Numismatic data reconsidered : coin distributions and interpretation in studies of late Iron Age Britain
Coins have played an important role in the construction of narratives and models of late Iron Age society in Britain. Distribution maps, in particular, have been employed to identify the supposed tribal structure of the island in the pre-Roman period, which is thought to have survived the Roman conquest to be preserved in the Roman civitas administration system. The continued prominence of the broad stylistic categories that structure all numismatic classifications, and which are often seen to support the projection of Romano-British civitates back into the pre-Roman period, has ensured that while archaeology has moved away from interpreting Iron Age Britain in terms of âtribesâ and dynastic kings, coins are often still interpreted in this way. In the twenty-two years since the publication of Van Arsdellâs Celtic Coinage of Britain (1989), the number of provenanced Iron Age coins has increased by almost seventy-five percent and the number of distinct types almost doubled. This thesis assembles a digital dataset comprised of 32,866 provenanced coins, adding dating and new classification information that allow it to be interrogated from geographical, chronological and typological perspectives using GIS
Leins, Ian
Numismatic data reconsidered : coin distributions and interpretation in studies of late Iron Age Britain. Coins have played an important role in the construction of narratives and models of late Iron Age society in Britain. Distribution maps, in particular, have been employed to identify the supposed tribal structure of the island in the pre-Roman period, which is thought to have survived the Roman conquest to be preserved in the Roman civitas administration system. The continued prominence of the broad stylistic categories that structure all numismatic classifications, and which are often seen to support the projection of Romano-British civitates back into the pre-Roman period, has ensured that while archaeology has moved away from interpreting Iron Age Britain in terms of âtribesâ and dynastic kings, coins are often still interpreted in this way. In the twenty-two years since the publication of Van Arsdellâs Celtic Coinage of Britain (1989), the number of provenanced Iron Age coins has increased by almost seventy-five percent and the number of distinct types almost doubled. This thesis assembles a digital dataset comprised of 32,866 provenanced coins, adding dating and new classification information that allow it to be interrogated from geographical, chronological and typological perspectives using GIS
numismatic data reconsider coin distribution interpretation study play_important_role construction narratives model late_iron_age society britain distribution_map particular employed identify suppose tribal structure island pre_roman period think survive roman_conquest preserve roman civitas administration system continued prominence broad stylistic category structure numismatic classification often_see support projection romano_british back pre_roman period ensure archaeology move_away interpreting iron_age_britain term tribes dynastic king coin often still interpreted way since_publication celtic coinage britain number provenanced iron_age coin increase percent number_distinct type almost double digital dataset comprise provenanced coin add date new classification information allow geographical_chronological typological perspective use_gis