A persistence of place : a study of continuity and regionality in the Roman and early medieval rural settlement patterns of Norfolk, Kent and Somerset
The debate over the continuity, or discontinuity, of the late Roman settlement landscape has reigned long over studies of settlement and landscape transition between the Roman and early medieval periods. Traditionally, these studies have been confined to their period of research, typically taking a site-based perspective and neglecting the wider social and physical context. Since the development of âlandscape archaeologyâ, the importance of the wider physical and social landscape, both as a source of evidence in its own right and the arena in which the processes of settlement change during the Roman and early medieval periods took place, has come to the forefront of settlement and landscape studies for these periods. Much of the research, however, remains qualitative in nature, rich in contextualisation and historical reflection, but lacking in systematic and spatial analysis. This thesis addresses that gap through a broad-scale, quantitative, study of Roman and early medieval settlement, to determine how far patterns of late Roman settlement appear to continue into the 5th to 11th centuries, and to what extent they influenced settlement processes during that period. The results have been systematically
Fleming, Fiona Jane
Landscape Archaeology ; Roman settlement ; Early medieval settlement ; Settlement Continuity ; Pays ; Somerset ; Norfolk ; Kent
A persistence of place : a study of continuity and regionality in the Roman and early medieval rural settlement patterns of Norfolk, Kent and Somerset. The debate over the continuity, or discontinuity, of the late Roman settlement landscape has reigned long over studies of settlement and landscape transition between the Roman and early medieval periods. Traditionally, these studies have been confined to their period of research, typically taking a site-based perspective and neglecting the wider social and physical context. Since the development of âlandscape archaeologyâ, the importance of the wider physical and social landscape, both as a source of evidence in its own right and the arena in which the processes of settlement change during the Roman and early medieval periods took place, has come to the forefront of settlement and landscape studies for these periods. Much of the research, however, remains qualitative in nature, rich in contextualisation and historical reflection, but lacking in systematic and spatial analysis. This thesis addresses that gap through a broad-scale, quantitative, study of Roman and early medieval settlement, to determine how far patterns of late Roman settlement appear to continue into the 5th to 11th centuries, and to what extent they influenced settlement processes during that period. The results have been systematically
persistence place study continuity regionality roman_early medieval rural_settlement pattern norfolk kent somerset debate continuity_discontinuity late_roman settlement_landscape reign long study settlement_landscape transition roman_early medieval_period traditionally study confine period typically take site based perspective neglect wider_social physical context since development landscape_archaeology importance wider physical social landscape source_evidence right arena process settlement change roman_early medieval_period take_place come forefront settlement_landscape study period much however remain qualitative nature rich contextualisation historical reflection lack systematic spatial_analysis address_gap broad scale quantitative_study roman_early medieval settlement determine far pattern late_roman settlement appear continue extent_influence settlement process period systematically