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Early historic Scotland - from the fifth to the tenth century AD - was home to a variety of diverse peoples and cultures, all competing for land and supremacy. Yet by the eleventh century it had become a single, unified kingdom, known as Alba, under a stable and successful monarchy. How did this happen, and when? At the heart of this mystery lies the extraordinary influence of the Picts and of their neighbours, the Gaels - originally immigrants from Ireland. In this new and revised edition of her acclaimed book, Sally M. Foster establishes the nature of their contribution and, drawing on the latest archaeological evidence and research, highlights a huge number of themes, including the following: the origins of the Picts and Gaels; the significance of the remarkable Pictish symbols and other early historic sculpture; the art of war and the role of kingship in tribal society; settlement, agriculture, industry and trade; religious beliefs and the impact of Christianity; how the Picts and Gaels became Scots.
The once-thriving and energetic kingdom of the Picts is now an enigma of the past, ousted by the Scots in the 9th century AD. But the Picts left behind a rich legacy of artistic achievement, including the unsurpassed sculpture of their standing stones, whose elegant designs and symbols have puzzled generations. [from back cover]
A pocket-sized guide that describes what is known about the history of the Picts, listing the best symbol stones and museums to visit with many illustrations and maps.
The Picts were an ancient nation who ruled most of northern and eastern Scotland during the Dark Ages. Despite their historical importance, they remain shrouded in myth and misconception. Absorbed by the kingdom of the Scots in the ninth century, they lost their unique identity, their language and their vibrant artistic culture. Amongst their few surviving traces are standing stones decorated with incredible skill and covered with enigmatic symbols - vivid memorials of a powerful and gifted people who bequeathed no chronicles to tell their story, no sagas to describe the deed of their kings and heroes. In this book Tim Clarkson pieces together the evidence to tell the story of this mysterious people from their emergence in Roman times to their eventual disappearance.
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The Pictish nation, forged in the shadow of the Roman empire, was the dominant power in northern Britain for more than five hundred years. Those who have tailed to find a satisfactory account of Pictish history will find this book invaluable. It provides a fresh look at the whole Pictish story, placing it firmly in its true historical context and reassessing topics such as the legend of Drust son of Erp and St Columba's mission to the Picts. There are unusual but useful comparisons with contemporary events in Wales and England as well as new and controversial interpretations of Sueno's Stone and Pictish symbols, and a fresh explanation of what happened in 843 when the Scots took over Pictland. Illustrated throughout by over forty maps, photographs and line illustrations, The Age of the Picts is a stimulating survey which will interest not only the student of Dark Age history but also anyone fascinated by the mystery of the Picts.
The Picts is a survey of the historical and cultural developments in northern Britain between AD 300 and AD 900. Discarding the popular view of the Picts as savages, they are revealed to have been politically successful and culturally adaptive members of the medieval European world. Re-interprets our definition of ‘Pict’ and provides a vivid depiction of their political and military organization Offers an up-to-date overview of Pictish life within the environment of northern Britain Explains how art such as the ‘symbol stones’ are historical records as well as evidence of creative inspiration. Draws on a range of transnational and comparative scholarship to place the Picts in their European context
For a long time the Picts were known almost entirely from their mysterious symbol stones, which scholars have tried to interpret and date. Many problems remain unsolved concerning their links with the Scots. This account presents the latest archaeological discoveries and discusses the relationship between these two peoples, tracing their development from raids on Roman Britain to the formation of rival Dark Age kingdoms that produced a unique artistic inheritance.