The England of the Anglo-Saxons
Our language, our monarchy, even the name of England itself, come from the Anglo-Saxons. They ruled here for 600 years, but who were these people? Until recently, very little has been known about our ancestors' day-to-day existence. Now, thanks to current archaeology, we are learning a great deal more and from all parts of the country. An early settlement on the Thames estuary; a complete Anglo-Saxon village site in Hampshire; the Venerable Bede's monastery at Jarrow and the Viking settlement in the centre of York.
But perhaps most exciting of all is the discovery on the Yorkshire Pennines of the first known Viking farmstead in this country. Professor Barry Cunliffe , Tim Champion
Professor Rosemary Cramp and Dr David Wilson , the Director of the British Museum place these homely archaeological discoveries beside the very finest Anglo-Saxon artistic achievements; achievements we tend to take for granted - the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Sutton Hoo treasure, English embroidery and the Saxon churches.
Film editor KEITH RAVEN Producer KEN SHEPHEARD
Series editor BRUCE NORMAN