History of the Isle of Wight proposal. History of the Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight is rich in historical and archaeological sites, from prehistoric fossil beds with dinosaur remains, to dwellings and artefacts dating back to the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and Roman periods. The River Solent was the largest tributary of the Channel River that drained the Hampshire Basin from the Early Pleistocene or late Pliocene. During the Mesolithic period, sea levels in northern Europe were some 30 to 40 metres lower than today, and the land that became Britain was a peninsula of northern Europe. The island was formed at the end
History of the Isle of Wight are retained in the county archaeological centre. From about 685-686 the island can be considered part of Wessex, and after the West Saxon kings ruled all England, then part of England. The Anglo Saxon Chronicle tells how "Wiht-land" suffered from Viking raids: ""And then another time they lay in the Isle of Wight, and meanwhile ate out of Hampshire and of Sussex"". Alfred the Great's navy defeated the Danes in 871 after they had "ravaged Devon and the Isle of Wight". Around 900 the kingdom was divided into shires, and the island became part of the shire of Hampshire. During