with the advent of the anglo-saxon period in the fifth century ce, the area that became kent underwent a radical transformation on a political, social, and physical level. in the preceding era of roman britain, the area had been administered as the "civitas" of "cantiaci", a part of the roman empire, but following the collapse of roman rule in 410 ce, many signs of romano-british society began to disappear, replaced by those of the ascendant anglo-saxon culture. later anglo-saxon accounts attribute this change to the widescale invasion of germanic language tribes from northern europe, namely the angles, saxons, and jutes. archaeological and toponymic evidence shows that there was a great deal of syncretism, with anglo-saxon culture interacting and mixing with the romano-british culture.