The English and the Celts - no genocide?

[authun]

Then you get cities in the West, like Ilchester, which still show evidence of importing Byzantine coins and Tintagel-ware pottery (most likely
through the still British controlled harbours of Tintagel, Bantham etc)
into the 520s, but not as late as 550 AD.

Hi Ambrosius,

This may be due to the Justianian plague. Procopius' description is informative, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/5 ... lague.html

It may have affected the western parts more severely than we think. The irish annals do refer to a 'great mortality'. It may be the point at which the last ties with the roman world were severed.

The germanic speakers in the east were unaffected by the plague but may have received a fresh wave of immigration from Scandinavia caused by drought and cold. Merowingian mercenaries too may have come to take advantage of the situation and/or flee the plague which was affecting southern Gaul. Hence, in the latter half of the 6th cent. we see renewed attacks on the weakened romano british population in the west.

best

Harry Amphlett