The British History Podcast

So it’s 568. And things in what will someday become England are still chaotic. Remember what was going on up north in Bernicia? Where Ida, who was probably part of some sort of Anglian group, had taken control of Bamburgh, then he died, and then his sons started taking over for him? Well, that’s still […] The post 85 – Ceawlin and the Sons of Ida first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We made it to 100! How awesome is that? (Well, it was the 100th episode before I combined a bunch of episodes… and now it’s the 84th episode). Support the Show The post 84 – The Q&A Episode! first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, so last time we talked about how Aethelberht of Kent invaded the kingdom of Wessex and was pushed out by Ceawlin and his army. We don’t have a lot of facts regarding that conflict, we aren’t even told why they were fighting, but we know that they were both destined to become Bretwaldas and […] The post 83 – Dark Age Warfare Combo Episode first appeared on The British History Podcast.

So the year is 586, and Ceawlin is the leader of the men of Wessex. Wessex has been expanding their holdings to the north and the west, and have been growing in power. Conversely, in the East are the men of Kent under the leadership of AEthelbehrt, who (we are told) has been ruling since […] The post 82 – War. What Is It Good For? first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, we have a battle coming up but things are still changing rather rapidly and there’s some interesting stuff to cover regarding that, such as language, religion, culture, warfare, and that question that’s probably nagging you at the back of your head… if we have wealthy powerful kings in England, why don’t we have anything […] The post 81 – In Search of Unity: A Tale of Selective Memory first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, when we left off, Ida had become king of Bernicia and we had the beginnings of regional cultural groups. These groups were the result of a whole host of influences including everything from geographical features, to political decisions, to things as simple as wealth and a sense of cool. But the point is that […] The post 80 – Bloodletting first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We begin our story in Bannaventa Berniae, a small town somewhere in the West of Britain, probably along the coast. This was probably a small typical Roman style settlement laid out on a grid with small Roman houses and a villa, or villas, for prominent families in the area. Though it’s doubtful it would have […] The post 79 – Saint Patrick’s Day Special first appeared on The British History Podcast.

I’m going to wrap up the discussion of the development of regional cultures with a talk on an omnipresent (yet often ignored) influence on all of human development. This subject is often ignored in most disciplines, and it is definitely undervalued (unfairly) in many treatises on history. I speak, of course, of Nature. Support the […] The post 78 – It’s Only Natural first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, when we last left off, we were talking about a new class of elites in sub-roman britain. A group of individuals we identify as anglo saxons and kings, and we also mentioned the class of nobles that was growing up around them. We also talked about how that change, the increase in social stratification, […] The post 77 – Cliques: How the In Crowd Created Our Culture first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we start with a death. Wihtgar, brother of beloved Stuff, warrior, conqueror of Cerdic’s-Ore, and ruler of the Isle of Wight died in 544. Or did he? Support the Show The post 76 – Developing Class first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Alright, so when we left off, Cerdic and his son had recently arrived on the island and the Battle of Mons Badonicus had just taken place. So that’s exciting. And Gildas says that it was followed by peace, and procopius tells us that Germans were fleeing from Britannia as late as about 30 years later. […] The post 75 – Cerdic and Cynric: A Story of… well… Probably Farmers first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Right, so here we are right in the middle of all the drama and bloodshed that has been called the Anglo Saxon invasion. We have famous names such as Hengest and Aelle showing up. Support the Show The post 74 – When Neighbors Attack: A Story of “Kings” first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, it’s been a while since we’ve spoken about the story. Instead, we’ve been chatting about the culture and the people, we’ve been speaking about digs and hoards, we’ve been discussed booze and horse dung. But we haven’t spoken too much about the politics of the time. Support the Show The post 73 – And This Gives You Power Over Me? first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we’re wrapping up the Staffordshire Hoard project. We have been given an amazing amount of depth and detail thanks to the wonderful experts who took the time to talk with us. And today, we’re going to hear from Dr. Kevin Leahy. You might have read his scholarly articles or his books, some of which […] The post 72 – Staffordshire Hoard: Wrapping Up with Kevin Leahy first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we’re going to learn more about the context and the craftsmanship of the Hoard. I think this will help shed some light on what makes this find so special, and also help you understand the sort of research that’s going into it and the number of mysteries it is revealing! The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk […] The post 71 – Staffordshire Hoard: Psychopathic Peacocks with David Symons first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we have more from Cathy Shingler! Now that we’ve heard about the discovery of the Hoard and how it has been excavated and preserved, we’re going to talk a bit about how it is being interpreted. And Cathy has quite a lot of fascinating theories to share with us regarding the objects that have […] The post 70 – Staffordshire Hoard: Interpretation with Cathy Shingler first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we’re chatting with Deborah Cane about how the Hoard is being preserved for future generations. Some of this stuff is cutting edge work. I hope you’re as fascinated by it as I was. The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk The Potteries Museum: www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: www.bmag.org.uk Support the Show The post 69 – Staffordshire Hoard: Conservation with Deborah Cane first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Deb Klemperer took the time to chat with us via telephone today regarding the treasury inquest that focused on the 81 new objects that were found and added to the hoard including a new cross and what looks like a “cheek piece” that matches the one originally found! Also, for my money, the most exciting […] The post 68 – Staffordshire Hoard: A Bonus Update on the New Find first appeared on The British History Podcast.

I love the way Deb Klemperer tells stories, so today we’re going to hear more from Deb on the Hoard. As you might recall from the last episode, she is the head curator at The Potteries Museum at Stoke-on-Trent.  She has quite a lot to share with us on what was going on, and some […] The post 67 – Staffordshire Hoard: Deb Klemperer on the Dig first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today’s episode features Deb Klemperer, the head curator at The Potteries Museum at Stoke-on-Trent.  We will be discussing the museum side of the Hoard, theories on the objects, and what it was like to be at the center of one of the biggest events in Anglo Saxon archaeology! The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk The Potteries Museum: […] The post 66 – Staffordshire Hoard: Receiving the Hoard first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today’s episode features Stephen Dean, the principle archaeologist of the Staffordshire County Council.  We will be discussing all things related to the first dig. And then, once the inquest is over in the new year, he will return and fill us in on the findings from the newest covert Staffordshire dig! The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk […] The post 65 – Staffordshire Hoard: The Dig first appeared on The British History Podcast.

I just wanted to record a short episode today to thank all of you (and also respond to some listener email). Thank you very much, everyone! And Merry Christmas! Support the Show The post 64 – Merry Christmas (plus listener email) first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We’ve reached 3,000 likes on facebook!  So as promised, here’s a bonus member’s only episode.  This time, I’m releasing an episode looking into the potential beginnings of the Arthurian myth.  I hope you like it! Support the Show The post 63 – King Arthur Part One first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today’s episode features Cathy Shingler, of The Potteries Museum in Stoke on Trent.  She will be discussing with us the iconic band, possibly from a cross, with Latin inscriptions along both sides of it.  We will also speak about the cultural significance of the materials used in many of the objects found in the Hoard, […] The post 62 – Staffordshire Hoard: Rise Up O Lord first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we are beginning our project on the Staffordshire Hoard.  We will be featuring interviews from major figures within the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, The Potteries Museum in Stoke on Trent, and with the Staffordshire County Council. The Staffordshire Hoard: www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk The Potteries Museum: www.stokemuseums.org.uk/pmag The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery: www.bmag.org.uk Support the […] The post 61 – Staffordshire Hoard: Introduction first appeared on The British History Podcast.

They’re coming… Support the Show The post 60 – The Return of the Kings first appeared on The British History Podcast.

As you might imagine since I’m doing an episode on it, Halloween has a lot of British influence upon it. In fact, the name itself comes from Scotland, where All Saint’s Eve (also known as All Hallow’s Eve) was shortened in the 16th century to Halloween. And the name stuck. But as you have probably […] The post 59 – The Halloween Special first appeared on The British History Podcast.

This is a combination episode covering medicine in the Dark Ages! Support the Show The post 58 – Dark Age Medicine first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, we’ve been getting pretty deep into the weeds and have been getting farther and farther from a coherent story. On the one hand, the culture is the story, but on the other hand it’s hard to get attached to a story if you forget who we are talking about and the people involved. So […] The post 57 – A Tale of Three Cities (sort of) first appeared on The British History Podcast.

So I’m doing a short midweek episode because something’s been irking me. I’ve heard repeatedly from a variety of people that history is a guy thing. And that’s f#*king stupid. I mean, you could say that just on sheer mathematics, 51% of history is a female thing. But that’s not the truth of it. The […] The post 56 – Telling the Full Story (a Bonus Episode) first appeared on The British History Podcast.

OK, So I had requests for an episode on construction. I actually had a surprising number of requests for it, actually. So we’re going to do a single episode on how things were built, and since we’ve been talking about feasts, we’ll talk about… of course… feasting halls. Support the Show The post 55 – Anglo Saxon Construction first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Clothing… we all wear it. Well, most of us do. And in this episode we’re going to learn about what sort of clothing people were wearing in Britain during the Middle ages. Support the Show The post 54 – What Not To Wear: In The Dark Ages first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, so right now I’m in a situation where I might need to make some hard choices on where my time goes. The thing is that this has been one of the best experiences of my life, but for financial reasons I might need to go back to law full time. The problem there being […] The post 53 – Producing the BHP Full Time, a Proposal first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we’re going to talk about Druids, who they were, and where our information comes from. Support the Show The post 52 – DRUIDS! (Bonus Episode) first appeared on The British History Podcast.

This is a combination episode covering everything to do with feasting in Anglo Saxon Britain! Support the Show The post 51 – Dark Ages Feasting first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we have something pretty exciting. Listener Simon put me in contact with Erin Robinson and Fiona Gale, who are currently working on archaeological sites in Denbighshire north Wales, and they were kind enough to agree to speak to me via Skype. So today we are taking a break from our middle ages cultural discussion, […] The post 50 – The Denbighshire Hill Forts first appeared on The British History Podcast.

This is a combination episode covering matters of economies and travel in the Dark Ages. Support the Show The post 49 – Dark Age Economics first appeared on The British History Podcast.

This is a combination episode focusing upon the food and drinks that the Anglo Saxons enjoyed. Support the Show The post 48 – Dark Age Diets Combo Episode first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, so last week I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger. We talked about the invasion stories and I alluded to how some people don’t believe that there was an invasion, but I didn’t really go into a serious analysis of the evidence as it relates to it. But worry not, this entire […] The post 47 – Was there an Anglo Saxon Invasion of Britain? first appeared on The British History Podcast.

So to start with I’m going to try to compile the various accounts and stories we have of the Anglo Saxon invasion into a single narrative. As you might recall from prior episodes, this means that I’ll be drawing from some rather unreliable sources. But I think that telling the story in a single cohesive […] The post 46 – Hengist and Horsa first appeared on The British History Podcast.

So today we’re going to do a forest view of what we’ll be talking about over the next few months. And then, after this episode, we’ll be getting down into the trees. I figure this is the best way for you to have a firm grasp of what is going on and what I’m talking […] The post 45 – Britain: The Last Outpost first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok… the dark ages. This is going to be a hell of a project, so let’s talk about what we know, what we don’t and why. I want you to be able to trust the stories I’m telling you, and so it’s required that I let you know how unreliable damn near every source we […] The post 44 – Sources of Confusion first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we’re going to have a reading of Le Mort d’Arthur by Thomas Mallory, Book 1 Chapters 1 through 4.  You can get a free Kindle copy of Le Mort de Arthur to read along with at Amazon.com. Friend of the show, James Cartwright, was kind enough to do the reading for us.  You can […] The post 43 – Le Mort d’Arthur (Bonus Episode) first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Today we are going to be recapping the story thus far. (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Welsh History, English History) Support the Show The post 42 – Wait, Where Are We? A summary of the history of Britain so far. first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Next week we will start our second season. So here’s a promo of what to expect! I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am. :) Support the Show The post 41 – Chapter Two: The Birth of Britain first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Here we have the sixth and final episode of the Scotcast. This will bring us up to 410, where we are in the main podcast, and we will be able to continue forward into the dark ages! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show The post 40 – Scotcast Part Six first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We’re getting ever closer to uniting the two shows! Today we’re going to cover several hundred years (and about six months of podcasts) in a single show. (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History, Roman History) Support the Show The post 39 – Scotcast Part Five first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We’re closing out the BC period. Which means we’ve got iron, Celtic culture, and Brochs. Good times! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show The post 38 – Scotcast Part Four first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Bronze Age Scotland! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show The post 37 – Scotcast Part Three first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We’re still in Pre-history… there’s a lot of it! (History of Britain, History of Scotland, Celtic History) Support the Show The post 36 – Scotcast Part Two first appeared on The British History Podcast.