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Year 5

Religious buildings and artefacts

I can explain what archaeologists and historians think they have found out about Christianity in Anglo-Saxon Britain from buildings and artefacts.

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New
New
Year 5

Religious buildings and artefacts

I can explain what archaeologists and historians think they have found out about Christianity in Anglo-Saxon Britain from buildings and artefacts.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Historians believe that Anglo-Saxon churches were built on sites of older pagan temples and places of worship.
  2. Archaeologists have found the remains of Anglo-Saxon churches and monasteries, such as Jarrow Abbey.
  3. These were centres of manuscript making and learning; Bede entered one aged 7 and went on to write a history of Britain.
  4. The Franks Casket, a 700s CE Northumbrian chest, has both pagan imagery and the Christian Adoration of the Magi.
  5. Historians argue about what else it shows, but it does suggest pagan traditions continued after Christianity’s spread.

Common misconception

Pupils may think that as soon as Christianity returned to Britain, pagan traditions disappeared completely.

Paganism did not completely vanish. Though the majority of Anglo-Saxons were Christians, pagan beliefs and traditions were still present.

Keywords

  • Pagan - a pagan is a person holding religious beliefs other than those of the main world religions

  • Monastery - a monastery is a building where monks live and work together dedicated to religious life

  • Manuscript - a manuscript is a handwritten document usually from ancient or medieval times

  • Imagery - imagery is a way of describing pictures and patterns that can be seen on items

There are still a fair few churches with original Anglo-Saxon architecture, ruins or at least history. A visit to one in your local area will really add to this unit.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is one of the few written sources that survives from Anglo-Saxon Britain called?
The Bayeux Tapestry
The Doomsday Book
Correct answer: The Law of Aethelbert
The Magna Carta
Q2.
Which statements accurately describe what 'law codes' were and why they are of historical significance?
Correct answer: Law codes were detailed instructions for building settlements.
Law codes were long lists of rules that everyone in the kingdom had to follow.
Law codes allow historians to understand the layout of buildings in settlements.
Correct answer: Law codes allow historians to infer that society was very violent.
Q3.
What was given to Anglo-Saxons if they were hurt by someone?
gifts
Correct answer: compensation
verbal apologies
pieces of land
Q4.
What is the name given to the system where people are ranked according to their importance?
democracy
monarchy
economy
Correct answer: hierarchy
Q5.
Which group of people were at the bottom of the Anglo-Saxon social hierarchy?
Correct answer: enslaved people
earls
freeman
the king
Q6.
Whom does the word 'widow' describe?
a man whose wife has passed away
a woman or man whose husband or wife has passed away
Correct answer: a woman whose husband has passed away

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the correct description.
Correct Answer:pagan,a person who has beliefs other than those of the main world religions

a person who has beliefs other than those of the main world religions

Correct Answer:monastery,a building where monks live and work together

a building where monks live and work together

Correct Answer:manuscript,a handwritten document usually from ancient or medieval times

a handwritten document usually from ancient or medieval times

Correct Answer:imagery ,a way of describing pictures and patterns that can be seen on items

a way of describing pictures and patterns that can be seen on items

Q2.
True or false. When the Anglo-Saxons first arrived in Britain they followed the Christian religion.
True
Correct answer: False
Q3.
Which statement accurately describes the impact that missionaries had on Anglo-Saxon Britain?
Correct answer: They taught the Anglo-Saxons about Christianity.
They introduced the Anglo-Saxons to new farming techniques.
Correct answer: Many Anglo-Saxon kings converted to Christianity.
They established a new language in Anglo-Saxon Britain.
Q4.
Starting with the earliest, order these events.
1 - The Romans leave Britain.
2 - The Anglo-Saxons arrive in Britain.
3 - Christianity declines in Britain.
4 - Missionaries convert the pagan Anglo-Saxons to Christianity.
5 - The Anglo-Saxons begin to build churches on old pagan sites.
Q5.
Which statements about the Anglo-Saxon monk Bede are correct?
Correct answer: He started learning at aged seven at Jarrow Abbey.
He discovered a new kind of plant in the monastery garden.
Correct answer: He wrote an important manuscript about the history of Britain.
He was famous for building the largest monastery in England.
Q6.
Complete the sentence. The on 'the Franks Casket' tells us that both Christian and pagan traditions were popular around the same time.
Correct Answer: imagery, Imagery

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