Migration (c.410–c.560) Anglo-Saxons

the migrations according bede, wrote 300 years after event; there archeological evidence settlers in england came many of these continental locations

the traditional narrative of period 1 of decline , fall, invasion , migration; however, archaeologist heinrich härke stated in 2011:

it accepted anglo-saxons not transplanted germanic invaders , settlers continent, outcome of insular interactions , changes.

writing c. 540 gildas mentions that, sometime in 5th century, council of leaders in britain agreed land in east of southern britain given saxons on basis of treaty, foedus, saxons defend britons against attacks picts , scoti in exchange food supplies. contemporaneous textual evidence chronica gallica of 452 records year 441: british provinces, time had suffered various defeats , misfortunes, reduced saxon rule. earlier date of 451 coming of saxons used bede in historia ecclesiastica gentis anglorum, written around 731. has been argued bede misinterpreted (scanty) sources, , chronological references in historia britonnum yield plausible date of around 428.

gildas recounts how war broke out between saxons , local population – higham calls war of saxon federates – ended shortly after siege @ mons badonicus . saxons go eastern home . gildas calls peace grievous divorce barbarians . price of peace, nick higham argues, better treaty saxons, giving them ability receive tribute people across lowlands of britain. archaeological evidence agrees earlier timescale. in particular, work of catherine hills , sam lucy on evidence of spong hill has moved chronology settlement earlier 450, significant number of items in phases before bede s date.

this vision of anglo-saxons exercising extensive political , military power @ date remains contested. developed vision of continuation in sub-roman britain, control on own political , military destiny on century, of kenneth dark, suggests sub-roman elite survived in culture, politics , military power c. 570. however, nick higham seems agree bede, identified 3 phases of settlement: exploration phase, when mercenaries came protect resident population; migration phase, substantial implied statement anglus deserted; , establishment phase, in anglo-saxons started control areas, implied in bede s statement origins of tribes.

scholars have not reached consensus on number of migrants entered britain in period. heinrich härke suggests figure around 100,000, based on molecular evidence. but, archaeologists such christine hills , richard hodges suggest number nearer 20,000. around 500 anglo-saxon migrants established in southern , eastern britain.

what happened indigenous brittonic people subject question. heinrich härke , richard coates point out invisible archaeologically , linguistically. based on high anglo-saxon figure (200,000) , low brythonic 1 (800,000), brythonic people have outnumbered anglo-saxons @ least 4 one. interpretation of such figures while culturally, later anglo-saxons , english did emerge remarkably un-british, . . . genetic, biological make-up none less have been substantially, indeed predominantly, british . development of anglo-saxon culture described 2 processes. 1 similar culture changes observed in russia, north africa , parts of islamic world, powerful minority culture becomes, on rather short period, adopted settled majority.

the second process explained through incentives. nick higham summarized in way:

as bede later implied, language key indicator of ethnicity in england. in circumstances freedom @ law, acceptance kindred, access patronage, , use , possession of weapons exclusive claim germanic descent, speaking old english without latin or brittonic inflection had considerable value.

the tribal hidage, edition of henry spelman s glossarium archaiologicum

by middle of 6th century, brythonic people in lowlands of britain had moved across sea form brittany, , had moved west, majority abandoning past language , culture , adopting new culture of anglo-saxons. adopted language , culture, barriers began dissolve between peoples, had earlier lived parallel lives. archaeological evidence shows considerable continuity in system of landscape , local governance, inherited indigenous community. there evidence fusion of culture in period. brythonic names appear in lists of anglo-saxon elite. wessex royal line traditionally founded man named cerdic, undoubtedly celtic name derived caratacus. may indicate cerdic native briton, , dynasty became anglicised on time. number of cerdic s alleged descendants possessed celtic names, including bretwalda ceawlin. last man in dynasty have brythonic name king caedwalla, died late 689.