Daily Life in Anglo-Saxon England

In addition to its unshakeable position on academic History curricula Anglo-Saxon England remains popular with the general public. However despite numerous specialist volumes on the political and economic history of the period there are no books currently on the market which offer an overview of Anglo-Saxon daily life. This book fills that gap covering a great range of common life experiences of individuals in England AD c. 450-c.1066 including domestic and family life work and leisure education clothing and housing food religion magic and superstition health and sickness warfare crime and punishment ethnic and national identity the creation of kingship slavery urban life and political life for men women and children.Archaeological evidence gives a dramatic picture of social organization in Anglo-Saxon towns and sources such as wills provide insight into the way families were structured and organized. Evidence in the law codes and literature shows how Anglo-Saxons experienced childhood youth marriage adulthood parenthood and old age; how they were educated and engaged in trades and what they did in their leisure time. Archaeological and documentary evidence including pictorial representations in sculpture and manuscripts give a vivid picture of Anglo-Saxon food and dress and also of the military and governmental forces of Anglo-Saxon England. Religion was an important part of daily life and so was crime justice punishment and slavery. Indeed the struggle to survive meant that health and sickness were crucial everyday concerns. All these aspects of daily life are examined in Sally Crawford''s book creating a rich picture of ordinary but complex life in Anglo-Saxon England.