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Britain’s history is often divided into neat sections, separated by dates such as 1485 or 1901, when people apparently decided to UVQR DGKPI OGFKGXCN QT 8KEVQTKCP CPF GODTCEG VJG PGY YC[ QH VJKPIU One of the most dramatic junctures is AD 410, traditionally seen as the end of the Roman era and the star t of what was once widely known as nVJG &CTM #IGUo $WV CU YKVJ CNN UWEJ FCVGU VJG TGCNKV[ YCU TCVJGT OQTG EQORNGZ +P QWT EQXGT HGCVWTG 9KNN $QYFGP EQPUKFGTU YJCV TGCNN[ JCRRGPGF YJGP VJG NGIKQPU FGRCTVGF ;QWoNN PF VJCV QP RCIG
There is complexity too in the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine – the medieval queen consort whose remarkable life has inspired numerous NGIGPFU UGTKCN CFWNVGTGT UEJGOKPI TGDGN CPF VJ EGPVWT[ UWRGTYQOCP VQ PCOG LWUV C HGY 1P RCIG 5CTC %QEMGTKNN TGXKUKVU CPF TGKPVGTTQICVGU VJGUG O[VJU +H [QW GPLQ[ VJKU RKGEG VJGP NQQM QWV HQT the podcast interview that Sara recorded for us with fellow historian &CP ,QPGU 6JCV YKNN DG CXCKNCDNG UQQP CV historyextra.com/podcast
(KPCNN[ CU VJKU KU QWT %JTKUVOCU KUUWG [QWoNN PF RNGPV[ QH HGUVKXG treats inside including our round-up of the year’s best books (page 66) CPF QWT %JTKUVOCU SWK\ CPF ETQUUYQTF RCIGU CPF Even if you’re feeling Scroogish, you’ll no doubt enjoy our piece on unexpected festive customs (page 57), where the traditional yuletide adornments are replaced by snow turds, evil robins and killer frogs.
However you’re planning to celebrate, I hope you have a XGT[ GPLQ[CDNG %JTKUVOCU
Rob Attar Editor
THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS
Will Bowden Although, as an archaeologist, I’ve dug on a number of sites across the Mediterranean, I’m still always drawn back to this small island on the very edge of the 4QOCP GORKTG Will explores what happened in Britain as Roman rule collapsed and the legions left on page 20
Sara Cockerill While I was writing about Eleanor of Aquitaine for this issue, I was surprised VQ MGGR PFKPI QVJGT women exercising real power during the Middle Ages – none of whom have anything like 'NGCPQToU RTQ NG Sara busts some of the myths surrounding the ‘medieval superwoman’ on page 34
Caitlin Green The evidence for long-distance travel and trade in the Middle Ages is fascinating, and the establishment of a ‘New England’ on the Black 5GC D[ GZKNGU GGKPI VJG Norman conquest is a great GZCORNG QH VJKU Caitlin shares the surprising story of an 11th-century Crimean colony founded by English refugees on page 43
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