The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to Germanic settlers who became one of the most important cultural groups in Britain by the 5th century.

A 1974 International Political Science Association report defined this ethnic plurality in Scotland as the following: "The basic ethnic and cultural division in the British Isles has been that between the Anglo-Saxon peoples of England and the Scottish Lowlands and the Celtic peoples of Wales, Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.

In the early middle ages, the area of northern Britain that is now Scotland was inhabited by peoples of a number of different backgrounds – Gaels, Britons, Picts and Anglo-Saxons. A fifth group, Scandinavians, would become a presence in the far north from the eighth century.

Learn about the Anglo-Saxons, Britons, Picts and Scots. How was Anglo-Saxon Britain ruled? Find out about the five main Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in Britain and how they were ruled.

Where did the Anglo-Saxons come from? Learn about Anglo-Saxons settlements, daily life and jobs in this BBC Bitesize year 5/6 primary history guide.

The breakdown of the estimates given in this work into the modern populations of Britain determined that the population of eastern England is consistent with 38% Anglo-Saxon ancestry on average, with a large spread from 25 to 50%, and the Welsh and Scottish samples are consistent with 30% Anglo-Saxon ancestry on average, again with a large spread.

Near the end of Roman rule, Britain was being attacked by the Picts and Scots from the north, and the Anglo-Saxons from the sea. The Romans built forts to defend the coast and Hadrian's wall...

5 days ago · Revolt by these mercenaries against their British employers in the southeast of England led to large-scale Germanic settlements near the coasts and along the river valleys.

The period before the first Viking invasion: The Anglo-Saxons, tribes of farmer-warriors who came from Northern Europe (modern day Germany, Netherlands and Denmark) first tried invading in the 4th century, but the Roman army were quick to send them home again.

The Anglo-Saxon period is usually considered to begin from around 410 following the withdrawal of the Romans from Britain, although some Saxon incursions had taken place earlier. The Anglo-Saxons came from modern-day areas of northern Germany, southern Denmark and the borders of the Netherlands. Tradition also suggested that