The nature and significance of extramural settlement at Vindolanda and other selected sites on the Northern Frontier of Roman Britain
The study of the nature and function of extramural settlement on the northern frontier of Roman Britain is often regarded as being binary; soldiers inside their forts and civilians confined to the adjacent âvicusâ (Birley, Salway and Sommer), which is conceptualised here through the broader term âextramural settlementâ. The research of Driel-Murray, Allason-Jones and Allison provided evidence for women inside Roman forts, making this interpretation of frontier occupation no longer tenable. The aim of this thesis is to examine and challenge the view that extramural settlements were largely âcivilâ and to place the work of Driel-Murray et al. into context. The thesis studies the nature and significance of the extramural settlement at Vindolanda and selected sites through the deposition of three domains of material culture selected to indicate the presence, location and activities of soldiers (combatants), non-combatants as exemplified by adult women, and shared activities that were common bonds across the whole community. According to Cool and Baxter âfinds have the greatest ability to illuminate the past when they are regarded as an integral part of the archaeological recordâ, an idea which
Birley, Andrew Robin
The nature and significance of extramural settlement at Vindolanda and other selected sites on the Northern Frontier of Roman Britain. The study of the nature and function of extramural settlement on the northern frontier of Roman Britain is often regarded as being binary; soldiers inside their forts and civilians confined to the adjacent âvicusâ (Birley, Salway and Sommer), which is conceptualised here through the broader term âextramural settlementâ. The research of Driel-Murray, Allason-Jones and Allison provided evidence for women inside Roman forts, making this interpretation of frontier occupation no longer tenable. The aim of this thesis is to examine and challenge the view that extramural settlements were largely âcivilâ and to place the work of Driel-Murray et al. into context. The thesis studies the nature and significance of the extramural settlement at Vindolanda and selected sites through the deposition of three domains of material culture selected to indicate the presence, location and activities of soldiers (combatants), non-combatants as exemplified by adult women, and shared activities that were common bonds across the whole community. According to Cool and Baxter âfinds have the greatest ability to illuminate the past when they are regarded as an integral part of the archaeological recordâ, an idea which
nature_significance settlement select_site northern frontier roman britain study nature_function settlement northern_frontier roman_britain often regard binary soldier inside fort civilian confine adjacent conceptualise broad term settlement jones provide_evidence woman inside roman fort make interpretation frontier occupation longer tenable aim_examine challenge_view settlement largely civil place work context study nature_significance settlement select_site deposition domain material_culture select indicate presence location activity soldier combatant non exemplify adult woman shared activity common bond across whole community according cool find great ability illuminate past regard integral_part archaeological_record idea