Late Iron Age and Romano-British Sites on the Methley Gravels West of Castleford
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RESEARCH AGENDA THE IRON AGE AND ROMANO-BRITISH PERIODS IN WEST YORKSHIRE By Adrian M. Chadwick This document is one of a series designed to enable our stakeholders and all those affected by our advice and recommendations to understand the basis on which we have taken a particular view in specific cases. It is also a means by which others can check that our recommendations are justifiable in terms of the current understanding of West Yorkshire’s Historic Environment, and are being consistently applied. As the document is based upon current information, it is anticipated that future discoveries and reassessments will lead to modifications. If any readers wish to comment on the content, the Advisory Service will be glad to take their views into account when developing further versions. Please contact: The West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service Registry of Deeds, Newstead Road, tel: 01924 306797 Wakefield WF1 2DE email: [email protected] Issue 1, June 2009 © West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service and Adrian M. Chadwick, 2009 An Archaeological Research Agenda for West Yorkshire The Iron Age and Romano-British Periods Contents Contents .................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................ iii Notes ........................................................................................................................ iv Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................................. iv 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Aims and objectives ............................................................................... 1 1.2. The history of archaeological research in West Yorkshire .................. 1 1.3. Other relevant research agendas and summaries ................................ 3 2. Chronological issues ......................................................................................... 5 2.1. The Iron Age ............................................................................................ 5 2.2. The late pre-Roman Iron Age and Roman periods ............................... 6 2.3. Absolute dating techniques .................................................................. 7 3. Landscapes, land-use and land allotment ...................................................... 11 3.1.1. ‘Landscape’ approaches ................................................................... 11 3.2. Palaeo-environmental evidence ........................................................... 14 3.3. Field systems ........................................................................................ 19 3.4. Arable agriculture and crop processing .............................................. 22 3.5. Pastoral agriculture, animal husbandry and butchery ....................... 26 4. Settlements ....................................................................................................... 35 4.1. ‘Open’ settlements and palisaded enclosures .................................... 35 4.2. Enclosures and farmsteads ................................................................. 37 4.3. ‘Agglomerated’ settlements ................................................................. 43 4.5. Ladder settlements ............................................................................... 45 4.4. Roman towns, vici, calabrae and roadside settlements ..................... 46 4.5. Villa complexes ..................................................................................... 55 4.6. Priorities and implementation .............................................................. 56 i An Archaeological Research Agenda for West Yorkshire The Iron Age and Romano-British Periods 5. Buildings and structures ................................................................................. 59 5.1. Roundhouses ........................................................................................ 59 5.2. Rectangular buildings .......................................................................... 64 6. Conflict and control .......................................................................................... 70 6.1. Hillforts and defended sites ................................................................. 70 6.2. Linear earthworks ................................................................................. 75 6.3. Roman forts and military sites ............................................................. 77 7. Communications .............................................................................................. 83 7.1. Trackways and holloways .................................................................... 83 7.2. Roman roads ......................................................................................... 84 8. Material culture and identity ............................................................................ 88 8.1. Artefact production and consumption ................................................ 88 8.2. Identity, social structure and ‘Romanisation’ or acculturation ........ 106 9. Depositional practices, cosmology and ritual .............................................. 111 9.1. Patterns in artefact deposition ........................................................... 111 9.2. Placed or structured deposits ............................................................ 113 9.3. Animal burials and animal remains ................................................... 116 9.4. Temples and shrines .......................................................................... 118 10. Death and burial ........................................................................................... 125 11. Implementation and conclusions ................................................................ 136 11.1. Research-led and independent archaeology .................................. 136 11.2. Developer-funded archaeology ........................................................ 138 11.3. Conservation and management ....................................................... 145 11.4. Changes in climate, agriculture and energy production ................ 146 11.5. Towards a Research Framework ..................................................... 147 11.6. Final conclusion and key meta-themes for future research .......... 147 12. Bibliography ................................................................................................. 149 ii An Archaeological Research Agenda for West Yorkshire The Iron Age and Romano-British Periods Acknowledgements I would like to thank Andrea Burgess, formerly of the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service (WYAAS) for suggesting to her colleagues that I write this research agenda, and I would especially like to thank Ian Sanderson (WYAAS) and Dr Stuart Wrathmell (West Yorkshire Joint Services) for commissioning me to undertake this work, and for commenting upon an earlier draft of this text. Stuart Wrathmell also encouraged me to range slightly further afield in archaeological time. At WYAAS, Vince Devine (now at Cadw), Andrea Burgess, Jason Dodds, Rebecca Mann and Ian Sanderson have all been extremely helpful in the past. Andrea Burgess and Jason Dodds in particular have printed out many GIS plots and aerial photograph transcriptions for me, provided me with many references, and supplied me with much valuable information and discussion over the years. Dr Robert Johnston and Colin Merrony at the University of Sheffield granted me access to the SLAP (Sheffield Library of Aerial Photographs) collection of Derrick Riley aerial images that were donated by his widow Marjorie to the Department of Archaeology and Prehistory. Dr Paul Buckland, Dr Chris Cumberpatch, Dr Chris Fenton-Thomas, Dr Melanie Giles, Dr Andy Hammon and Ruth Leary have all provided me with much unpublished information or useful insights regarding the Iron Age and Romano-British archaeology of the region. Gavin Edwards of the Manor House Museum, Ilkley, kindly allowed me to photograph finds from the 1962 and 1919-1922 excavations. Rachael Reader provided me with a copy of her MA dissertation, and some of her thoughts on GIS analyses. Others who have been extremely generous with their time and knowledge include Alison Deegan; Paul Wheelhouse of Golders Associates; Mark Brennand (now at Cumbria County Council), Fraser Brown and Alan Lupton of Oxford Archaeology North; and former colleagues at Archaeological Services WYAS including Dave Berg, Vicky Brown (now at Humber Sites and Monuments Record), Claire Coulter (now at ARCUS), Sam Harrison, Dan Lee, Louise Martin, Dr Debora Moretti, Dr Jane Richardson, Ian Roberts and Alistair Webb. I would also like to thank my former AS WYAS colleagues on the Wattle Syke project, especially Tudur Davies, Sue Moss and Dave Williams, whose expertise and interpretative ideas were most appreciated. Dr iii An Archaeological Research Agenda for West Yorkshire The Iron Age and Romano-British Periods Chris Cumberpatch and Ruth Leary have been particularly generous with their cogent insights and information. Notes Unless otherwise stated, all dates including calibrated radiocarbon dates are presented as years BC or AD, but for ease of reading details of these dates including laboratory names and numbers have not been included. Readers are referred to the original references.