Iron Age maritime nodes on the English Channel coast
Studies of Iron Age coastal sites in southern Britain have previously concentrated on Hengistbury Head, Dorset and Mount Batten, Devon. These sites have coloured our understanding of late Iron Age cross-Channel interactions. The possibility of many other coastal sites being identified has been dismissed due to the assumption that they would be archaeologically unrecognisable. This study was established to review this question on the southern coast of England. The aim was to determine the criteria and method by which Iron Age coastal sites might be identified, to apply that method, and to model how the suggested sites might have interacted. The physical nature of the English Channel coast in the Iron Age, contemporary vessels, and their port or harbour requirements are considered, and related to references in classical literature to Britain, the Channel and seafaring. Information from the coastal county Sites and Monuments Records, excavation records and published sources then provides an overview of the English Channel in the Iron Age. The characteristics of Iron Age coastal sites are determined and a list of key physical traits is developed. The list is applied to the Iron Age coast and 40 possible sites
Wilkes, Eileen M.
Archaeology
Iron Age maritime nodes on the English Channel coast. Studies of Iron Age coastal sites in southern Britain have previously concentrated on Hengistbury Head, Dorset and Mount Batten, Devon. These sites have coloured our understanding of late Iron Age cross-Channel interactions. The possibility of many other coastal sites being identified has been dismissed due to the assumption that they would be archaeologically unrecognisable. This study was established to review this question on the southern coast of England. The aim was to determine the criteria and method by which Iron Age coastal sites might be identified, to apply that method, and to model how the suggested sites might have interacted. The physical nature of the English Channel coast in the Iron Age, contemporary vessels, and their port or harbour requirements are considered, and related to references in classical literature to Britain, the Channel and seafaring. Information from the coastal county Sites and Monuments Records, excavation records and published sources then provides an overview of the English Channel in the Iron Age. The characteristics of Iron Age coastal sites are determined and a list of key physical traits is developed. The list is applied to the Iron Age coast and 40 possible sites
iron_age maritime node english_channel coast studies iron_age coastal_site southern_britain previously concentrate head dorset mount devon site colour late_iron_age cross channel interaction possibility many coastal_site identify dismissed due assumption would archaeologically study establish review question southern coast england aim_determine criterion method iron_age coastal_site might identify apply_method model suggest site might interact physical nature english_channel coast iron_age contemporary vessel port harbour requirement consider related reference classical_literature britain channel seafaring information coastal county sites monuments records excavation_record publish_source provide_overview english_channel iron_age characteristic iron_age coastal_site determine list key physical trait develop list apply iron_age coast possible site