The early medieval period, or 'Dark Ages' as some still refer to it, was pivotal in the formation of this country and it's people. Spanning some 600 years this age endured nearly twice that of the Roman occupation. What started as a number of small tribal kingdoms would, in time, grow to become one nation under a single king.
Latest research into Ancient DNA would indicate that the 'Anglo-Saxons' who we once thought of as invaders had probably been here for a lot longer that we originally believed. Whilst there is some evidence for a substantial increase of continental migration into Great Britain during this time, particularly in the east of England, what is now clearer is that this was part of a larger pattern of movement, both in and out of the country, which had been going on for many generations, perhaps even millennia. Whilst there has been some extensive work done on stable isotope analysis to map the movement of family groups, this work remains ongoing. Given the difficulties in extracting suitable samples for analysis in conjunction with reliable radio carbon dating results, no firm conclusions have been reached at this time.
The Venerable Bede tells us that is was the Jutish people (from Northern Denmark) who settled in Kent, the Isle of Wight and Southern Hampshire from the 5th Century onwards. Although writing some centuries later, he even tells us the name of the tribe occupying the Meon Valley at this time, the Meonware. Given the time between these events and Bede's recording of them we could say that his evidence is unreliable at best, and the archaeological record appears to indicate this is the case. Whilst they may not have been invaders as such, they appear to have adopted the dress and customs of the Continental Northern Europeans. We also find considerable Frankish influences, as well as Ancient DNA in the inhabitants of the South Coast of Britain during this time which indicates the immigration of people from modern day Northern France and Belgium.
With numerous 'Anglo-Saxon' sites stretching from Salisbury Plain in the West, across the South Downs to Worthing in the East, from Andover in the North to the New Forest and the coastal plain in the South we have an abundance of archaeological sites and Early Anglo-Saxon cemeteries providing us with a wide variety of material evidence to work from. From settlements to cemeteries, from life to death, we have much to explore!
By piecing together the information from Bede and other literary sources, as well as considering the archaeological evidence and current academic research, we can begin to appreciate that in the time of our ancestors our southern region was thriving with links across Northern Europe. Then, as now, our society was founded upon the influences of many and varied peoples; and the larger settlements would have been just as cosmopolitan as our cities are today.
It is this that Weorod was formed to portray.