Hedley Lamarr: Qualifications?
Applicant: Rape, murder, arson, and rape.
Hedley Lamarr: You said rape twice.
Applicant: I like rape.
Posted on 07/03/2011 9:17:20 PM PDT by decimon
A haul of Anglo-Saxon gold discovered beneath a Staffordshire farmer's field could help rewrite history, experts say.
Historians believe the Staffordshire Hoard could hold vital clues to explain the conversion of Mercia - England's last great Pagan kingdom - to Christianity in the 7th Century.
The hoard was found buried on a farm in Staffordshire in July 2009.
The 1,500 pieces of gold are thought to be the spoils of an Anglo-Saxon battle.
'Warring kingdoms'
TV historian Dan Snow believes the find has the potential to rewrite the history books.
Speaking on BBC1's The Staffordshire Hoard, he said the conversion of Mercia "marked the beginning of a new era in English history".
"The Staffordshire Hoard is helping shine a light on exactly how and when the transformation occurred," he explained.
Historian David Starkey said: "England, remember, isn't England at all; England has yet to be invented - the word barely exists.
"Instead, there were these rival warring Anglo-Saxon kingdoms that behaved like the worst kind of takeover bidders of the city.
"They decapitated each other - literally, not metaphorically.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
Where is my t-shirt?
Hedley Lamarr: Qualifications?
Applicant: Rape, murder, arson, and rape.
Hedley Lamarr: You said rape twice.
Applicant: I like rape.
National Geographic TV had a one hour show on the Staffordshire hoard that I saw this afternoon. It did a great job of recreating the discovery using the actual guy who found it and the farmer who owned the land and all the archeologists that got involved.
The sheer number (1600) of pieces of gold was staggering. But they didn’t find a lot of silver or things of daily use so it was clearly a trove of plunder acquired from rapine of an opposing army.
Also Showed film of a lot of the stuff as it was actually being dug up by the archeologists. Most of it was either gold decorative pieces from armor like gold pommels from swords or church crosses and the like. Looked like plunder from a battle perhaps where they stripped the armor of valuables gold ornaments but kept the steel swords and armor for use.
One interesting thing is that area of the field where it was found is only about 100 yds from a busy highway. And as the farmer who owned the land said, the field had been plowed at least twice a year for 1300 years and the plowmen had to have come within inches of the trove—but it took a metal detector to seek out the stuff down those last few inches.
Thanks, wildbill, for the details on that program. I love the GGG articles, especially the ones about Egyptology and British history. It’s always refreshing when someone on the thread posts something useful and apropos to the topic, rather than just snarky wisecracks.
Actually, I’m widely known for my snarky wisecracks.
Me too. But I also know when they don’t improve a situation. Just ask my wife - I learned the hear way.
Me too. But I also know when they don’t improve a situation. Just ask my wife - I learned the hear way.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.