Why Britain's Dark Ages Remain Shrouded In Mystery | King Arthur's Britain | Timeline

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I never thought that the Dark Ages were dark because nothing happened, but because we didn’t know what happened. Dark because we couldn’t see.

Such a joy to have Francis host this, memories of his enthusiasm as part of Time Team.

Did you know that the round table was designed by Sir Cumference?

Of course people still farmed and built buildings. They don't give the people much credit if they think 8 generations lived under Roman rule and didn't become a little "Romanized". They didn't revert to Cro magnon man huddled around fires.

Professor Ward Perkins, in his book 'The fall of Rome and the End of Civilisation' states that in 380 AD Britain was at a height of civilisation never seen before - Towns prospered, one could send a letter from York to Alexandria, villas prospered in the countryside, which was safe and free of banditry. Peasents and animals lived under tiled roofs, and ordinary people had access to quality, mass produced consumer items. By 430 AD all this had changed. All over the Western world buildings became smaller , made from perishable materials or reused stone and brick from demolished Roman buildings. Standing armies disbanded, and currencies went out of use. Huge tracts of farmland returned to forest, and roads fell into disuse. The term 'Dark Age' may be out of vogue at present, but there is no denying that after the Fall of the West there was a massive economic and population drop (concurrent to the political collapse of the central government) which did not level out until 800 AD. The economy and material culture of Western Europe did not return to 2nd century levels until the 14th century, and trans Mediterranean trade did not reach 2nd century levels until the early 18th century. This is a good documentary, but Francis Pryor is discussing Romano British culture persisting a few generations after the central collapse, and gradually changing into something new, merging with other trends, which is usually what happens when any central power suddenly collapses. And despite Gibbon, western Roman power collapse was sudden, i.e. a few decades from start to finish. In the time of Theodosius the Western Roman Empire was still a superpower, and 70 years later it had gone. A powerful warlord may well have built an impressive building in Wroxeter in the 6th century, but it was a building of wood and thatch, with an earthen floor. As was the very mediaeval looking hall at the Birdoswald fort. Moreover, the names of their builders didn't make it to the historical record. High quality pottery may still have been made in York, but the general picture in Britain (and Western Europe north of the Alps) was a return to non wheel - turned pottery, of poor quality. Trade with the Mediterranean world was indeed maintained at Tintagel and one or two other centres of power - but this has been a matter of record since Victorian times and does not indicate a widespread consumption of Mediterranean goods which existed a century before. Latin inscriptions, very common prior to 350 AD, lost their factual, archival nature and became mystical and church related. Also very rare. Mosaic production ended, stone buildings with tiled roofs did not reappear until 850, and bath houses became silted up and quarried for building stone. In the 530's an epidemic of the plague swept across the former western Roman Empire and its still existing eastern half, killing off an estimated 40 per cent of the population. This led to the final extinction of Roman material culture west of the Balkans, the rise of feudalism, and the conquest of all Roman provinces south of Anatolia by the Arabs. Interesting stuff may have happened between 410 and 600 which paved the way for stuff that came later, but I'm afraid the Dark ages were actually a 'thing'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHduMbabjFM

We will always “-get it wrong about the Dark Ages.” Why? “Because that’s history- not what happened, but what people believe MUST have happened.” - Alistair Cooke

i'm sure that in the countryside the farmers would probably not given a dam. They would continue doing what they did BEFORE Rome and continued after Rome.

Its almost like people believed that when Rome left people forgot they were house trained... "You people are completely uncivilized and rude.... We out!..." Everybody gathers at the center of town, "now what?" "Let's take off all our clothes, sharpen sticks, and run around pooping and poking each other." "Sounds legit..."

Such a magical production. Full of facts, yes, but also full of hope in the human imagination and spirit. Wow is all I can say. Thank you.

43:10 - He says that Britons were the only people in Europe at the time that didn't speak a Romance language?! I think a great number of Germanic tribes and Gaelic speakers in Ireland might have something to say about that. Basques/Gascons too.

I've always seen it as "dark" as in no communication. Its not that nothing happened, it's that our written record disappeared

What a good watch! Thanks for this. I kept waiting for someone to suggest that perhaps Geoffery of Monmouth had access to something we don't, that the Arthurian legend possibly generated from TINtagel, where the tin came from that put Britain on the world map all the way back to 1100 BC and before. You need tin to make bronze. It was the oil of the ancient world. This shows several aspects of Hagia Sophia: the worn threshold into the transept, several shots of the dome from the first floor, the bare marble floor scarred with artifacts, and the mosaic of Justinian who built it. None of them are visible now, thanks to the recent regression of the main basilica into a mosque. I find it ironic that women are not allowed near the area that was the altar, since Justinian built the temple with his beloved Empress Theodora. Thank the gods for the Internet, which preserves these images.

"From taxation to protection racket, is not that large a jump..." - Ace, love Francis and his bonkers mates... they cant help but drip truth into unwilling ears......

In school we were taught that Britain was some far flung part of the empire that they found cold and inhospitable and didn't stay very long. Later in life I learned that Britain was a major part of the empire rich in tin and other raw materials, an Emperor was born here & goods were traded all over from here.

Incredible! I wasn't ready for this documentary to end!

Oh wow.@34:10 ! An Aussie ! And one who is (very) well educated and well spoken, instead of some bogan in a tourist pub spouting nonsense. It’s silly I know but I feel quite proud lol. While I’m here, though...this is a terrific production. Each third could stand alone,, but there’s more to be had by watching them all. This isn’t a typical American show where they ‘recap’ every seemingly every three minutes. Francis Pryor has a wonderful voice, his style is easy and natural, and his interviews show some media savvy, because he leaves his subjects to answer and expand on his questions. He’s good at feeding them the next point too. So neither presenter or expert get to pontificate, which is always a bonus! The King Arthur connection is almost academic click bait but there’s just enough to be interesting, and it’s used as an introduction to a detailed history of the area. Thank you so much for the upload, much appreciated. I’m off to look for more by this guy.

"They were highly literate!" "We have almost no written records from that time." So which is it?

The BRITONS & GAELS (so people don't nitpick) travelled to Britain by sea, traded by sea during the bronze age, through the iron age and certainly during the Roman occupation... Why would they stop when the Romans left? During the Bronze Age Britain would have been one of the richest countries around due to tins rarity and the vast deposits in Cornwall.

Fantastic. Just what I needed to watch tonight. Although I feel there are some unanswered questions. Some of the questions are more obvious realities that are not really answered here, but there’s only so much time a quality production can dedicate to create a story worth following. Thanks a lot to everyone who made this. This is fabulous and worthy of more time spent throughout the whole of the isles on the same topic.