Ultimately, Max Adams’ The First Kingdom seeks to reframe our understanding of post-Roman Britain. Rather than seeing the 5th and 6th centuries as a dark age of decline, he presents them as a formative era—a crucible in which new identities, languages, and political systems emerged. T

In the absence of imperial rule, Britain fractured into smaller polities. Max Adams traces the emergence of these kingdoms, emphasizing their diversity. In the west, regions such as Gwynedd, Powys, and Dumnonia retained more of their native British identity and language. In the east, Germanic-speaki

In his book The First Kingdom: Britain in the Age of Arthur (2021), historian and archaeologist Max Adams offers a compelling and nuanced reimagining of the so-called “Dark Ages” in Britain. He delves into the turbulent centuries that followed the withdrawal of Roman authority from Brita

Medieval forgers were careful artisans. Common techniques included: Backdating documents to an earlier reign or papacy.   Imitating handwriting and ink styles appropriate to the alleged time.   Using genuine seals stolen or copied from original documents. &nb