Since it was created 900 years ago, the Bayeux Tapestry has survived war, revolution and the ravages of time. This fragile piece of linen, almost seventy metres long, depicts the events leading up to the Norman invasion of England. But who created it, and why? What do its graphic scenes of battle and cruelty reveal about life, death and warfare in the middle ages?

This is a Short History of the Bayeux Tapestry.

Written by Kate Harrison. With thanks to Michael Lewis, Head of Portable Antiquities & Treasure at the British Museum.

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