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07/01/2014

Tom Holland and a cast of leading historians join with listeners to discuss the latest historical research. This week, a visit to a holy site in a remote corner of Scotland.

Tom Holland and a cast of leading historians, together with listeners, discuss the latest historical research from across the UK including, this week, the religion of the Picts.

Tom is joined by Professor Martin Carver from the University of York and Dr Gareth Williams from the British Museum in a programme that shines a light on the people of the Dark Ages and also tackles an increasingly thorny issue about how to handle rare artefacts and documents.

Dr Fiona Watson is joined by Dr Alex Woolf from the University of St Andrews on a journey to a Pictish monastery in the remote coastal village of Portmahomack, north of Inverness. It's a site which, thanks largely to the work on Martin Carver, tells us a lot about the reach of Christianity and how the east coast of Britain lost its economic and political advantage after the fall of Rome. Oddly, it was Portmahomack's links to the west through the Great Glen which helped its monastery become established during this period.

And at the British Library, the gloves are off as Helen Castor responds to listener's concerns about the way in which she handled rare documents in her recent TV series for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ 4.

Contact the programme: making.history@bbc.co.uk

Produced by Nick Patrick
A Pier production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.

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28 minutes

Last on

Tue 7 Jan 2014 15:00
ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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Programme Guests

Tom Holland is joined by the archaeologist Professor from the University of York and Dr ,ΜύCurator of Early Medieval Coinage at the British Museum.

Portmahomack - monastery of the Picts

For the last 20 years, Martin Carver has been working on a remote site north east of Inverness. The dig was on an iron-age site in the small, coastal village of Portmahomack. Its revealed a Pictish monastery which, from the end of the 6th century through to the end of the 8th was a wealthy Christian community with links through the Great Glen to the trade links of the Irish Sea.

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Dr Fiona Watson met up with Dr Alex Woolf from the University of St Andrews to find out more about the significance of the site.

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There is a of Professor Martin Carver’s recent book β€œPortmahomack: monastery of the Picts” and other works on so-called insular monasteries in Antiquity

The Vikings are coming…

Martin Carver’s excavation shows evidence of a raid around the year 800 which dramatically affected the Portmahomack site. The raid was most likely by the Vikings and the settlement went from being a religious site to a trading post.Μύ

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Viking culture is to be celebrated by a new exhibition at the British Museum which opens in March. At the same time, the Sutton Hoo display will be updated to show its links throughout Europe and the rest of Britain.

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at the British Museum

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Handling historic documents

Some listeners to Making History were concerned to see Helen Castor, in her recent series for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ 4, handling the fifteenth century Paston Letters with her bare hands in the British Library. β€œShouldn’t she have been wearing gloves”, they ask? According to Sarah Hamlyn Lead Preventive Conservator at the British Library, the answer is β€œno”. Its produced a to explain more.Μύ

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Making History is produced by Nick Patrick and is a Pier Production for ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4.ΜύContact the programme by email making.history@bbc.co.uk, or write to:

Making History,Μύ

PO Box 3096,Μύ

Brighton. BN1 1PL

Broadcast

  • Tue 7 Jan 2014 15:00
    ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

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  • Making History

    Popular history series where the past connects with the present.