia. Any relation?
A different and interesting perspective on post-Roman Britain. My knowledge of the period is too limited to judge the merits of the view presented in this video, but I can't help being fascinated by the idea that maybe the British sustained a high level of civilization after the Romans left. It'll be interesting to see what future scholarship reveals....
I think the period they're talking about is only 100 years. I know it's slightly different, but let's imagine: tomorrow Trump and Kim disappear, along with all the other more sensible world leaders and let's say they take their governments and most of their armies with them. Would everybody suddenly forget how to read and write the next day? Would farmers suddenly forget overnight how to farm? Alright, there might be some chaos and some problems, particularly in overcrowded places where poverty is rife, but in 100 years what would we really lose?
Thank you love watching.
Fascinating.
Serpentine is common in Southern Cornwall, in The Lizard to be precise. I used to make Paperweights from it in the 1970's. So, to suggest it comes from the Mediterreanian is quite false.
I think all up and down the coast as you said each village or maybe proto-manor house/estate had its own Arthur. and so by the time it was finally written and codified. What they all read or heard about they would think, of there own "personal Arthur". Making it easier to sink into the collective conversation/zeitgeist
I personally think that’s an unsupportable generalization….if “….each village or …..had its own Arthur….,” I think at least one would have been discovered. The now 20 year old theory in this program of the King Arthur legend being part of the creation story of England works much better than that.
Great program
Wonderful program. Pity about all those ads. I expect a few, but there were so many that is was difficult to retain focus.
The Creator of “Prince Valiant” seems to have real insight into the actual world of the time. The hero is married to a princess of a mediterranean kingdom of sorts and his exports carry him into many distant places. Justinian is a villain of the story, by the way, meaning things are happening smack int the 6th century. More recently modern anachronism has crept in with few mentions of the dynamic role the monks played in event.
I think you mean exploits, not exports
You must factor in the vast disaster that came about in 535 that changed so very much, worldwide, famine, drought and all the migration, war, death, power shift etc that followed for many decades or more than a century.....as mentioned in an earlier comment
I was just going to say that, and you beat me to it. 535 CE changed everything.
Thanks, I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues like literacy and the Justinian plague: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
Great episode. Terrific scholarship - hope resistance to truth ceases.
Pretty sure that the power structure beneath the Romans remained more or less intact and life went on. Probably a lot of opportunities. They had to deal with the "vikings" which really was the key to the development of these in those days. And I'm one who believes King Arthur was based on events. Good show.
To be perfectly honest though, the devolution from brick and mortar construction to wood and thatch, and the abandonment of monetary trade doesn't exactly herald a cultural advance, more like the opposite.
Margie Lazou: Coinage continued, in Brittany at least. If there, then also in Britain because three kingdoms (Kernow, Domnonea and Gwened) spanned both sides of the Channel.
Did you think that the Romans only built large stone, or brick and morter structures, and didn't use timber?
Volume of culture is in no way relegated to, indicated by, or limited to the usage of coins and buildings of any type.
That's utterly ridiculous and extremely biased thinking.
@@histguy101some people probably didn't listen to the 8th to 10th minute
Modern Brits see a wooden eco home as superior to the poor peoples brick box on a housing estate. The monetary economy only works if you accept the money made by those who produce money. When you trade locally, barter is far more efficient than money, and when Britain left the Roman Empire it didnt need a common currency with Egypt.
Historians, archeologists are bringing more and more to light as time goes on, all over the world. Even here in Australia is is now commonly believed that the First Australians were not the “wandering, nomadic hunter-gatherers” the colonial historians would have us believe. I like that we can look at things and pose questions rather than accepting what has always been so.
Makes perfect sense ! Within ten years of the 'Roman' Army's departure, Britainia would have had a new generation of young ready-made Romanized' males, well able to protect public order, the major trade interests within their regions and their valuable connections to the continent. Kingdoms emerged out of the power centres that would naturally have developed over time.
A very interesting video! Is it possible that the beach feast things were simply summer parties with friends, family and/or trading partners?
I’d always believed that the “dark ages” was a misnomer. That the dark ages didn’t actually mean a time of going backwards for centuries with nothing happy or good/inventions or educational to come form that time period but the term dark ages truly just means after the mass production of everything Roman’s hat also wrote everything of existence down to a time of little or no archeological evidence and no atleast surviving historical texts to look to as had gracefully
Yes, I was taught that the "dark" described our lack of knowledge about these centuries due to lack of documents rather than the people's lack of skills/knowledge. Fascinating times, wish I had a time machine...
Think about this there was about 1 million people on the island of Britannia when the Romans came just before the common era and they were probably about 1 million people remaining when they left
The roads were still there the buildings were still there that know how to set up at Roman lake town and free system was still there just disappear overnight there may not have been robust trade coming from the Mediterranean but there was still trade coming so wasn’t all bad and someways for local people was an improvement because you no longer had an overlord coming in to take resources off the island
The roads were still there the buildings were still there know how to set up at Roman lake town and free system is still there just disappear overnight there may not have been robust trade coming from the Mediterranean but there was still trade coming so wasn’t all bad and someways for local people was an improvement because you no longer had an overload coming in to take resources off the island
Business could’ve carried on and actually done very well if it weren’t for the picts coming down and invading if some sort of accommodation could’ve been made with the picts history and civilization would’ve been quite different
So the dark ages weren’t so dark they just weren’t recorded in some sort of scribes document that would have been held in a central archive like in Rome
"Common era"? What year would that be? Public education is a complete embarrassment.
Taken from Wikipedia and reprinted for your convenience
“The Province of Britain was the area of the island of Great Britain that was governed by the Roman Empire, from 43 to 410 AD.”
Yes Roman was eyeing Britannia prior to 0 Anno Domini after Christ died but it’s not yet updated and colonize Britain until 43 A.D.
You may want to check your insensitive arrogant comment about public education common area is another term for this lady in BC
I thought it wasn't really believed that he existed.
Very interesting
One never ceases to learn.
Much of the art in Britain resembles Eastern iconography. This makes sense now. Eastern theologians have always talked of a connection. This fits.
Saints of the Welsh, were early Christian Travellers to the Eastern Orthodox from the First Century on, they are in the Eastern Icons that you see in Churches in Russia even in Rome they are in Fresco's by Early Christians. Novgorod had a Celtic Cross that came from Wales in the 7th or 8th Century, Christianity was early in the East and early in the West, Irish and Welsh saints were certainly travelling together, there is much knowledge of this also there were two Monastical Colleges set up in the Early 4th Century in South Wales at St Illtyds Fawr and Llancarfan about 5 miles apart, David and Patrick were both taught the scriptures there were many saints Cwentyn Lo Malo Non Samson Gildas Illtyd and hundreds of others also Kings and Princes from all parts of Britain and Europe were there up till they were Disbanded by the Normans in the 12 century, you will find Icons of David and Illtyd in many Higher Churches in Russia especially they very much revered. Also Pelagius who was Welsh was taught there. There were links with the Galatians of Turkey who were certainly early Christians and Celts.
Thanks for uploading ... very enjoyable.. it is good to hear different points of view and theories ....good for the grey matter. Let's be honest... we are highly unlikely to ever know the absolute truth. I hope that when I die I just might be able to have a real look at our long gone ages .. That would be my heaven lol
Thanks, I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
42:00 did that reading sound like cynghanedd even if the description was of a Romano-British poetry form style?
I think I'm addicted to watching historical documentaries!
I wonder what the Romans would have made of Stenton’s statement? They called for military aid from the Britons against Attila in 451 and against the Visigoths circa 470! For the former battle, they sent very serviceable archers, and for the latter their High King (Riothamus in Latinised Brythonic) led 12,000 soldiers. Hardly signs of a defenceless nation with no means of production!
Well, after Honorius replied to their letter in 410, saying they should look after their own defence for the time being (in all fairness they had supported a rebel pretender three years before and Honorius was trying to deal with the Visigoths at the time anyway), the Britons decided they didn't want to be with Rome after all and kicked out all the Roman officials, before electing their own British emperor (as they had actually done in 407 and before that in the 380s as well). This time though, the Romans really were too busy to sort the matter out and so the British elites got what they wanted at last. Of course, that didn't stop them writing again to Rome (specifically to the Magister Militum Aetius) probably in 446, asking for military help. When they didn't get a reply to that letter, they hired Hengest and Horsa instead. Didn't that turn out well from them over the next century and a half?
"Dark Ages" does not imply failing culture, death and misery... its "dark" because the evolution of western civilization was slowed or ceased completely depending on where you were. There are parts of Romes old empire that fell deeply into darkness and did not recover for decades while other parts seemingly bounced back and continued on without missing a step.
Cory Calogero Yes, thanks for thinking and posting the basic same perception I picked up on. The Arts, Sciences, innovations just took a rather long nap while the general public worked on the basics of surviving static conditions. 👍
Isn't it "dark" because of lack of evidence?
@@ellie698 Lack of what evidence? What are you referring to?
Cory I think what he means is that there isn’t much of a written record during the dark ages. Most of what we know was written in the Middle Ages or from studying the limited number of dark age archaeological sites.
Historians don't call it "Dark Ages" anyway, but "Dark age" just means a lack of written source material, and this isn't the case for the medieval world, only early medieval Britain in the 5th and 6th century. Mainland Europe has plenty of written sources in this period.
The whole "Dark Ages" narrative is propped up through popular entertainment and televised documentaries, which always require a heaping portion of sensationalistic narratives.
Excellent.
If you ever want a great read of a story about this fascinating time I would point you to Jack Whyte's King Arthur books that are sort of like a naturalistic approach to the stories that are as possible as that of other monarchs or people of past or myth.
Cyprus means copper. Ten ton of copper and one ton of tin, from Tintangle, made eleven ton of Bronze.
the bronze age finished over 1000 years before the 'dark ages' but Tin must have still held value though.
@@JohnSmith-kt2xb cornwall is famous for its smugglers, could it be possible these island areas were "smugglers markets" fencing looted goods from nations as Egypt.
Thanks, I agree. This was a great documentary. It gives important and necessary counterpoints but it does also run the risk of using isolated examples against a raft of other data that suggests international commercial networks did not fully recover to (even) pre-Roman levels until 800. (British Tin was almost unique in Europe, hence the continuity - it was rare!) I have found 'Fall Of Rome & The End Of Civilization' by archeologist Bryan Ward Perkins a good resource, and also my own book & 6th century Film series, 'SAVING EUROPE' which explores similar issues: czcams.com/video/KeoDg0jAjXc/video.html
It makes me wonder what people will think of Marble Arch in hundreds of years from now if it is still standing.
Will they be digging up the area looking for an old building beneath it? It could happen again
after the passing of time. A plaque should be left there explaining that the arch was in fact, the original gate to Buckingham Palace.
Thanks!
Came across a website last year suggesting that some of the dialects here in the old colonies of America are more 'Shakespeare-like' than the tongue an average modern Brit today. An oddity to muse about and perhaps another indirect confirmation of the essential thesis & implications of this excellent presentation. Bravo 'Time Line' !
It makes perfect sense that Britain would have been the one part of former Roman Europe which wasn't worth the trouble of attacking.,
I love how the presenter is throwing out well established points of view that have been held by historians for centuries as though they’re brilliant new ideas that he’s come up with himself.
...thats because he's been saying all this since before you were born.
Also, he states very clearly that he has come to all this information from people who already had it while trying to prove the Arthurian legends. He doesn't claim any of these ideas as his own.
The 'presenter' is an archaeologist of some standing.
@@helenamcginty4920 Really awesome standing!
Frabcis Pryor is not just a "presenter", he is one of the most prominent and respected archaeologists we have. The idea that society didn't break down when the Romands left isn't his anyway, it's been common knowledge for decades now and the evidence is so strong that no serious archaeologist or historian will dispute it.
As an American who is interest in history in all places and times I enjoyed this very much. And I don't see why people would say with what we know now that England collapsed into a hovel. So again thank you very much for a very interesting program.
I think it's a misinterpretation of what Dark Ages means, I can't imagine that scholars would have thought that society stopped overnight.
The best of the whole of humanity. In a word, Superior.
I think the story of Arthur is true. We have people in power now that like to rewrite history and would def twist a time of prosperity into an era of dark ages by hiding and destroying evidence.
Aces, Francis. I think Mick would approve. 😊
Love me a bit of Francis!
Bone was often used to create a hotter fire for firing pottery and smelting metals
While I could see that the withdrawal of Rome could provide a power vacuum I do not see it would mean an immediate collapse if the Local economy was in otherwise good shape or at least stable. The local towns would still have some form of law enforcement to deal with everyday crimes and unless everyone became power hungry at the same time there would be no reason for civilization to start collapsing in the British isle essentially isolated from the rest of Europe where most of Romes troubles at the time came from. My understanding is that the British did not push the Romans out as had been down in other places but that the Romans left to go shore up their defense along a shorter line with Rome. This would imply that Britain was stable and did not need the Roman Army sitting on top of it to remain so for at least a while. It would not surprise me if Rome had intended to return once they had dealt with the rest of Europe.
The Britons certainly did push the Romans out. When Honorius turned down their request for military aid in 410, they responded by kicking out all the Roman officials and electing their own emperor. They were definitely stable, but at the same time, they definitely did the pushing when Rome was least able to do anything about it. Read Gildas, who is our sole source for much of this.
What happened was that one Roman general after another in Britain would declare himself emperor, round up some local troops, and then invade Gaul, only to get himself killed. Thus, by the beginning of the 5th century, there was no real Roman force, apart from some scattered garrisons, left in Britain. That was why they sent a delegation to Honorius in 410 to ask for troops, but with the tribes of Goths, Alans and Vandals already running rampant in the empire, Honorius had no troops to spare. I have read that in the long run, it probably hurt the Roman Empire to conquer Britain. Not only did it tie down troops that could be better used elsewhere, but it also served as a breeding ground for Roman generals to declare themselves emperor, invade Gaul and fight civil wars that sapped the empire's strength.
The facts as presented here really do turn normative post Roman English history upside down. I believe those presenting this evidence have made their case very well and it's intellectually exciting!
Plague of Justinian - perhaps the first major incidence of Smallpox. Circa 550 Ad - everything fell apart afterwards. Basically Black death without the established structure to rebuild afterwards. I think it might be as straight forward as that - not sure how they prove it though.
Maybe that hearth discovered on the beach in Tintagel with remnants of charred meat and bits of bone from butchery, was nothing more than a kebab shop run by a Greek or Turk ex seaman who, weary from all the years at sea and maybe falling in love with a local girl and settling there raising a family, had the foresight to see that a good living could be made from giving these eastern Mediterranean sailors a good taste of home cooking with fresh meat. Historians like to romanticise but that whole tin producing area would have had many of these sailors in town for a few days at a time, adding to the local economy and to some extent, the local population as the ships were unloaded and reloaded with tin.
No, the Prof probably had it correct. People, hanging around the beach, waiting for the "trade" to be completed, so they built a hearth and cooked some meat to eat. Logical, reasonable. Cuz they were probably there for a long time.