All about Anglo Saxon Brighton

Anglo Saxon

Have you heard of either of these words before?

What do they make you think of?

Who were the Anglo Saxons?

And why were they called

Anglo Saxons?

After the Romans left there were three large tribes from northwestern Europe battling to take over – the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. They were warrior farmers who all shared the same language. They were known for being tall with fair hair, and for being good at fighting. Soon, Saxons made up 40 percent of Britain. This period of history has come to be named after the two biggest tribes – the Angles and the Saxons. In fact the word ‘England’ comes from the Anglo Saxon word ‘Angle Land’

Ice Age Black Rock

220,000 years ago

Neolithic Whitehawk

5,700 years ago

Bronze Age Hove Barrow

3,500 years ago

Iron Age Hollingbury

2,800 years ago

Roman Springfield Road 2,000 years ago

Anglo Saxon Stafford Road

1,400 years ago

Here’s how the Anglo Saxon period fits into our local timeline – it’s the most

recent period of history we’ll be looking at

Ice Age Black Rock

220,000 years ago

Neolithic Whitehawk

5,700 years ago

Bronze Age Hove Barrow

3,500 years ago

Iron Age Hollingbury

2,800 years ago

How does this period fit into worldwide prehistory?

Invention of wheel 5,500 years ago

First Homo sapiens

Africa 200,000 years ago

First pyramids

built 4,700 years ago

Romans Springfield Road 2,000 years ago

Anglo Saxons

Stafford Road 1,400 years ago

Use of fibres to produce clothing

35,000 years ago

Hieroglyphic script

developed 5,100 years ago

First Writing

2,000 years ago

Find out about the Anglo Saxons

It’s time to use your investigative and IT skills to go on a fact-finding mission about life in Anglo Saxon

Britain…

1.  How did the Anglo Saxons

get to Britain?

2.  Can you find out the names of some of the Gods the Anglo Saxons worshipped, and what they were the Gods of?

3.  What is the name of the

famous Anglo Saxon poem beginning with B? What is it about?

4.  Can you find five examples

of words or place names we use today that originally came from the Anglo Saxon?

One of the most special things you can

see in Brighton Museum’s

Archaeology gallery is this gold-covered

brooch, on loan from the Sussex

Archaeological Society

Does it remind you of anything you have in your

home today?

What does this brooch tell us

about the lives of Anglo Saxons?

What kind of patterns and

pictures can you see on the brooch?

Would you like to wear it? Why?

Why not?

How do you think it was

made?

What kind of person would have worn it?

Would it have been hard to make? Why?

Why not?

Did you know that Anglo

Saxon remains have been found

at two sites in Brighton &

Hove? The red pins on the map

mark exactly where – Stafford

Road and right near St Luke’s

Primary School. We think

there were cemeteries at both

locations at this time.

Facial reconstruction based on the skull of

‘Stafford Road Man’ Male, 45-50,

Buried near Stafford Road

Who lived in Brighton & Hove

during Anglo Saxon times?

He had a large bony formation on the back of his left thigh from an old injury. He probably walked with a limp.

We found some callus

(healing bone) in one

of his rib bones. This

suggests it broke and

healed a long time

before his death.

The skeleton shows he had strong muscles.

He had a large abcess in

his upper jaw and

would have suffered

badly from toothache.

Related blood

poisoning might even

have been his cause of

death.

‘Stafford Road Man’ Male, 45-50

Buried near Stafford Road

He was buried in a

cemetery in Stafford

Road lying on his back

with a knife and spear.

We think he was a farmer

ready to defend his land.

What can scientists tell about ‘Stafford Road Man’ from examining his remains?

The Anglo Saxons loved stories. Whole villages would gather

together to listen to stories and poetry set to music. Stories often featured gods, goddesses, dragons

and other mythical beasts.

Use this planning grid to plan and write your own short story or narrative

poem. Rehearse it ready to share with the rest of the

class around the fire pit. You can even set it to music if

you have time!

Anglo Saxon Storytelling:Planning grid

Setting Where will you set your story? Think about what

the Anglo Saxon world would have been like.

Characters Who are they?What are they like?

Opening How will you use the five senses to set the scene?How will you introduce your characters, using showing, not telling?

Build up How will you change the atmosphere and hint at what is about to happen?

Ending How will your story end and how will everybody feel? Is there a moral to your story, or have lessons been learnt?

Main event

What exciting main event will happen and how will it make the characters feel?

Psssst – don’t forget

to feature some

Anglo Saxon gods

and goddesses, or

some dragons or

other mythical

beasts!

Thanks for downloading. See you soon!

Thank you to A-Z for the kind permission to reproduce map on slide 9. Illustration on title slide by Jennifer Khatun. Wolves by Fiona Redford.