Winchester in the Early Middle Ages: An Edition and Discussion of The Winton Domesday

London and Winchester were not described in the Domesday Book, but the royal properties in Winchester were surveyed for Henry I about 1110 and the whole city was surveyed for Bishop Henry of Blois in 1148. These two surveys survive in a single manuscript, known as the Winton Domesday, and constitute the earliest and by far the most detailed description of an English or European town of the early Middle Ages. In the period covered Winchester probably achieved the peak of its medieval prosperity. From the reign of Alfred to that of Henry II it was a town of the first rank, initially centre of Wessex, then the principal royal city of the Old English state, and finally `capital’ in some sense, but not the largest city, of the Norman Kingdom. This volume provides a full edition, translation, and analyses of the surveys and of the city they depict, drawing on the evidence derived from archaeological excavation and historical research in the city since 1961, on personal- and place-name evidence, and on the recent advances in Anglo-Saxon numismatics.

Islamic Copper-Based Metal Artefacts from the Garb Al-Andalus. A Multidisciplinary Approach on the Alcáçova of Mārtulah (Mértola, South of Portugal)

A multidisciplinary approach has been applied to investigate the production technology of a collection of copper-based artefacts found during archaeological excavation campaigns carried out in the Almohad neighbourhood of Mārtulah, the Islamic name of modern Mértola (South of Portugal). In stark contrast to other Islamic materials found in the same site such as common and finely decorated pottery, glass, and bone artefacts, metal objects have received less attention despite the number of artefacts recovered. This study focuses on the chemical characterisation of 172 copper-based artefacts dating back to the 12th and the first half of the 13th centuries. The artefacts are daily use objects and consist of personal ornaments (earrings, rings, and casket ornaments), tools (spindles, spatulas, and oil lamp sticks) and artefacts with unknown functions. X-ray fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), provided information not only about technological issues, as well as on the socio-economic implications of metal consumption at Islamic Mértola. The results revealed that metals were produced with a variety of Cu-based alloys, namely unalloyed copper, brasses, bronzes, and ternary alloys, by mixing Cu, Zn and Sn and Pb without any apparent consistency, as a likely result of recurrent recycling and mixing scrap metals practices or use of minerals available locally.

Cultural Deposits of the Latest Time in the Context of Archaeological Research: Stratigraphic ‘Ballast’ or Historical Value

The article is written in the scientific polemic genre and it is a continuation of the discussion that began earlier in the professional environment. The author defends the position to give more attention to culture layers of the 20th during conducting an archaeological excavation. The problem is the uncertainty of the cultural deposits’ status of the 20th century. The purpose of the article is to determine the 20th century culture deposits historical value. Research methodology. Common-scientific methods are used. The typological method is also used, in particular, for 20th century culture deposits classification. The scientific novelty lies in the first, in Ukrainian historiography, attempt to argue a historical value of the 20th-century cultural layers. Conclusion. The modern culture deposits' historical value is in that they are at least a historical source and also an epoch monument. In addition to scientific, individual artifacts or complexes on cultural layers of modern times can have artistic, aesthetic, museum, tourist, anthropological, ethnographic, national, political, ideological, economic, social value.

The Fight for Nordalbingia: Reconstruction and Simulation of the Danish-Obodrite Attack on the Frankish Fortress of Esesfelth in AD 817

It is possible to gain insight into Frankish-Danish relations in Nordalbingia during the early 9th century based on archaeological excavation results and written sources. Such relations were characterised by armed conflicts, political intrigue and shifting alliances. The Frankish fortress of Esesfelth had a key function during this time of unrest. Emperor Charlemagne built it in AD 810, partly to prevent Danish supremacy over the Nordalbingian Saxon territory north of the River Elbe, and partly as a starting point for incorporating it into the Frankish realm. The fortress was an exceptional defensive structure without any known contemporary parallels. As the centre of Frankish administration in Nordalbingia Esesfelth became the target of an attack by combined Danish and Slavic (Obodrite) forces in AD 817. To some extent, the attack can be reconstructed by interpreting excavation results, and simulated with the aid of military theory. The results also present an excellent opportunity to explore various fortification components in detail.

Geochemistry And Mineralogy Of Prehistoric Pottery Shards Found At Gua Jaya, Nenggiri Valley, Kelantan, Malaysia

Earthenware pottery is one of the common artefacts found during archaeological excavation works. Earthenware pottery is one of the tools used by prehistoric society as a tool for use in daily life. Earthenware pottery found at archaeological sites should be determined whether it was made by the local community or brought in from outside. Therefore, chemical analysis using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and mineralogical analysis using X-ray Diffraction (XRD) methods need to be done to obtain the mineral content and elements of earthenware pottery that can be compared with clay found in the area. This comparison is to ascertain whether the prehistoric pottery was made in the vicinity of the discovery area or brought in from outside. The results of this study found that the pottery discovered during excavations at Gua Jaya was brought in from other areas. Besides, it was also determined that the pottery was burned openly due to the uneven combustion temperature. The content of the pottery element also indicates that the pottery was used as food storage containers and also as appliances for cooking.

On Epistemology in Archaeology: Critique of the Text “Archaeological excavation from Epistemological Perspective” by Marko Porčić

The paper is the reaction to the contribution by Marko Porčić in this volume of Issues in Ethnology and Anthropology, presenting his views on the epistemological character and status of excavation in the archaeological process of knowledge acquisition. Here it is argued that the analysis of Porčić is simplified, non-consequential and founded upon the outdated concepts of epistemological analysis of science, which takes into account only the internal disciplinary epistemology and sharply divides theory from practice, thus considerably lowering the potential for research of archaeological epistemology. Discussing a research field, especially a humanistic one such as archaeology, exclusively in the light of its own categories and concepts and ways of thinking inevitably leads to massive reduction in understanding of knowledge production. If the ideal of so-called hard sciences, followed by Porčić, was a severe detachment of objects from subjects, supposedly leading to guaranteed neutrality (objectivity) of knowledge – the first half of the 20th century ideal, today abandoned in many respects even in hard sciences themselves – the constitutive element in humanistic disciplines is (auto)reflexivity and interactivity of researchers in respect to “other people and their work”, and therefore a completely different role of “subject” and their surroundings. Following his internalist approach, Porčić attempts to approach the epistemic structure of archaeology and its modes of knowledge building from the point of view of the so-called (by the author himself) general epistemological model, according to which a research starts by shaping a previous statement (hypothesis), followed by testing and final verification of a new knowledge. Attempting to preserve the “neutrality” of epistemological analysis, Porčić does not take into account the fact that every knowledge, including the scientific one, is historically and culturally conditioned; this fact, which is the foundation of every consideration of knowledge and ways of its production, particularly apparent in humanistic disciplines, is also present in the epistemology of hard sciences, to which Porčić refers. His perseverance to remain strictly in the domain of “theory” and complete neglect of the role of practice in the process of knowledge acquisition is expressed in a string of completely false statements, such as e.g. (theoretical) redundancy of archaeological excavations, or finitude (limitedness) of archaeological inquiry, reached upon by simple syllogistic exercises, often starting by erroneous or tautological premises. Perhaps the most eloquent illustration of the inadequacy of the so-called general epistemological model for archaeology is the neglect of preventive archaeology – today amounting to more than 90% of all archaeological fieldwork in Europe. However, Porčić practically denies all epistemological value to this work, persevering in the extremely reductive view of archaeology, and at the same time neglecting important epistemological perspectives of the discipline.

Archaeological Excavations along the Wall of the Outer City (Sverdlov street) in Pskov, 2017-2018

С осени 2017 г. и до конца летнего сезона 2018 г. на ул. Свердлова в г. Пскове проводились археологические исследования, которые предваряли замену или строительство новых участков инженерных коммуникаций на ул. Свердлова и прилегающих улицах: Музейный, Комсомольский, Комисаровский переулки, ул. Спегальского. Общая площадь исследований - 2911 кв. м (с учетом участков археологического наблюдения), в том числе площадь археологических раскопок - 1772 кв. м. Археологические работы на протяженном участке позволили сделать ряд выводов об этапах освоения и застройки участка современной ул. Свердлова. К этапам освоения можно отнести и раскрытые в двух раскопах участки средневековых монастырских некрополей. На раскопах у крепостной стены Окольного города на отдельных участках исследованы каменные конструкции фундаментов XV-XVI вв. и на одном участке - остатки первоначальной деревянной стены XV в. From the autumn of 2017 until the end of the summer season of 2018, archaeological research in Sverdlov Street in Pskov, which preceded the replacement or construction of new sections of engineering communications in Sverdlov and the adjacent Spegalsky street and lanes: Museiny, Komsomolsky and Komisarovsky was carried out. The total area under study is 2911 sq. m (including archaeological observation sites). The area of archaeological excavation is 1772 sq. m. The archaeological research of the extended site allowed us to study and draw a number of conclusions about the stages of development and building of the part of the modern Sverdlov street. The sites of medieval monastic necropolises uncovered in two excavations can also be attributed to the stages of the street development. During the excavations at the parts of the fortress wall of the Outer city stone structures of the foundations of the 15 - 16centuries and in one part of the area the remains of the original wooden wall of the 15century were studied.

Medieval Activity at Beech Tree Close, Oakley, Hampshire

An archaeological excavation in advance of a housing development revealed a range of deposits dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. The features do not conform to what would be expected either for the nucleus of an isolated farmstead or as part of a medieval village, but they perhaps indicate an area of activity adjacent to a more densely settled area. The deposits were relatively rich in charred plant remains indicating arable production. The parish church, usually considered to be located close to a village centre, lies several hundred metres to the west and if the deposits here do not relate to an independent farmstead, perhaps they pre-date the formation of the nucleated village. One feature is potentially a Saxon SFB (sunken-featured building). Some early Saxon and Roman pottery sherds were also recovered.