insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 08 - October 2015 | Page 59
DAYSOUT
King Charles II
Anglo Saxon Migration
Sussex has a rich and varied history that spans the ages, and the
centuries. Our county’s name itself comes from the Old English for South
Saxons, and the first recorded mention of the county (a kingdom at the
time) was in 477 AD when King Aelle landed with just three small ships –
each one containing one of his sons – and decided that Sussex was the
area for him. He jumped ashore and took it, declaring it the Kingdom of
Sussex.
Most people today consider the story of Aelle to be a bit of a myth and,
although it’s a nice story, it does seem to have an element of hyperbole
about it. What isn’t disputed, however, is that Saxons definitely did settle
in Sussex in the fifth century. Their tools and settlements have been
discovered here over the years, and many can be seen in museums and
historical attractions across the county today.
But before Aelle and his sons, before the Viking ships, before Sussex was
even a word familiar to the surrounding areas, the area itself was most
certainly inhabited. With its rich and fertile land, its prominent position on
the coast, and its enviable mining, which self-respecting group of invaders
or settlers would go anywhere else? In fact, the famous ‘Boxgrove Man’
(one of a species called homo heidelbergensis) dates from between
478,000 and 524,000 years ago, making these early humans the first
people to make Sussex their home. Later, in around 8,000 BC, when the
landmasses of Britain and Europe were still connected, hunters crossed
from Europe and settled in Sussex. Tools, knives, arrow heads and more
have been found across the South Downs, indicating that Mesolithic Age
people were also keen to stay in the area.
Flint mining was a big draw for many in the Neolithic Age (between 4,300
and 3,400 BC) and Sussex had a lot of it, which is why the area soon
became a hub of Neolithic industry. For those ancient beings, Sussex
was the place to go to if they wanted tools or weapons. Early industry
began here.
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