The use of the museum as a resource for Medieval European history studies: Britannian cultural history through the case of the British Museum

The history of British Isles is also the history of four nations including England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. Ireland without any geographical bonds with British Isles has an important role in forming the history of Britain. The history of Britain full of invasions and conquers resulted in the emergence of these nations in time. Lands of today's England located in the southern east of the isles have become a political and cultural centre throughout the history. In British historical sources, we first encounter the Britons, the indigenous people of the island, and the Celts as a dominant culture. Then, the period to be named as Roman Britain started upon the conquer of Britain by the Roman Empire in 43 (year). Following the withdrawal of the Roman Empire from the island in 410, Anglo-Saxons with German roots invaded Britain. Anglo-Saxons set seven kingdoms in Britain and the power struggle started both between themselves and local kingdoms. These kingdoms gathered under a single roof by the arrival of Vikings. The attacks which started in the period named as Viking Age (8-11 century) ended by ascending of Cunt, the Viking, as the King of Britain. The political control of Vikings founding settlement areas in great part of the Britain did not last long and Viking Age ended by the conquer of the Britain by Normans in 1066. The researchers will discuss material remains reflecting both their cultures and other cultures they interacted with, and endeavour for evaluating the cultural history of Britain in order follow cultural traces reaching today of these communities taking part in the formation of cultural history of Britain and to reveal cultural interaction.