An aerial view of the excavations at Lyminge in southeastern England taken at the end of the 2012 field season shows the outlines of a large rectangular royal feasting hall dating to about A.D. 600.(Photo by William Laing, © University of Reading)
Fifth-century Britain was a tumultuous place, wracked by violence, upheaval, and uncertainty. The Roman Empire was crumbling throughout western Europe as waves of barbarian invaders overran its borders. By A.D. 410, groups of Angles, Saxons, a