Peter Sawyer (historian)
Peter Hayes Sawyer | |
|---|---|
Peter Sawyer teaching a seminar at the University of Leeds, c. 1983. | |
| Born | 25 June 1928 |
| Died | 7 July 2018 (aged 90) |
| Occupation | Historian |
| Academic background | |
| Education | Oxford University (BA) |
| Alma mater | Oxford University |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Medievalist |
| Sub-discipline | Anglo Saxon Studies |
| Main interests | Anglo-Saxon Charters |
Peter Hayes Sawyer (25 June 1928 – 7 July 2018) was a British historian. His work on the Vikings was highly influential, as was his scholarship on Medieval England. Sawyer's early work The Age of the Vikings argued that the Vikings were "traders not raiders", overturning the previously held view that the Vikings' voyages were only focused on destruction and pillaging.
Sawyer is particularly known for his Anglo-Saxon Charters: an Annotated List. Anglo-Saxon charters are referenced by "Sawyer" numbers (abbreviated 'S' as for example in charter "S 407") according to his catalogue.