In the North of England is located Hadrian’s Wall, a large structure built during the Roman period in Britain and was manned by Roman legions. Around 410 AD the Roman period in Britain came to an...Show moreIn the North of England is located Hadrian’s Wall, a large structure built during the Roman period in Britain and was manned by Roman legions. Around 410 AD the Roman period in Britain came to an end. The transition between the Roman period to the Medieval period is a period of uncertainty for researchers. This is largely due to the lack of written sources from this time period. This problem extents to the Northern frontier. In this thesis the main research question is focused on seeing certain spatial and chronological patterns by looking at an artefact database of artefacts found in Northumberland, England that date back to around 43-1066 AD. The research is split up into two methods. The first is a literature research focused on comparing both the Roman and early medieval period on 5 aspects of social culture. The second method focusses on the data provided by the Northumberland Historic Environment Record. The data is transformed into a database in which the type of artefacts are split into 5 categories that are further split up into sub-categories. The spatial distribution of the data is analysed using Qgis. In the results from both research methods the following patterns can be observed. During the early medieval period there is a clear decrease in the amount of artefacts and those artefacts are mostly not present in locations which had large clusters during the Roman period. An exception to this trend is Corbridge which has datapoints belonging to all categories during both time periods. During the early medieval period new data clusters show up in Millfield and Holy island in the north of Northumberland. The decreasing datapoints can potentially imply that the Northern frontier region in Northumberland became a less favourable place to live in the early medieval period compared to the Roman period. The decrease of datapoints along Hadrian’s Wall can potentially imply a lessened importance in areas with a previously heavy Roman presence. The datapoint clusters in the north of Northumberland also indicate that the early medieval period saw new population centres that were not previously Roman.Show less
This thesis analyses the role of the socio-political landscape for the constantly changing burial rituals of mainland Spain during the early medieval period. Mainland Spain contains a highly...Show moreThis thesis analyses the role of the socio-political landscape for the constantly changing burial rituals of mainland Spain during the early medieval period. Mainland Spain contains a highly complex socio-political landscape, with different kingdoms, cultures, and religions entering and spreading across the urban and rural areas alike. The related burial practices of these socio-political units are all identified and well-known, but this information lacks accessibility and an overview. Therefore, a simple, yet extensive overview in the form of an open database was created for this research, with the goal of visualizing different transformations in burial rituals and practices. 14 unique archaeological sites were selected, resulting in 15 database entries. Besides general burial information and rituals, four common burial practices were used to display any change or continuation within the dataset, being grave goods, location within the wider landscape, body position, and grave furniture. I found that the dataset mostly coincides with the standard burial rituals of the related cultures and religions. Changes in the socio-political landscape, such as the introduction of monotheistic religions (i.e. Christianity, Islam), heavily coincide with large transformations in burial rituals. Almost every funerary aspect changes according to the standardized burial rituals forced upon by the elites in power, in the form of top-down processes. However, a multitude of exceptions, such as unique burial practices, were present in the dataset. These irregularities were most likely caused by either an admixture of populations, causing burials to combine into different separate burial practices, or rural populations resisting both top-down processes and the admixture of populations, by practicing local beliefs and traditions in mostly isolated burial areas. The effect of the environment on burial rituals is also an important factor, as certain unique burial practices were the sole result of the buriers adapting to specific environments. Thus, this thesis has shown the influence of the socio-political landscape on burial practices, resulting in change, continuation, and irregularities to occur, while also providing a database that can be expanded in the future by adding more sites and funerary aspects, which will increase in accessibility of this information to researchers and the public alike.Show less
This thesis analysed the extent to which physically impaired individuals are given deviant burial treatment in death in the late Roman and early medieval periods in central and southern Britain....Show moreThis thesis analysed the extent to which physically impaired individuals are given deviant burial treatment in death in the late Roman and early medieval periods in central and southern Britain. Until recently, disability has been overlooked in archaeological research, and modern biases have been unfairly projected on the past. This thesis made use of a literature review of excavation reports as well as osteological analyses to gain an understanding of the different ways individuals with physical impairments were treated after death, using five criteria by which to measure normative and non-normative practices: the treatment of the body, the type of internment, the funerary goods, the grave location and alignment, and the position of the body. Twelve graves containing impaired people were analysed specifically, allowing a comparison to be made between normative and deviant customs, and between these practices and those applied to these specific burials. This analysis revealed variability in treatment, and while deviancy was observed, this was not explicitly linked to negative attitudes towards disability. Furthermore, while there were differences between the two periods, considerable continuity in traditions could also be observed.Show less
This thesis analysed the construction dates of early medieval forts in the Dutch Low Countries to determine their accuracy. The ringforts are generally dated to the last quarter of the 9th century...Show moreThis thesis analysed the construction dates of early medieval forts in the Dutch Low Countries to determine their accuracy. The ringforts are generally dated to the last quarter of the 9th century and placed in an overarching historical narrative that links them to Viking raids. However, recent archaeological research suggests that earlier dates are also possible. For example, the ringfort of Den Burg was recently dated to the 8th or early 9th century with the upcoming OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) method. I selected the forts of Den Burg, Oost-Souburg, Burgh, Domburg, Deventer, and Zutphen and analysed the construction dates based on excavation reports and subsequent data analysis. I also looked at the general characteristics of the forts like shape and the type of inhabitation to determine their similarity. I found that most of the forts, except for Deventer and Domburg, could be older than the late 9th century because they were dated with a terminus ante quem or the methods used indicated a broad construction date. This is because the construction phase of a ringfort is hard to date for 14C- analysis and dendrochronology are almost never possible. This highlights the importance of OSL research in the research of ringforts. I also found that ringforts in the Dutch Low Countries differ in general characteristics. Both findings challenge the narrative of a structured defence system against Viking raids, and show that ringforts have often been interpreted based on assumptions from the historical narrative. Instead, this thesis suggests that the structures were erected at different times, by different actors, and probably for different reasons. Thus, future archaeological research should apply OSL as a dating method and be wary of assumptions from the historical narrative. This way, we can establish accurate construction dates and get closer to uncovering the complex nature of these early medieval fortifications.Show less
