Year 5 - History
Anglo-Saxon law codes
The Anglo-Saxons: how do we know about life in Anglo-Saxon England?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils develop their understanding of the link between sources and historical knowledge. They learn about some of the main historical sources that exist for the Anglo-Saxon period and how historians have used these to present arguments about life in Anglo-Saxon
Lesson Summary
You will learn to describe one of the written sources from the Anglo-Saxon period and what historians have inferred from them.
Key Notes
- One of the types of written sources we have from the Anglo-Saxon period are law codes.
- The laws concern compensation for injuries people caused each other, suggesting Anglo-Saxon society could be violent.
- Compensation differed according to status; the laws set out a strict hierarchy with enslaved people at the bottom.
- Unlike men women couldn't receive compensation but they could own property as some laws mention inheritance for widows.
- By looking at who is mentioned and how the law affected them, historians have inferred a lot about Anglo-Saxon society.
Vocabulary To Learn
- law: a law is a rule that tells people what they can and cannot do
- compensation: compensation is something given to make up for loss or harm
- hierarchy: hierarchy a system where people are ranked according to their importance or status
- widows: widows are women whose husbands have passed away
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Widow is a gender neutral term.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Summarise this historical learning in two key ideas.
One of the types of written sources we have from the Anglo-Saxon period are law codes. The laws concern compensation for injuries people caused each other, suggesting Anglo-Saxon society could be violent.
2. Define this history term and explain why it matters in this topic. 'law'
a law is a rule that tells people what they can and cannot do.
3. Correct this common history misconception using evidence language.
Mistake: Widow is a gender neutral term. Correction: Widow is a gendered term for a woman whose husband has died. A widower is a husband whose wife has died.
More Lessons In This Unit
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