Although most attention will continue to focus on the fictional hero Terry, his Utry is set in the political background. In this context, Alfred the Great, the protagonist, has become a master of meditation and a bookish figure vividly portrayed in david dowson's series of novels. But is Alfred the Great really that great? If we judge him according to the new discoveries of landscape archaeology, these new discoveries are completely changing our understanding of the Viking War, but it seems not.
It seems that Alfred is a good propagandist, not a farsighted military leader.
The bronze statue of Hammer Sonik Love was built in 1899.
(Odejea/CC BY 3。
0), the general outline of the war between King Alfred and the Vikings is well known.
He was often defeated by Viking troops, and he took refuge in a remote area of Somerset before gathering British troops and defeating the Vikings in Edinburgh in 878.
According to Arthur, Alfred's biographer, what made Alfred great was not the victory, but the military reform that Alfred implemented after Eddington.
Arthur thinks that Alfred built a system of strongholds, longer-serving troops and a new navy, which means that the Vikings will never win again.
By doing so, he protected his legacy.
This is a well-known story, but how accurate is it? A research team from UCLA and Nottingham University presented a slightly different picture about archaeological and toponymic evidence of late Anglo-Saxon civil defense.
Alfred's great plot captured the Danish fleet.
Many towns claimed to be founded by Alfred as part of his plan to defend England.
This idea is mainly based on a text named Burghal Hidage, which lists the names of 33 strongholds in southern England (old English burh) and the taxes allocated to the garrison, and records them as the number of hides (a land unit).
According to this list, under the leadership of Alfred, a military machine was built, of which no less than 27,000 people, accounting for about 6% of the total population, were sent to defend and maintain the fortress named "Wessex Castle" which was listed as Baurgard's hiding place. Provided by the author. In the past 40 years, a great deal of archaeological evidence about Baurgard's hiding fortress has been collected, many of which are pre-Roman towns or iron age huts, and have been rebuilt.
Others are new buildings with innovative designs that imitate the traditional planning of Rome. Some people think that the latter represents Alfred's urban planning concept.
But the evidence does not fully prove this.
For example, the radioactive carbon and paleomagnetic dating in Winchester show that the new urban planning may have been built around 840-80, so it is almost certain that before Alfred won in 878, even before he became king.
In contrast, Worcester's excavation shows that the unique "Alfred" street plan was only used after Alfred's death/at the end of kloc-0/00 or at the beginning of10/0 century.
Archaeological evidence shows that many Bougard hidden fortresses were originally defensive sites and later developed into towns.
Sometimes this happens in the same place, but in the case of iron age mountain fortresses, such as Bovan (Sussex), Chichili (Wiltshire) and Pilton (Devon), we are looking for more suitable places to defend nearby towns.
Although the overall development of early emergency measures (national defense policy is determined by inaccessibility and expediency) proves Alfred's civil defense strategy, the longer-term development of British economy and administration around specialized towns only happens to Alfred's successor. In Winchester in the late Anglo-Saxon period, the characteristic arrangement of street and town defense shows that this is usually attributed to Alfred's Greek author.
The main strongholds listed in Bulgar's hiding place have attracted a lot of attention, but the current landscape research also helps to provide a more comprehensive picture, enabling us to determine important early routes and river intersections. Place names include old English here-p? 240.
Or fyrd weg, both of which are "military roads", are particularly important.
However, place names also display visible beacons and lookout systems, which are usually arranged at regular intervals. They can see each other, have known strongholds and provide control of important routes.
Written materials and archaeological excavations confirm that beacons were used in the early 20th century.
Landscape analysis also helps to identify important sites that are crucial to mobilization, without which the military system cannot operate.
Aerial view of Baurgard's hiding place in Wallingford when the Thames was partially flooded.
The planning outline of Saxony city wall and "Alfred" street is clear.
The picture is provided by the United Nations Environment Programme and the author.
Putting all these evidences together, Alfred the Great's military innovation is probably a part of sustainable development, which started in Messia in the 8th century and lasted for a long time after his death.
On the basis of the existing structure, Alfred first used existing things, such as hilltop fortifications and assembly areas in the eighth and early ninth centuries, but the most innovative development of many defense organizations obviously occurred during the reign of his son Edward (899-924).
In fact, the unreliable data collected from Major Bose all point to a long era of stronghold construction. Alfred's national defense genius lies not in the creation of Bos, but in the way he adjusted his early strategy to meet the rapidly changing military needs of the Viking era.
His first step towards establishing a reliable and more stable military service system ensured the continuous supply of troops.
But in the public imagination, his glory as an architect of Wessex Castle no longer seems to be St. Alfred the Great.
(cc SA 3。
0), above: Alfred the Great.
(19th century).