John Hines

The fifth to 11th centuries were a formative stage for an European power framework that has conditioned interaction with the wider world for more than 1,500 years. Modern research, teaching and writing about those early centuries are of great relevance and potential to us all. In the uk we enjoy broadcasts, exhibitions and accessible literature that present this period to the public in a responsible and informative manner.

An equivalent to “Anglo-Saxon” appeared first on the continent in the late eighth century and was adopted in the West Saxon court a century later. In the tenth century this was one of several terms used in the emerging kingdom of England. It fell out of use, but from the mid-19th century it displaced “Saxon” for historical references to pre-Norman England, when the cultural heterogeneity of this population became evident. While “Old English” became the preferred term for the language, “Anglo-Saxon” was regularised as a collective label in archaeology and art history.

It denotes a readily identifiable, fluid cultural complex with open borders, and no unitary linguistic, territorial or political field. Clear scholarship and debate cannot continue without this term. It is a precisely defined concept in archaeology and history, art history and palaeography, indispensable to any contextualisation of Old English language and literature. “Early Medieval England/English” is too ambiguous and inaccurate; the “Early Medieval” is a very different period for half of Europe and in some fields of British archaeology. Defining the boundaries of “England” and identifying the “English” would be contentious and would impose a barrier to engagement.

Word perceptions change, and we must appreciate the strength of objection, particularly in the United States, to how “Anglo-Saxon” can be misused. To impose a global taboo on the term, however, would widen divisions and hinder communication. We certainly must reach out to groups who may perceive this area of study as irrelevant to them. For generations, Anglo-Saxon studies have grown in range and significance into what is now a diverse and fertile educational field with so much to offer students, scholars and enthusiasts from all walks of life. In generosity of spirit, that is what we should keep focused on.

John Hines is professor of archaeology at the School of History, Archaeology & Religion, Cardiff University