• Course begins August 5, 2026

  • Live sessions with the instructor each week from 2:00 to 3:30pm Eastern U.S. time

  • All sessions are recorded and available to view for up to 2 weeks after the last live session

Romans after Rome

This first lesson untangles the myriad conceptual and ideological links between Late Roman Britain and what we nowadays refer to as ‘Anglo-Saxon’ or ‘Celtic’, highlighting that the idea of Rome persisted through new forms and new lenses well into the 6th and 7th centuries.

Little Kingdoms

A rapid overview of 20-30 early petty polities across England, Wales, and Scotland between the 5-7th centuries, showcasing how different geographical environments and coastal regions reshaped Roman rural districts into early kingdoms. The main themes explored this week will be identity and kinship formation.

The North Sea Age

With 5-7th century Britain placed in its own national context, the trick now is to examine the island from afar, to assess to what extent the international links between it and the rest of Europe changed between the Roman Period and the Viking Age. This lesson will largely follow the journeys of monks, moneyers, and diplomats to disprove notions that ‘Dark Age’ Britain was isolated.

Vikings before Vikings

The final session charts a journey towards the first raid on Lindisfarne in AD 793, following acts of piracy in the North Sea since the first century. This will hammer home several of the topics explored previously, placing them in an international context and moving against the notion of neat historical periodisation. ‘Viking’ raids before 793 will be assessed, alongside a summary of how Britain changed between 410 and the infamous raid.

Meet your Instructor

Alex Harvey

Alex Harvey an author and archaeologist published and signed with the University of Cambridge, Palgrave Macmillan, Sidestone Press, Amberley, Pen & Sword, and Five Leaves Publications, specializing in the Early Medieval Period (350-1100 CE). Mainly, his work revolves around disseminating complex academia into accessible formats; this has involved dozens of lectures around England, some abroad in Europe, alongside appearances on BBC Radio, work for the Swedish national heritage board, and plentiful podcast interviews. He is also the Collections Manager for a museum in Pocklington (East Yorkshire), and a teacher within North Yorkshire.

  • Access

    Continued access to course materials available for 2 weeks after the last course session

“Alex Harvey’s classes were clear and had enough narrative structure to keep me engaged. His slides had just enough text and good images. His maps were amazingly good. I learned a lot and would be interested in taking any other classes he teaches.”

“I can’t tell you how much I loved the sessions I attended - primarily because of your very interesting approach and style. “Dark Ages” England is one of my favorite interests and you really added to that for me. I hope you will do more sessions soon. ”

“I thoroughly enjoyed this course for numerous reasons. The lectures were excellent, a clear culmination of the amount of time, thought, preparation, knowledge, and expertise that went into them. The secondary materials were helpful and enhanced the content of the lectures. The third reason is that the course was so well taught that it kindled my curiosity and I'm delightedly exploring the period in more detail. Alex Harvey is very approachable and helpful, and I would wholeheartedly recommend any further courses taught by him. ”