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Towns in the Dark? Towns in the Dark? Urban transformations from Late Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England Gavin Speed Archaeopress Archaeology Archaeopress Gordon House 276 Banbury Road Oxford OX2 7ED www.archaeopress.com ISBN 978 1 78491 004 4 ISBN 978 1 78491 005 1 (e-Pdf) © Archaeopress and G Speed 2014 Front cover detail: Life amongst the ruins in 5th-6th century Leicester (copyright University of Leicester Archaeological Services and Mike Codd). Background image: The collapsed wall of the Roman macellum, with subsequent Anglo-Saxon structure (SFB) built over and within it (visible on back cover). All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owners. Printed in England by CMP (UK) Ltd This book is available direct from Archaeopress or from our website www.archaeopress.com Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................... viii Preface ................................................................................................................................................................ ix Chapter 1: Introduction and Methodology ............................................................................................................1 1.1 Research Background ...........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 Research Aims and Questions ..............................................................................................................................3 1.3 Structure of the Book ...........................................................................................................................................4 1.4 Data Sources .........................................................................................................................................................5 Written Sources .................................................................................................................................................5 Archaeological Evidence ...................................................................................................................................6 Dating Activity: Closing the Material Culture Gap...........................................................................................7 1.5 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................................9 Study Period: Definitions and Labels ................................................................................................................9 Study Zones .......................................................................................................................................................9 Modelling and Plotting Life in Towns using GIS .............................................................................................9 Chapter 2: A Review of Debate on Romano-British Towns, AD 300 – 600 ............................................................11 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................11 2.2 Early Pioneers: Haverfield, Wheeler, and Collingwood ....................................................................................11 2.3 The Urban Archaeology of Frere, Wacher, and Biddle ......................................................................................12 2.4 Divergent Views and Romanisation ...................................................................................................................13 2.5 Polarised Visions: Dark and Faulkner ................................................................................................................14 2.6 New Century: New Viewpoints? ........................................................................................................................16 2.7 The Future ..........................................................................................................................................................17 Chapter 3: Urban Sequences in the South-East ...................................................................................................18 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................18 3.2 London ................................................................................................................................................................19 The Archaeological Resource ..........................................................................................................................19 Origins and Development ................................................................................................................................19 The 4th Century ...............................................................................................................................................20 Town Defences ................................................................................................................................................21 Public Structures .............................................................................................................................................22 Housing ...........................................................................................................................................................22 Religious Structures and Burials .....................................................................................................................24 The Urban Hinterland ......................................................................................................................................25 The 5th and 6th Centuries ...............................................................................................................................25 The Early 7th Century .....................................................................................................................................26 Altering Settlement Forms: London AD 300-600 ...........................................................................................27 3.3 Colchester ...........................................................................................................................................................27 The Archaeological Resource ..........................................................................................................................28 Origins and Development ................................................................................................................................28 The 4th Century ..............................................................................................................................................29 Town Defences ................................................................................................................................................29 Public Structures .............................................................................................................................................30 Housing ...........................................................................................................................................................30 Soils and Space ................................................................................................................................................32 Religious Structures and Burials .....................................................................................................................32 The Urban Hinterland ......................................................................................................................................33 i The 5th and 6th Centuries ...............................................................................................................................33 The Early 7th Century .....................................................................................................................................36 Altering Settlement Forms: Colchester AD 300-600 ......................................................................................36 3.4 Canterbury ..........................................................................................................................................................36 The Archaeological Resource ..........................................................................................................................36 Origins and Development ................................................................................................................................37 The 4th Century ...............................................................................................................................................38 Town Defences ................................................................................................................................................38 Public Structures .............................................................................................................................................39
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