Settlement, economy and lifestyle : the changing social identities of the coastal settlements of West Norfolk, 450-1100 AD
The thesis explores social transformations in the settlement and economy of Anglo-Saxon England, between c.450 and 1100 AD, by using detailed case studies of rural settlement remains within a sub-region, coastal West Norfolk, to construct a systematic narrative of their development. The archaeological evidence for analysis is mainly composed of portable cultural material from rural settlements, combined with surveyed and excavated evidence of their morphology. Multiple and superimposed forms of evidence such as geophysical survey and fieldwalking survey are employed to analyse the diversity of rural settlements and the material expressions of social and economic change in this period and to challenge existing models. The key findings of this thesis are that surface-find sites discovered by metal detectorists, upon detailed investigation, show themselves to be complex rural settlements engaged in trade and exchange. Importantly, these sites also have the capacity to change over time. The findings of this thesis enables a re-characterisation of early medieval rural social identities as complex, dynamic and ever changing. It is argued that the employment of integrated survey methodologies in other sub-regions
Davies, G. J.
DA Great Britain
Settlement, economy and lifestyle : the changing social identities of the coastal settlements of West Norfolk, 450-1100 AD. The thesis explores social transformations in the settlement and economy of Anglo-Saxon England, between c.450 and 1100 AD, by using detailed case studies of rural settlement remains within a sub-region, coastal West Norfolk, to construct a systematic narrative of their development. The archaeological evidence for analysis is mainly composed of portable cultural material from rural settlements, combined with surveyed and excavated evidence of their morphology. Multiple and superimposed forms of evidence such as geophysical survey and fieldwalking survey are employed to analyse the diversity of rural settlements and the material expressions of social and economic change in this period and to challenge existing models. The key findings of this thesis are that surface-find sites discovered by metal detectorists, upon detailed investigation, show themselves to be complex rural settlements engaged in trade and exchange. Importantly, these sites also have the capacity to change over time. The findings of this thesis enables a re-characterisation of early medieval rural social identities as complex, dynamic and ever changing. It is argued that the employment of integrated survey methodologies in other sub-regions
settlement economy lifestyle change social_identity coastal_settlement west norfolk explore social_transformation settlement economy anglo_saxon_england use detailed_case study rural_settlement remain within sub region coastal west norfolk construct systematic narrative development archaeological_evidence analysis mainly compose portable cultural material rural_settlement combine survey excavate evidence morphology multiple superimpose form evidence geophysical_survey fieldwalking survey employ analyse diversity rural_settlement material_expression social_economic_change period challenge_exist model key_finding surface find site discover metal upon detailed investigation show complex rural_settlement engage trade_exchange importantly site also capacity change_time finding enable characterisation early_medieval rural social_identity complex_dynamic ever change argued employment integrate survey methodology sub