University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education From

University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education From Civilisation To Barbarism? Western Britain in the Early Middle Ages Week Two: Urban Settlement Tutor: Dr Kirsten Jarrett

Student Information Continuing Education Library Rewley House, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX 1 2 HY http: //www. conted. ox. ac. uk/facilities/library/ Opening hours Term-time (to 14 th Dec. ): Vacation (to 7 th Jan. ): Mon–Thurs: 9 am - 8. 30 pm Mon – Fri: 9 am - 5 pm Fri: 9 am - 5 pm Sat & Sun: Closed Sat: 9. 30 am - 5. 30 pm Closed 22 nd Dec. -1 st Jan. Sun: 1 pm - 4 pm Necessary for Homework & Assignments!

Assignments Option A: • To enable feedback between each assignment: to tutor ASAP • Complete portfolio (four answers, each x 250 words): Preferably to tutor by 27 th Nov. Final deadline: 4 th Jan. (submissions after final class - to OUDCE) Option B: • Essay plan to tutor before final class • Final deadline: 4 th Jan. (submissions after final class - to OUDCE)

Part One • Group discussion: Home-study review and key questions • Written evidence and place names: settlement • Urban decline and change: dark earth & decay • Group exercise: placing place names (depending on time taken on group discussion: if short of time, undertake as homework) [Handout: p. 8, Worksheet 2 A p. 9]

De Excidio Britanniae (‘D. E. B. ’) 3: 2. [Britain] is ornamented with twentyeight cities…. 24: 3. All the major towns were laid low by the repeated battering of enemy rams… 26: 2. But the cities of our land are not populated even now as they once were; right to the present day they are deserted, in ruins and unkempt.

Towns of later Roman Western Britain

‘Nennius’s’ ‘Ancient Cities’ Cair gurcoc (Anglesey? ) Cair custeint (Caernarfon) Cair guoranegon (Worcester) Cair merdin (Carmarthen) Cair lion (Caerleon-upon-Usk) Cair ceri (Cirencester) Cair gloui (Gloucester) Cair britoc (Bristol) Cair ligion (Chester? ) Cair guent (Caerwent) Cair guorcon (Warren, Pemb. ? ) Cairteimm (Teigngrace, Devon) Cair urnahc (Wroxeter) Cair colemion (? ‘Camelet’) Cair meguaid (Meifod, Powys) Cair guorthegern (Salisbury? ) Cair daun = dauri (Dorchester? )

Urban Transformation: ‘Decline’ or change? General late 4 th century trends in major towns: • Changing use / contraction of public buildings • Increased wealth of private buildings and encroachment onto roads • Increased industrial activity • Enhanced defences and control of movement Small Towns: Late C 4: Commercial and industrial centres - Few indicators of continuity

Late 4 th – 7 th Century Transformation of Urban Centres • • • Contraction of town walls Possible intra-mural agriculture Demolition of public buildings Construction in timber Intra-mural burial and / or construction of ecclesiastical buildings in some towns

Place names Creech = cruc Tre = Farmstead Avon = River Pen = Headland Coyd = wood Caer = walled settlement Walh = ‘foreigner’ Chester = (Roman) Walled town Wic = settlement Ham = homestead (Handout 2 A, p. 7, & Worksheet 2 A, p. 8)

Part Two • Regional case studies • Session review / Home-study guidance [Week 2: Session review sheet] • Group exercise: analysing urban settlements, (depending on time taken on group discussion: if short of time, undertake as homework) [Worksheet 2 B: p. 910]

Wroxeter basilica

New Market Hall site: • Ash & molten lead = metalworking • Spearhead & human jaw on mosaic • Hoard including early C 5 coin • Late Roman ‘military ‘buckle, bracelet & penannular brooch • Continued use of some later Roman ceramics • ‘Dark earth’ Tilery: • Post-holes = timber building • Dark earth • Continued presence of some later Roman ceramics • Early C 5 coin • ‘Grass-tempered’ pottery Castle Site: • Building continued use C 5+ (TPQ = 374 C 14: TAQ =C 6) St Oswalds • Post-holes cut into floor Tilery • Build up of loam • >EC 5 Hearths, lead ingot, & Castle charcoal = metalworking • C 5 pottery • Human / animal bone Gloucester >LC 4 <C 6

Caerwent

Group Exercise: Urban Settlements