Anglo-Saxons: Life in the UK test revision

An Anglo-Saxon king was buried inside a whole ship at Sutton Hoo, and earth was heaped over it. The treasure found there shows how rich and skilled the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms were.

Test Trap. the ship burial at Sutton Hoo is ANGLO-SAXON, not Viking, even though Vikings are the ones famous for ships.

Why it matters: A named site the test asks about; easy to confuse with the Vikings because of the ship.

Memory hook: Sutton Hoo: a king, a ship, a hill of earth.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.7, page 40

The Archbishop of Canterbury is still the spiritual leader of the Church of England today, and the line starts here, with Augustine, sent from Rome to convert the Anglo-Saxons of the south.

Test Trap. St Augustine (from Rome) worked in the SOUTH and became Archbishop of Canterbury. St Columba (from Ireland) worked in the NORTH, on Iona.

Why it matters: Connects Early Britain to the religion chapter. The Archbishop's office is 1,400 years old.

Memory hook: Augustine from Rome: the first at Canterbury.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.7, page 40

When Roman rule ended, new settlers called Angles, Saxons and Jutes arrived in Britain from northern Europe. This is one of those questions where the wrong answers are obviously wrong, Southern Africa, South America, Central Asia, so if you remember 'northern Europe, near the sea', you can rule out the rest fast.

Why it matters: The wrong answers are far-fetched, so this is an easy mark if you just remember the general direction: north, across the sea.

Memory hook: Angles, Saxons, Jutes, all sailed in on North Sea routes.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.7, page 40

Rome's empire was under pressure elsewhere, so the legions were pulled out in AD 410 and never came back. That opened the door to new arrivals from northern Europe — the Jutes, Angles and Saxons.

Why it matters: One of the four dates that structure Early Britain: AD 43, AD 410, AD 600, AD 789.

Memory hook: Four-ten: the Romans go home.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.7, page 40

The Anglo-Saxons gave England its name and its language. Their kingdoms covered most of what is now England, but much of Wales and Scotland stayed outside their rule, which is one reason those nations kept their own languages.

Why it matters: AD 600 is the date, and 'the basis of modern English' is the detail that often goes with it.

Memory hook: By 600, the Angles had England, and English.

Official handbook: Chapter 3, section 3.7, page 40