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Roman Rural Settlement in Wales and the Marches

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Roman Rural Settlement in Wales and the Marches Roman Rural Settlement in Wales and the Marches Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Archaeology) 2018 Leah Reynolds Cardiff University Department of Archaeology and Conservation School of History, Archaeology and Religion DECLARATION This work has not been submitted in substance for any other degree or award at this or any other university or place of learning, nor is being submitted concurrently in candidature for any degree or other award. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ……….…………….……… STATEMENT 1 This thesis is being submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of ………(insert MCh, MD, MPhil, PhD etc, as appropriate) Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ……….…………….……… STATEMENT 2 This thesis is the result of my own independent work/investigation, except where otherwise stated, and the thesis has not been edited by a third party beyond what is permitted by Cardiff University’s Policy on the Use of Third Party Editors by Research Degree Students. Other sources are acknowledged by explicit references. The views expressed are my own. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ……….…………….……… STATEMENT 3 I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available online in the University’s Open Access repository and for inter-library loan, and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ……….…………….……… STATEMENT 4: PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BAR ON ACCESS I hereby give consent for my thesis, if accepted, to be available online in the University’s Open Access repository and for inter-library loans after expiry of a bar on access previously approved by the Academic Standards and Quality Committee. Signed ………………………………………… (candidate) Date ……….…………….……… Abstract This thesis comprises an analysis and reinterpretation of rural settlements in Wales and the Marches during the Roman period. While the rural settlements of this region have often used as a backdrop to the study of the military, this thesis seeks to refocus and move beyond a simplistic Roman/native opposition in order to present a more nuanced understanding of the nature and development of rural settlement during this period. Data from the Rural Settlement of Roman Britain Project is used to explore the distribution of settlements and material culture to analyse the regional diversity, economic basis, and social practice of rural settlements. A methodology for the analysis of regional ceramic assemblages is also presented to supplement the Rural Settlement of Roman Britain Project data and offers a new perspective on the distribution of and engagement with ceramics at rural sites. Patterns of settlement and engagement with material culture are highly regional and are influenced by multiple factors, including geography, military intervention, and personal agency. The evidence presented within this thesis shows a diversity of rural responses and demonstrates that, far from being a homogenous region peripheral to the materially richer areas to the east, the situation in Wales and the Marches was far more diverse and dynamic than previous work has suggested. Acknowledgements Firstly I must thank my supervisors, Dr Peter Guest and Dr Richard Madgwick. I could not have asked for a better supervisory team and this process was made much easier thanks to their guidance, encouragement, and understanding. My thanks to everyone who has provided feedback and advice throughout the PhD process, and particularly to Dr Niall Sharples, and to Dr Oliver Davies for his constructive comments during my annual reviews which have greatly strengthened the completed work. I am also very grateful to Dr Peter Webster at National Museum Wales for the generosity with which he shared his time and expertise with me in developing the ceramic methodology. I am grateful to the James Pantyfedwen Foundation for their financial support in my third year of study. Balancing a full-time PhD with part-time work has not always been easy but I wish to thank my colleagues and friends at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for their support and patience and for the flexibility which allowed me to continue working throughout. My friends have been a constant source of encouragement, comfort, and welcome distraction variously and as needed over the past four years and I am very lucky and grateful to have them. A special thank you to Lauren and Andrew who have kept me going (sometimes literally) throughout. Last but never least, my thanks and love to my family for their understanding and their unwavering support, not just during these past four years, but always. This would not have been possible without them. To Mam and Dad: this is for you. Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. 4 Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................... 5 Figures ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Tables ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Aims................................................................................................................................ 2 1.2 Study Structure .............................................................................................................. 2 2. Literature Review and Previous Work I: The Iron Age ..................................................... 4 2.1 Iron Age Studies ....................................................................................................... 4 2.1.1 ABC Models ...................................................................................................... 4 2.1.2 Iron Age Communities in Britain ............................................................................. 6 2.1.3 Regional narratives and a ‘Different Iron Age’........................................................ 8 2.1.4 Criticism ................................................................................................................ 10 2.2 The Late Iron Age in Wales and the Marches .............................................................. 11 2.2.1 The Hillfort Zone ................................................................................................... 11 2.2.2 Non-Hillfort Settlement ........................................................................................ 14 2.2.3 Social Structure and Practice ................................................................................ 17 2.2.4 Material Culture .................................................................................................... 20 2.3 Summary .................................................................................................................. 21 3. Literature Review and Previous Work II: The Roman Period ............................................. 23 3.1 Theoretical Developments in Romano-British Studies ................................................ 23 3.1.1 Romanisation and Related Theories ..................................................................... 23 3.1.2 The Material-Cultural Turn ................................................................................... 29 3.1.3 Big Data ................................................................................................................. 34 3.2 Romano-British Studies in Wales and the Marches ..................................................... 35 3.2.1 Overview ............................................................................................................... 35 3.2.2 AD50s – AD80s: Conquest and Consolidation ...................................................... 35 3.2.3 1st to 3rd Centuries ................................................................................................. 38 3.2.4 The 3rd Century Onwards ...................................................................................... 41 3.3 Work in Wales and the Marches .................................................................................. 42 3.5 Summary ...................................................................................................................... 46 4. Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 48 4.1 Defining the Study Region............................................................................................ 48 4.2 Site Data ....................................................................................................................... 49 4.2.1 Rural Settlement of Roman Britain Project Overview .......................................... 49 4.1 Defining the Dataset ................................................................................................ 55 4.3 Ceramic Methodology .................................................................................................. 58 4.3.1 Introduction .........................................................................................................
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