Who were the Picts?

"The term ‘Dark Ages’, while really intended to refer to the supposed cultural, economic and social decline of Europe in the centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire in the West, is quite apt in another sense - the period can be described as ‘Dark’ because, for certain geographical areas, it is rather difficult to work out what exactly was going on.

It was into this slightly mysterious period, in the north of Scotland, that the Picts emerge into the historical record. First named in late Roman sources, this hard to define people slowly grew in power to dominate the farthest northern and eastern reaches of Great Britain, even extending their political influence over the whole of the territory that we now refer to as Scotland. Their power was doubtless considerable, their kings mighty - yet the picts leave precious little behind. By examining what few sources we have, the latest archaeological discoveries, and the material culture the Picts left behind, we can attempt to answer the question: Who were the Picts?"#Picts #DarkAges #Europe #Scotland