Kingdom of Gwent

Kingdom of Gwent
Teyrnas Gwent
5th century–942 974–1063
Medieval kingdoms of Wales, showing Gwent in the south-east
Capital		Caerwent Porth-is-Coed
Languages		Old Welsh
Religion		Celtic Christianity
Government		Monarchy
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	After Roman withdrawal from Britain	5th century
•	First union with Glywysing	942–974
•	Invasion by Gruffydd ap Llewellyn	1055
•	Second union with Glywysing	1063
Preceded by Succeeded by Roman Britain Glywysing#Morgannwg Glywysing#Morgannwg

Gwent (Old Welsh: Guent) was a medieval Welsh kingdom, lying between the Rivers Wye and Usk. It existed from the end of Roman rule in Britain in about the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in the 11th century. Along with its neighbour Glywyssing, it seems to have had a great deal of cultural continuity with the earlier Silures, keeping their own courts and diocese separate from the rest of Wales until their conquest by Gruffydd ap Llywelyn. Although it recovered its independence after his death in 1063, Gwent was the first of the Welsh kingdoms to be overrun following the Norman conquest.

The area has been occupied since the Paleolithic, with Mesolithic finds at Goldcliff and evidence of growing activity throughout the Bronze and Iron Age.

Gwent came into being after the Romans had left Britain, and was a successor state drawing on the culture of the pre-Roman Silures tribe and ultimately a large part of their Iron Age territories. It took its name from the civitas capital of Venta Silurum, perhaps meaning "Market of the Silures". In the post Roman period, the territory around Venta became the successor kingdom of Guenta, later Gwent, deriving its name directly from the town through the normal sound change in the Brythonic languages from v to gu. The town itself became Caerwent, "Fort Venta". Unlike in other Welsh territories, inhabitants of Caerwent and Caerleon retained the use of defensible Roman town walls throughout the period.