Medieval London gallery
Teachers notes
These activities are designed to help KS2 pupils studying Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain to explore the Medieval London gallery and develop historical enquiry skills.
Guide sheets linked to the activity sheets are also included, these can be used by the teacher in preparation for the visit, or could be given to supporting adults or pupils who would benefit from extended interpretation.
They are designed for use by schools booked for the Scop session.
They are offered in Microsoft Word format so that teachers can adapt for their pupils’ needs, if they wish.
To extend chronological understanding you may also like to book to visit the Roman London gallery or the Archaeology in Action gallery, although we have not included activities for these galleries.
We suggest you split the class into groups and allocate each group a different starting point, so that pupils are spread across the gallery.
Please remember to photocopy these activity sheets before your visit. Pupils could also bring sketch pads to record their visit.
KS2 ScopMedieval London gallery
Notes for adults
Please support your pupils by:
- visiting the Archaeology in Action gallery and discussing why we have little archaeological evidence from Saxon London (i.e. buildings made of wood)
- reading and discussing text panels
- discussing chronology shown in the interactive map at beginning of gallery
- discussing whether the artefacts on display are complete or broken and how they would have looked when they were new
- discussing the uses of the artefacts on display, whether we use similar things today and how they compare with objects today
- expanding on the questions within the activity sheets.
This map will help you and your pupils to find your way around (ask gallery Hosts for help in finding things).
Please supervise your pupils at all times.
Invaders
Find the timeline. Now draw a line between each invader and the date of their invasion.
BC 550AD 410AD 1066
Anglo-Saxon weapons
Draw one weapon used by an Anglo-Saxon warrior.
Anglo-Saxon burials
List three objects found in a woman’s grave and three objects found in a man’s grave.
Woman’s grave / Man’s grave1) ______
2) ______
3) ______/ 1) ______
2) ______
3) ______
Anglo-Saxon settlements
Find case 4
1. Read the information board to the left of the case. Underline ‘true’ or ‘false’ to answer the following statements:
a) The Anglo-Saxons built the town of Lundenwic inside the walls of the old Roman city / TRUE/FALSEb) The name ‘Lundenwic’ means ‘London-port‘ / TRUE/FALSE
c) Lundenwic was eventually abandoned because of raids by the Normans / TRUE/FALSE
2. In the box below, draw an object that was made by a craft worker in Lundenwic. Label it to explain what it is and the materials it is made out of.
3. Complete the chart below with the name of one object that you could buy in Lundenwic for each of the different purposes.
Object / UseTo fasten your cloak
To tidy your hair
To open the door to your home
To drink wine out of
Viking invaders
Find case 5
Use the information cards to help you choose the correct words from the box below to complete the paragraph.
Lindisfarne axes warriors Denmark NileThames Great Spain Lundenwic guns
The Vikings came from Norway and ______. They first
attacked ______in AD 842 by sailing up the River ______.
The Vikings were fearless ______and fought with swords and
______. In AD 872 the ______Army invaded England.
Find case 9.1
In the box below, draw a picture of an item of equipment that a rider on a horse would use. Write one or two sentences underneath explaining what it is and how it was used.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
King Alfred the Great
Find case 6
Read the information on the board to the left of the case then circle the correct answer to the questions below:
1. Alfred recaptured the London area from the Vikings in:
A: AD 1066
B: AD 886
C: AD 410
2. Alfred and the leader of the Vikings agreed that:
A: they would rule England together
B: Alfred would rule the whole of England
C: they would divide England and each rule one half
3. King Alfred established the town of:
A: Lundenburg
B: Lundenwic
C: Lundenham
Now choose one of the objects in the case. Look at it from as many angles as you can. What shape is it? What colour/s is it? How would it feel if you touched it? Does it remind you of something else? Who might have used it in the past? What would he/she have looked like?
Use your imagination to help you describe the object in as much detail as you can. Don’t forget to use adjectives (describing words).
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
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…………………………………………………………………..……………………………………..
Stories and legends
Back at school you are going to write your own story based in Anglo-Saxon times. Use the gallery to help you plan your ideas and find objects that will be part of your story. You can draw or write in the chart below.
Description of main character(e.g. a warrior, King Alfred, a young girl: What objects do you own?) / Description of setting
(e.g. Lundenwic, an isolated settlement, the deserted Roman city: What objects are there in your home or job? )
Now find a quiet space in the gallery where you can sit down and write the beginning of your story. Remember to make it exciting so that the reader will want to read on!
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….………………………….…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………………………………………………..…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Guide sheet: Anglo-Saxon invaders
After the Romans withdrew from Britain, around AD 410, the Angle, Saxon and Jute tribes from northern Europe began to invade and settle in England. These became known as the Anglo-Saxons. The precise reasons for their invasion are not known; perhaps they were simply looking for better land to farm or perhaps, as in the legend of Hengest and Horsa, warriors were invited to come in order to help native tribes win battles against each other.
Look at the timeline (at the entrance of the gallery)
In which year did the Anglo-Saxons begin to invade and settle? (AD 410) Do you know which group of people had invaded Britain around 450 years earlier? (The Romans) In which year did the Vikings attack Lundenwic (London-port)? (AD 842) Can you find out from the timeline which group of people invaded and settled in England around 650 years after the Anglo-Saxons? (The Normans in 1066)
Find cases 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 (in the centre, at the start of the gallery)
What different sorts of evidence have been found to show that there were Anglo Saxon settlements around the London area? (E.g. pottery, weapons) Can you find the spindle whorl? (The black disc in case 2.2) Who would have used this? What was it used for? (A woman – for spinning woollen fleece into thread)
Find case 3 (at the beginning of the gallery, along the right hand wall)
What evidence can you see to show that the Anglo-Saxons were great warriors? (E.g. shield mounts, sword) What evidence can you find that they were also skilled craftsmen? (E.g. the brooches, the decoration on the shield mounts) Many of these objects are ‘grave goods’ – what does that mean? (They were buried with a body) Why do you think Anglo-Saxons buried these objects with their dead? (Because they believed the dead would need them in the ‘after life’) Can you suggest which of the objects might have been buried with a man, which with a woman and which with either? (E.g. weapons for a man; spindle whorls with a woman; pots for both)
Look at the map on the board to the left of case 3
Point to the site of the old Roman city (the red outline to the north of the River Thames) Did the Anglo-Saxon invaders rebuild the old city? (No: not until many years later.) Why do you think this was? (Probably because the early settlers were more used to living in small family groups and farming the land rather than living and working in)
Guide sheet: Anglo-Saxon settlements
The Anglo-Saxons initially lived in small settlements consisting of just a few families; later these grew into villages and small towns. Evidence for a number of these has been discovered in the outer parts of the modern day Greater London area. Later, Lundenwic grew up to the west of the remains of the Roman city of Londinium. After Viking attacks in 842 and 851, the Anglo-Saxons abandoned the settlement in favour of the safety of the old city walls.
Find the map screen (in the centre at the start of the gallery)
Watch the visual display from the beginning. What does the broad blue line represent? (The River Thames) What does the red outline above it represent? (The old Roman city) What does the green background represent? (Countryside: fields, woods etc) How did the London area change during the Anglo-Saxon period? (AD 410 – AD 1066) (Mostly countryside with a few small, isolated settlements to begin with - some grew into villages and towns; by end of period, London had been re-established within the walls of the old Roman city)
Find case 4 (near the start of the gallery, on the right hand wall)
Read the information board to the left of the case. Where was the Anglo-Saxon town called Lundenwic built? (To the west of the old Roman city) Around what year was it built? (Around AD 600) What does the word Lundenwic mean? (London-port) What do you think was the main reason why the Anglo-Saxons chose this site for Lundenwic? (Because it was on the banks of the Thames - i.e. for trade)
Look at the objects in the case
What materials did different craft workers in Lundenwic use? (E.g. bone, metal) What sort of objects did they make? (E.g. pins, brooches) Who would have used the large circular objects in the top right hand corner of the case? (A weaver – someone who was weaving cloth from woollen thread) What did the Anglo-Saxons export from Lundenwic? (Mainly wool and woollen cloth) What different kinds of goods did they import? (E.g. pottery, glassware) What do you think had happened to the old Roman city in the 200 years since the Romans had left? (It had fallen into ruin – a ghost town!) Why did the Anglo-Saxons abandon Lundenwic around AD 851? (Because of Viking raids) Why do you think the remains of the old Roman city were safer? (Because the remains of the walls were still standing and could be repaired)
Guide sheet: Viking invaders & King Alfred
In AD 789 the Anglo-Saxons suffered their first Viking attack on the south coast; over the next few decades they suffered many more, including attacks on the London area. Although the ferocity of their raids led to them being regarded as barbarians, like the Anglo Saxons the Vikings were farmers and skilled craftsmen as well as warriors.
Find case 5 (near the beginning of the gallery, in the centre)
Read the information card in the case. Which countries did Vikings come from? (Denmark and Norway) In which year did the Vikings first attack Lundenwic (London-port)? (AD 842) How do you think the Vikings were able to attack it? (By sailing their ships up the River Thames) What was the Danish Viking army called that landed in England in AD 872?
(The Great Army) Look at the objects in the case. What different weapons did the Vikings have? (E.g. swords, axes)
Find case 9.1 (further on, along the right hand wall of the gallery)
Read the information on the board to the left of the case. Who was the first Danish Viking king of England? In what year was he accepted as king? (King Cnut - 1016) What happened after the death of King Cnut and his sons? (The Anglo-Saxon prince Edward became king) What happened in 1066? (The Normans invaded – William the Conqueror became king)
Look at the objects in the case. What Viking weapons can you see? (E.g. more swords and axes) Why do you think so many of these have been found in the River Thames? (Perhaps dropped during battles on board ships, or thrown in during a victory celebration)
What evidence is there that horses were used as transport during this time? (E.g. the horse shoe, the stirrup) Can you see the spur? (Object 7) How would this be used? (It would be fastened to the back of the rider’s heel; the rider would prick the sides of the horse to make it go faster) Can you see the horse bit? (Object 6a) How would this be used? (The centre of the chain would go in the horse’s mouth; rope or leather reigns would be attached to the rings on either side so that the rider could direct the horse)
King Alfred the Great
Find case 6
Read the information on the board to the left of the case and discuss what Alfred achieved in recapturing the London area from the Vikings and agreements he made with the Vikings. Discuss whether you think he was a great a ruler and if so what made him great, clever strategies, victorious battles.
Guide sheet: Stories and legends
The Anglo-Saxons grouped their dwellings around the great hall of their lord or king for protection. Here they would gather for feasts, when they would be entertained by storytellers. These stories were not written down for many centuries, but were passed on from generation to generation. Many of the stories that have survived centre on a great warrior, like Beowulf, and tell of his heroic deeds.
Look around the whole of the Anglo-Saxon part of the gallery (approximately the first quarter – up to case 9.1 on the right hand wall)
Why do you think Anglo-Saxons admired warriors so much? (Because these were violent times! Men had to fight against invaders etc.) What skills do you think Anglo-Saxon lords and kings had to have? (Had to be able to fight in battle and to protect their people - ideally be just and fair too)
What other features of their lives do you think Anglo-Saxons might have used in their poems and stories? (E.g. their gods, their work, falling in love) How do you think legends of monsters (like Grendel in Beowulf) came into being? (Perhaps because so few Anglo-Saxons lived in towns – most settlements were isolated – probably dark and scary at night!) Why do you think so few stories were actually written down at this time? (Very few people could read or write)
Find the information board headed ‘Back to the Land’ (to the left of case 3 near the start of the gallery)
What is the language spoken by Anglo-Saxons known as today? (Old English) What language had this developed from? (German)
Find the interactive book (near the end of the right and wall) What different languages, spoken during Anglo-Saxon times, have influenced the development of modern English? (E.g. Norse - spoken by Vikings; Latin) See if you can correctly identify the origin of the different words in the book.
Find the listening post (further on, towards the middle of the gallery)
Listen to the Anglo-Saxon merchant describing the dangers of his job in Old English. Can you recognise any of the words he uses?