Borderlands: South Yorkshire in the Anglo-Saxon and Viking Periods. AD 450–1066

Phil Sidebottom

Sep 2023 · Pen and Sword History

About this ebook

The period AD 450-1066 was a tumultuous time for the British Isles, and this was in particularly true of what became South Yorkshire. Existing on the borderland between the great Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria, South Yorkshire remained contentious in the struggles between the rival polities, with land ceded and taken, over the best part of four centuries. Evidence suggests that most of southern Yorkshire remained largely occupied by native British inhabitants, rather than Saxon or Viking incomers, at least until the later-Saxon period and after the Viking take-over which began in the 9th century.

With a focus on the previously academically-neglected archaeology of the region, this book features new evidence to paint a full picture of South Yorkshire in the Anglo-Saxon and Viking Periods. Included are pre-Conquest charters and the enigmatic Tribal Hidage tribute list, as well as an analysis of place-names and looks at the archaeological record of dark-age earthworks, burials, fortified places and finds. The author uses his expert knowledge of Anglo-Saxon carved stone monuments to supplement the historical and archaeological evidence to identify centers of settlement and control in the area and which also offers a tantalizing insight into local ethnicity. The research is brought to life with maps, figures, and photographic evidence throughout the book.

In pulling together our current knowledge of South Yorkshire during this pivotal era, the book acts as a reminder of how the wealth of local character is easily destroyed unless we become more aware of its fragility and celebrate its diversity. Written in accessible language, this book will be of interest to both academics and anyone who wants to know more about South Yorkshire in the post-Roman and Early Medieval periods.

About the author

Dr Phil Sidebottom is a graduate in Archaeology and Prehistory from the University of Sheffield, subsequently obtaining a PhD from the same institution, researching Anglo-Saxon stone monuments. Dr. Sidebottom has since specialised in landscape archaeology and heritage management, including ten years lecturing in these subjects at the University of Sheffield. He is also a Corporate Member of The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (No. 1430), a Vice-President of the Hunter Archaeological Society and Editor of the Transactions of the same society. Along with co-author Prof. Jane Hawkes, Dr. Sidebottom has recently completed the British Academy’s Derbyshire and Staffordshire volume XIII of the Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture (Hawkes and Sidebottom 2018).