In Britain, during the so-called Dark Ages, a kingdom flourished that traded as far afield as Byzantium, that sent scholars to teach the kings of Europe, that created unmatched art and weapons, and that produced some of the most extraordinary men and women in history. That kingdom was Northumbria, and hardly anyone remembers Cuthbert and Oswald, Wilfrid and Hilda now, nor how the kings of Northumbria reigned as High Kings of Britain. But the patient labours of archaeologists have gradually brought this story to light, and revealed just how extraordinary this kingdom by the sea at the edge of the world was. 

My co-writer, Paul Gething, brings the archaeological chops to the work, seeing as how he is one of the directors of the Bamburgh Research Project, which is continuing to bring to light further discoveries about the kingdom, and one of the key figures in the revolution of our understanding of the kingdom, the people and the times.

First Published 14th December 2012 by The History Press