Abstract
A MAP of Britain in the Dark Ages (A.D. 410 to 871) is the third of the period maps to be published by the Ordnance Survey. The south sheet covering England, Wales and part of southern Scotland has now appeared (Southampton: Ordnance Survey. Cloth mounted. 55. Paper, flat and unmounted. 2s. 6d.). The scale is 1: 1,000,000 and the map is contoured and layer coloured. No attempt has been made at the almost impossible task of restoring the ancient coast line, but the forest covering is shown, and is the same as that on the map of Roman Britain. The entries on the map have been derived from both archaeological and historical sources, and an attempt has been made to represent both the Celtic and Saxon aspects of the period. Different characters are used for place names of the two origins. Latin names, constantly used in documents of the period, are also differentiated. Roman roads, with one exception are omitted, since their use was uncertain. Churches, crosses, battle-sites, villages and other dwellings, and burial places are shown, and in the introductory pamphlet that goes with the map there are small maps showing respectively place names ending ining and the distribution of cemeteries. There is a complete index of ancient names with modern equivalents. The map is a beautiful example of cartography and shows a wide range of historical research without any suggestion of crowding of names or symbols.
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Britain in the Dark Ages. Nature 137, 26 (1936). https://doi.org/10.1038/137026c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/137026c0