Defining Banjo Enclosures: Investigations, Interpretations, and Understanding in the Iron Age of Southern Britain

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 ◽  
pp. 341-361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander T.O. Lang
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Aerial Survey ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Site Development ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
And Function ◽  
Age Studies

Banjo enclosures are an important archaeological site type within British Iron Age studies, particularly for southern England. Significant numbers of these sites have been discovered through aerial survey but only a comparatively small number have been explored through additional survey and excavation. Chronologically these sites wholly exist within the Middle and Late Iron Age periods,c. 400bctoad43. As yet there has been no standard interpretive framework for these sites and our understanding and discussion has often been based on the theoretical model most popular at the time of investigation. A key aim of his paper is to question this piecemeal approach and incorporate more recent interpretations from a much-expanded dataset. Since the 1990s large-scale landscape surveys have increased considerably the numbers of sites identified and subsequently the regions in which they are located. Tying this in with recent excavations, we have begun to redefine our understanding of banjo enclosures as more complex in their site development and function, while also providing a simplified framework which accounts for the diversity of forms, locations, and relative associations. Ultimately these enclosures are more complex than previously realised, potentially serving a multiplicity of functions with different phases of use throughout a period of significant change at the end of prehistory.

Formation and Land-Use History of Celtic Fields in North-West Europe – an Interdisciplinary Case Study at Zeijen, the Netherlands

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theo Spek ◽  
Willy Groenman-van Waateringe ◽  
Maja Kooistra ◽  
Lideweij Bakker
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Roman Period ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
North West ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
History Of

Celtic field research has so far been strongly focused on prospection and mapping. As a result of this there is a serious lack of knowledge of formation and land-use processes of these fields. This article describes a methodological case study in The Netherlands that may be applied to other European Celtic fields in the future. By interdisciplinary use of pedological, palynological and micromorphological research methods the authors were able to discern five development stages in the history of the field, dating from the late Bronze Age to the early Roman Period. There are strong indications that the earthen ridges, very typical for Celtic fields in the sandy landscapes of north-west Europe, were only formed in the later stages of Celtic field agriculture (late Iron Age and early Roman period). They were the result of a determined raising of the surface by large-scale transportation of soil material from the surroundings of the fields. Mainly the ridges were intensively cultivated and manured in the later stages of Celtic field cultivation. In the late Iron Age a remarkable shift in Celtic field agriculture took place from an extensive system with long fallow periods, a low level of manuring and extensive soil tillage to a more intensive system with shorter fallow periods, a more intensive soil tillage and a higher manuring intensity. There are also strong indications that rye (Secale cereale) was the main crop in the final stage of Celtic field agriculture.

Revisiting Iron Age Ethnicity

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Fernández-Götz
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Human Sciences ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
Age Studies ◽  
Analytical Frameworks

The possibility of exploring ethnic identities in past societies constitutes one of the most controversial fields of archaeological research. However, the reassessment of the conceptualization of ethnicity in the human sciences and the increasing transference of these theories to archaeological research is helping to develop new analytical frameworks for the study of this problematic subject. From this perspective, the aim of this paper is to attempt a theoretical and methodological approach to the complex relationships between ethnic identity and material remains from the standpoint of Iron Age studies, showing both the possibilities and difficulties of archaeological research on ethnicity. For this period, the incipient availability of written evidence allows the development of new interdisciplinary research strategies. Finally, an introduction to practical work in this field is presented, specifically focusing on two case studies: Ruiz Zapatero and Álvarez-Sanchís' approach to the identity of the Vettones of the central Iberian Peninsula, and the author's own work on the Late Iron Age sanctuaries of the Middle Rhine-Moselle region.

scholarly journals Karismatisk bergkrystall fra Ryfylkeheiane? Smykkestein som identitetsmarkør i yngre jernalder

Viking ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid J. Nyland
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Rock Crystal ◽  
Hydro Power ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Point Of Departure

In the 1960s and 1970s, large scale surveys related to hydro power developments in montane areas in Southwest Norway, recorded several rock crystals deposits and sites where crystals from these had been used both in the Stone Age and the Late Iron Age period. The Late Iron Age sites were interpreted as the first proof of locally produced rock crystal beads. In this article, I combine the production sites and rock crystal deposits to describe the operational chain of local bead production. This serves as the point of departure for a consideration of the value ascribed raw materials, local or regional vs. imported goods. I argue that symbolic aspects beyond economic value may have been the incentive for the local production, that is, qualities, such as rock crystals’ aesthetic, affective, or indeed charisma. Rock crystal beads from Late Iron Age graves in Rogaland are used as examples. 

scholarly journals THE USE OF TRADITIONAL MUD-BASED MASONRY IN THE RESTORATION OF THE IRON AGE SITE OF SALŪT (OMAN). A WAY TOWARDS MUTUAL PRESERVATION

2020 ◽  
Vol XLIV-M-1-2020 ◽  
pp. 1081-1088
Author(s):  
S. Bizzarri ◽  
M. Degli Esposti ◽  
C. Careccia ◽  
T. De Gennaro ◽  
E. Tangheroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Local Economy ◽  
Modern Times ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Visual Impact ◽  
Earthen Architecture ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Abstract. The archaeological record of the Sultanate of Oman speaks of the use of mudbricks (adobes) and mud plaster as key building materials over a long chronological range from the Early Bronze Age (late 4th / 3rd millennium BC) to the Late Iron Age at least (first centuries BC). Traditional earthen architecture perpetuated this scenario until modern times when the discovery of oil brought along deep transformations in the local economy and way of living. This long-lasting tradition has provided the necessary means to cope with the problem of mudbrick structures conservation on the prominent archaeological site of Salūt, in central Oman, where substantial mudbrick walls were discovered, dating to the second half of the second millennium BC and beyond. In fact, exploiting the life-long experience in mud-based masonry of a local mason turned out to be the best (and arguably only) way of consolidating and protecting the ancient structures. This strategy not only is definitely a sustainable one, as only readily accessible and largely available natural materials were employed, but it also helps to revive a locally rooted skill that seriously risks being forgotten due to the lack of interest in younger generations. With this aim in mind, a survey and recording of the local terminology connected with the tools and techniques of mud-based masonry were also carried out. This paper will account for the various stages of the work that led to the final restoration and conservation of the site. The use of different media – pictures, drawings, videos – reflects the comprehensive approach towards this fundamental issue. The recent development of the project included the preparation of mud plasters made following different procedures in order to achieve a better visual impact and a lower static load on the structures.

Exploring the Hidden Depths of Tara’s Hinterland: Geophysical Survey and Landscape Investigations in the Meath–North Dublin Region, Eastern Ireland

2015 ◽  
Vol 81 ◽  
pp. 61-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ger Dowling
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Geophysical Survey ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
Burial Mound ◽  
Documentary Evidence ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Historical Importance ◽  
The Hill

This paper explores how geophysical survey, undertaken in conjunction with landscape and historical analysis, is contributing to a deeper understanding of prehistoric focal centres and landscape organisation in the wider ‘hinterland’ of the Hill of Tara, Co. Meath. Arising out of the Discovery Programme’s ‘Late Iron Age and ‘Roman’ Ireland’ (LIARI) Project, the present investigations targeted a number of prominent hilltop sites in the Meath–north Dublin region suspected, on the basis of archaeological, topographical, and early documentary evidence, to have been important ceremonial/political centres in later prehistory. Foremost among these are the Hill of Lloyd (Co. Meath), the location of a prehistoric enclosure overlooking the early monastic foundation at Kells; Faughan Hill (Co. Meath), the traditional burial place of Niall of the Nine Hostages; and Knockbrack (Co. Dublin), whose summit is crowned by a large, internally-ditched enclosure with central burial mound. The discovery through this multi-disciplinary study of additional large-scale enclosures, burial monuments, and other significant archaeological features serves to further corroborate the deep historical importance of these sites, and opens up new avenues for exploring such themes as territoriality, social organisation, and identity in the wider Tara region.

British Potins Abroad: A New Find from Central France and the Iron Age in Southeast England

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Gruel ◽  
Colin Haselgrove
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Research Tool ◽  
First Century ◽  
The Other ◽  
Southern England ◽  
Channel Interaction ◽  
Northern France ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Material Evidence ◽  
Age Studies

One of Barry Cunliffe’s abiding research interests has been in the character of cross-Channel interaction during the Iron Age, a topic that he has pursued and illuminated through a sustained programme of excavations and artefact studies in southern England, northern France, and the Channel Islands. Although the exchanges were undoubtedly two-way—and must also be seen in the context of a longer-term pattern of maritime contacts between Britain and its neighbours across the ocean (cf. Cunliffe 2001)— it remains true that for the late Iron Age, much of the material evidence for relations between Britain and France is in the form of continental imports found in Britain (e.g. Cunliffe 1987), rather than the other way around. We are therefore very pleased here, following a new find of British Iron Age coins in France, to be able to offer Barry a study of a relatively rare example of a group of objects moving in the opposite direction, not least because another of Barry’s contributions over the years has been to ensure that the Celtic Coin Index in Oxford has continued to develop into the unparalleled research tool for Iron Age studies that it represents today. The British exports in question are four Flat-Linear potin coins found in a mid-first-century BC context in ongoing excavations at the hilltop oppidum of Corent, in the Auvergne region of central France, over 600km from their home territory in southeast England (figure 14.1). Coins belonging to this series have been previously recorded from northern France, where there have also been a number of new finds in recent years, but never south of the Loire. We will begin by describing these new discoveries in more detail, starting with Corent, before going on to assess their implications for our understanding of the late Iron Age in southeastern England, which are considerable. In conclusion, we will offer some possible explanations as to why these coins may have been exported to France in the first century BC.

An Off-Site Approach to Late Iron Age and Roman Landscapes on the Northern Plateau, Spain

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús García-Sánchez ◽  
Miguel Cisneros
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Field Survey ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Castilla Y Leon ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
New Settlements

Since 2009, a large-scale archaeological field survey – the Ager Segisamonensis Survey Project – has been carried out on the Northern Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, in the Burgos province (Castilla y León), Spain. The aim of this project is to understand the Iron Age/Roman transition in terms of settlement strategies and landscape exploitation. The field survey has been undertaken in the landscape surrounding an Iron Age settlement and the successive Roman city of Segisamo – modern Sasamón. The goal is not the discovery of new settlements, but the recognition of the so-called ‘dwelling landscape’ and its evolution. In this article, we highlight our field survey methodology based on hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments and the creation of a recording system of ‘aggregation units'.

scholarly journals The prehistoric human impact on slope development at the archaeological site in Smólsk (Kuyavian Lakeland)

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Kittel
Keyword(s):  
Bronze Age ◽  
Human Impact ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Archaeological Site ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Archaeological Research ◽  
Buried Soils ◽  
Slope Deposits ◽  
The Bronze Age

AbstractPeriods of intense human impact on the relief and lithology of the area of the Smólsk site were recorded during geoarchaeological research accompanying archaeological field work. The phases of occupation of the area are known in detail from the results of the large-scale archaeological research of the site. The slope deposits with buried soils were recorded at the site area and researched in detail with the use of sedimentological, geochemical and micromorphological analyses. Beside geochronological deterioration, the chronology of the artefacts found in layers played an important role in the strict recognition of the age of deposits. The lower part of the studied slope cover is constituted by deluvium and the upper part by tillage diamicton. The origin and the development of the slope deposits are correlated with the phases of an intense prehistoric human impact as defined by the archaeological research. Four main phases of acceleration of slope processes were documented at the site and date to the Early Neolithic, the Middle Neolithic, the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age.

Evidence of Absence? The Rarity of Gold in Durotrigan Iron Age Coinage

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip De Jersey
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
Second Century ◽  
First Century ◽  
Third Century ◽  
Negative Evidence ◽  
Distribution Maps ◽  
Late Iron Age ◽  
Absence Of Evidence ◽  
Evidence Of Absence ◽  
Age Studies

Generations of archaeologists have done well to remember the truism that ‘absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’. About fifteen years ago I presented Barry Cunliffe with what I regarded as some rather distressingly blank distribution maps of various Iron Age artefacts in northwest France. Far from agreeing with my pessimistic view of the possibility of saying anything very meaningful about such paltry evidence, Barry reminded me of the ‘absence of evidence’ maxim, and encouraged me to think more deeply about the apparent gaps, and to question my assumptions about the usefulness or otherwise of the data—in short, to look more positively at the opportunities for investigating such seemingly negative evidence. It is perhaps a little ironic, then, that in this tribute to Barry’s unrivalled influence on Iron Age studies, I would like to present an example where I am nearly sure that the absence of evidence does indicate evidence of absence. My subject is the lack of a significant gold coinage among the Durotriges of Dorset, in contrast to every other major coin-using polity in late Iron Age Britain. My aim is to demonstrate that this lack of gold coinage is a genuine phenomenon, and not the result of partial or inadequate evidence; and to suggest some reasons why this situation may have arisen. Before focusing more narrowly on Dorset in the mid-first century BC, we need to consider the background to the importation and the production of gold coinage in Britain. Although there were probably very occasional imports of coinage from the time of the earliest ‘Celtic’ imitations, perhaps in the mid-third century BC, the first significant inflows of gold coin did not occur until at least the mid-second century BC. These began with the ‘large flan’ stater and quarter stater (Gallo-Belgic A), probably struck in central and western Belgic Gaul, in the territories later identified with the Ambiani and the Bellovaci. Their distribution in Britain is focused on the Thames estuary, with the majority of findspots in Essex and Kent (Sills 2003: 136, 153). At roughly the same time, the ‘defaced die’ staters and quarter staters (Gallo-Belgic B) were also imported into Britain, perhaps from the territory of the Nervii (Sills 2003: 185–6).

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document