Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons

Britain AD: A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons
Francis Pryor

Leading archaeologist Francis Pryor retells the story of King Arthur, legendary king of the Britons, tracing it back to its Bronze Age origins.The legend of King Arthur and Camelot is one of the most enduring in Britain's history, spanning centuries and surviving invasions by Angles, Vikings and Normans. In his latest book Francis Pryor – one of Britain’s most celebrated archaeologists and author of the acclaimed ‘Britain B.C.’ and ‘Seahenge’ – traces the story of Arthur back to its ancient origins. Putting forth the compelling idea that most of the key elements of the Arthurian legends are deeply rooted in Bronze and Iron Ages (the sword Excalibur, the Lady of the Lake, the Sword in the Stone and so on), Pryor argues that the legends' survival mirrors a flourishing, indigenous culture that endured through the Roman occupation of Britain, and the subsequent invasions of the so-called Dark Ages.As in ‘Britain B.C.’, Pryor roots his story in the very landscape, from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh, to South Cadbury Castle in Somerset and Tintagel in Cornwall. He traces the story back to the 5th-century King Arthur and beyond, all the time testing his ideas with archaeological evidence, and showing how the story was manipulated through the ages for various historical and literary purposes, by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Malory, among others.Delving into history, literary sources – ancient, medieval and romantic – and archaeological research, Francis Pryor creates an original, lively and illuminating account of this most British of legends.

BRITAIN A.D.

A Quest for Arthur, England and the Anglo-Saxons

FRANCIS PRYOR

Copyright (#ulink_716ed039-c6fa-50eb-b057-0e5d0acee28f)

Harper Press

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First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2004

Copyright © Francis Pryor 2004

Francis Pryor asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this book

Maps and diagrams by Leslie Robinson and Rex Nicholls

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780007181872

Ebook Edition © OCTOBER 2009 ISBN: 9780007347582

Version: 2017-01-05

For Maisie

From the reviews of Britain AD:

‘Controversial, deceptively clever and a damn good read’

BBC History Magazine

‘Pryor’s opinionated (yet fairly argued) text rollicks along, informed by a great deal of recent research and new discoveries…Eminently readable’

British Archaeology

‘Francis Pryor has been an eloquent advocate for a new, fascinating vision of the prehistoric past. After Seahenge and Britain BC, this book completes an exhilarating trilogy in which the received ideas of far too long are swept away’

Scotsman

Table of Contents

Cover Page (#ucff70eb1-58d9-5e4a-98cb-4927a53675b6)

Title Page (#ua652d8e0-2905-514c-ae3a-343ea0075b0f)

Copyright (#u928e2e23-f5c0-56f3-888a-8bffbc8c37ac)

Dedication (#ud5c8a19a-49b1-5f89-9806-b421fe472c6b)

Epigraph (#u9c4f7825-e6fc-545a-a845-f0b21d0cc3fd)

INTRODUCTION (#ua4b6aedf-fea7-586d-a451-0611b001c369)

CHAPTER ONE Origin Myths: Britons, Celts and Anglo-Saxons (#u38c9e35a-4357-5adc-a1c5-bdf9601d69eb)

CHAPTER TWO The Origins and Legacy of Arthur (#u4e49de7d-6c22-5a44-8a5e-1ffaf807dbf4)

CHAPTER THREE Ancient Britons (#u77c7b338-364e-5eb7-a509-d21c0e8cda6b)

CHAPTER FOUR My Roman Britain (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIVE Late- and Post-Roman Britain: The Situation in the South and East (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX The ‘Anglo-Saxon’ Origins of England (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN Arthurian Britain: The Situation in the West and South-West (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT The Making of the English Landscape (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE Continuity and Change (#litres_trial_promo)

Conclusion (#litres_trial_promo)

Keep Reading (#litres_trial_promo)

Plates (#litres_trial_promo)

Text illustrations and Maps (#litres_trial_promo)

Notes (#litres_trial_promo)

Index (#litres_trial_promo)