Britain in the Middle Ages: An Archaeological History, by Francis Pryor; Harper Perennial, 2006, $24.99. It was the worst of times—life was said to be nasty, brutish and short. Even the words, such as medieval, let alone dark ages, are taken to mean any awful sort of society, squalid, ignorant, oppressive and dull. According to some it lasted from the dawn of mankind until the end of the Menzies Era. And it was the best of times, of devoted craftsmen building soaring cathedrals, unquestioning, irradiating and seamless Catholic faith, jolly millers, a co-operative, organic society where all ranks worked together…