Towns in the Dark

Urban Transformations from Late Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England

Gavin Speed

• Publisher: Archaeopress
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781784910044
• eBook ISBN: 9781784910051
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Archaeology
• Index: Social Sciences

What became of towns following the official end of 'Roman Britain' at the beginning of the 5th century AD? Did towns fail? Were these ruinous sites really neglected by early Anglo-Saxon settlers and leaders? Developed new archaeologies are starting to offer alternative pictures to the traditional images of urban decay and loss revealing diverse modes of material expression, of usage of space, and of structural change. The focus of this book is to draw together still scattered data to chart and interpret the changing nature of life in towns from the late Roman period through to the mid-Anglo-Saxon period. The research centres on towns that have received sufficient archaeological intervention so that meaningful patterns can be traced. The case studies are arranged into three regional areas: the South-East, South-West, and Midlands. Individually each town contains varying levels of archaeological data, but analysed together these illustrate more clearly patterns of evolution. Much of the data exists as accessible but largely unpublished reports, or isolated within regional discussions. Detailed analysis, review and comparisons generate significant scope for modelling 'urban' change in England from AD 300-600. 'Towns in the Dark' dispels the simplistic myth of outright urban decline and failure after Rome, and demonstrates that life in towns often did continue with variable degrees of continuity and discontinuity.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• List of Figures and Tables
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Figure 1: Case study towns and regions. The South-East (London, Canterbury, Colchester); the South-West (Cirencester, Silchester, Winchester); the Midlands (Leicester, Lincoln, Wroxeter). Other major towns shaded.
• Figure 2: Roman towns in South-East Britain (drawn by author)
• Figure 3: Location of the key excavations in London (drawn by author, updated from Watson 1998a: fig.3)
• Figure 4: Archaeological evidence from 4th-century London (drawn by author, updated from Perring 1991; Wacher 1995; Watson 1998a: 3)
• Figure 5: View of a large fragment of upstanding Roman town wall in London (photo by author)
• Figure 6: A large aisled building at Colchester House, London. Note the actual archaeological remains (shaded) compared to the substantial conjecture (redrawn by author, after Sankey 1998: 79)
• Figure 7: A thick deposit of dark earth, overlying London amphitheatre’s arena wall
• Figure 8: 5th- to 6th-century sites in the region of London (drawn by author, updated from Clark and Sheldon 2008: 52, fig.1.7.1)
• Figure 9: Roman London in relation to Mid-Saxon Lundenwic. Major Roman roads indicated (drawn by author, updated from Rowsome 2000: 48)
• Figure 10: Key excavations in Colchester (drawn by author, updated from Crummy 1992: 2)
• Figure 11: 4th-century Colchester (drawn by author, updated from Crummy 1997: 114)
• Figure 12: Plan showing change from a 3rd-century townhouse to a 4th-century barn, Colchester Insula 35 (drawn by author, modified from Crummy 1992: fig.3.7 and 3.8)
• Figure 13: Longevity of 4th-century private housing in Colchester (27 buildings), see Table 15 for full details
• Figure 14: 5th- to 7th-century settlement evidence within Colchester (drawn by author, based on data from Colchester UAD and Crummy 1981: fig.2)
• Figure 15: Early Anglo-Saxon activity in the region of Colchester in relation to former Roman towns (drawn by author, data from Essex HER; Rodwell 1988; and Baker 2001)
• Figure 16: Key excavations in Canterbury (drawn by author)
• Figure 17: 4th-century Canterbury (drawn by author, updated from Blockley et al. 1995: fig.2)
• Figure 18: Plan showing structural sequence at Marlowe Car Park, Canterbury. The grey shaded features are Sunken-Featured Buildings (redrawn by author, after Blockley et al. 1995: 171)
• Figure 19: Archaeological evidence of 5th- to 6th-century Canterbury (drawn by author, updated from Blockley et al. 1995: fig.2)
• Figure 20: ‘Family’ burial in Stour Street, Canterbury (copyright Canterbury Archaeological Trust)
• Figure 21: Early Anglo-Saxon activity compared to former Roman urban sites in Kent (drawn by author, data from Kent HER; and Welsh 2007: 197)
• Figure 22: Case studies and settlement types in South-West Britain (drawn by author)
• Figure 23: Key excavations in Cirencester (drawn by author)
• Figure 24: 4th-century Cirencester (drawn by author, updated from Holbrook 2008: 30)
• Figure 25: Reused stone blocks within the foundations of an external bastion in the south-east corner of the defences at Cirencester (reproduced with permission from Neil Holbrook, from Wacher and Salvatore 1998: 58, fig.31)
• Figure 26: A rubble building platform within the ruinous Insula VI public building at Cirencester (reproduced with permission from Neil Holbrook, from Timby et al. 1998:136)
• Figure 28: A row of 4th-century shops at Cirencester, near to the macellum
• Figure 29: Longevity of 4th-century private housing in Cirencester (19 buildings, see Table 13 for full details)
• Figure 30: Possible farm buildings in Insulae X and XII at Cirencester
• Figure 31: 5th- to 7th-century settlement evidence in Cirencester (drawn by author)
• Figure 32: Plan showing location of major excavations in Winchester
• Figure 33: 4th-century Winchester (drawn by author, after Biddle and Kjølbye-Biddle 2007: fig.1)
• Figure 34: Longevity of 4th-century private housing in Winchester (23 buildings – see Table 25 for full details)
• Figure 35: 4th-century townhouses at The Brooks, Winchester (drawn by author, modified from Zant 1993: 84, fig.66)
• Figure 36: Plan showing changes to the Roman South Gate, Winchester
• Figure 37: 5th- and 6th-century settlement evidence in Winchester.
• Figure 38: Key excavations in Silchester (drawn by author)
• Figure 39: View of the large open-area excavations in Insula IX in 2008 (photo by author)
• Figure 40: 4th-century Silchester (drawn by author, updated from Fulford 2002: 2-3)
• Figure 41: View of Silchester’s well-preserved town walls (photo by author)
• Figure 42: 4th- and 5th-century reuse of the basilica at Silchester
• Figure 43: Reconstruction view of Insula IX buildings, Silchester (illustration by Margaret Mathews, courtesy of Michael Fulford, reproduced with permission from The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies)
• Figure 44: 4th-century buildings within Insula IX at Silchester
• Figure 45: Possible Late Roman church at Silchester (drawn by author, adapted from Boon 1974: 174, fig.28)
• Figure 46: 5th- to 6th-century evidence from Silchester (drawn by author, after Fulford 2012b: 334)
• Figure 47: Case study towns in the Midlands (drawn by author)
• Figure 48: Location of major excavations in Leicester (drawn by author)
• Figure 49: 4th-century Leicester (drawn by author, data from ULAS)
• Figure 50: Longevity of 4th-century private housing in Leicester (23 buildings).
• Figure 51: Hearths cutting into the edge of a Roman street. From excavations in 2006 at Freeschool Lane, Leicester (Coward and Speed 2009: 31)
• Figure 52: Transition from townhouse to workshops at Vine Street, Leicester (adapted from Higgins et al. 2009)
• Figure 53: Late Roman and early Anglo-Saxon sequence at Freeschool Lane, Leicester (drawn by author)
• Figure 54: An Anglo-Saxon building constructed within a collapsed Roman wall, Freeschool Lane, Leicester (Coward and Speed 2009: 43)
• Figure 55: 5th- to7th-century settlement evidence within Leicester (drawn by author, data from Leicester UAD and ULAS unpublished sources)
• Figure 56: Quantities of Anglo-Saxon pottery found compared to locations of Anglo-Saxon buildings in Leicester (drawn by author)
• Figure 57: Early Anglo-Saxon activity in Leicestershire in relation to former Roman towns and roads (drawn by author, updated from Liddle 2004: fig.1; Knox 2004: fig.1; and ULAS unpublished sources)
• Figure 58: View (from west) of Jewry wall, an upstanding wall of the Roman baths. Immediately behind is the late Anglo-Saxon church of St. Nicholas (photo by author)
• Figure 59: Excavations within Lincoln. Sites mentioned in the text numbered
• Figure 60: 4th-century Lincoln (drawn by author, after Jones et al. 2003: 131)
• Figure 61: The Lower City West Gate at Lincoln, containing spolia reused in the town wall and towers (photo by author).
• Figure 62: The large basilican building in the Lower City, Lincoln (drawn by author, modified from Jones 2003: 89)
• Figure 63: The 4th-century (top) and 7th-century (bottom) churches and associated burials (shaded grey) within the forum piazza at Lincoln (drawn by author, modified from Jones 2003: 128, and Gilmour 2007: 234)
• Figure 64: 5th- and 6th-century evidence from Lincoln (drawn by author, after Vince 2003: 146)
• Figure 65: 5th- and 6th-century evidence in Lincolnshire (drawn by author, updated from Vince 2003: 142; Leachy 2007: 11; and data from Lincolnshire HER)
• Figure 66: A view of the ‘Old Work’, the Roman baths building at Wroxeter (photo by author)
• Figure 67: Modern Wroxeter and location of key excavations (drawn by author)
• Figure 68: Late Roman town of Wroxeter, showing key structures, undated masonry structures from geophysical surveys (shaded), and possible activity zones (drawn by author, updated from Barker and White 1998: 77 and Gaffney et al. 2000: 84)
• Figure 69: Changes to Wroxeter’s town defences – early phase (top) and 4th-century phase (bottom) (drawn by author, after White and Barker 1998: 99)
• Figure 70: The change from 4th-century baths-basilica to 5th- and 6th-century timber housing at Wroxeter. Grey shaded areas de otes a timber structure (drawn by author, modified from Barker et al. 1997: 124 and Ellis 2000: fig.2.7)
• Figure 71: The rubble platform of Building 10 in the former baths-basilica, Wroxeter. The plan of the building is marked out by the ranging poles (image courtesy and copyright of Philip Barker and Roger White)
• Figure 72: 4th-century Britain with new provinces, capitals indicated (after Mann 1998: 340; White 2007: 37).
• Table 5: Summary of historical events influencing town defence modifications and army movements
• Figure 73: Towns with modified defences and active 4th-century forts in Roman Britain
• Figure 74: A blocked town gate at Caerwent
• Figure 75: An external projecting tower of the late 3rd century at the town of Caistor-by-Norwich,
• Figure 76: External projecting towers at the Saxon Shore Fort of Burgh Castle, Norfolk, built AD 280-300 (photo by author)
• Figure 77: Timeline showing when fora-basilicae were remodelled or reused
• Figure 78: Timeline showing when theatres or amphitheatres were reused
• Figure 79: Development sequence of a building in Insula XXVII at Verulamium, showing transition from townhouse to barn (drawn by author, updated from Frere 1983: 215, fig.82)
• Figure 80: The large 4th-century public baths at Arles, France (photo by author)
• Figure 81: Detailed view of Barcelona’s 4th-century town defences; extensive reused material is clearly visible in both tower (to right) and main wall
• Figure 82: Possible reduced settlement foci in 5th- to 6th-century Canterbury, Colchester, and Leicester (clockwise from top left) compared to their former Roman urban cores. Black-shaded areas denote areas of principal Roman public buildings; grey-shaded
• Figure 84: Reconstruction of an ‘Anglo-Saxon’ SFB (left) and a post-hole timber-framed building (right) at West Stow, Suffolk (photos by author)
• Figure 85: Known kingdoms in south Britain c. AD 600. It is probable that many more smaller sub-kingdoms existed that we know othing about. Former Roman towns with early bishops are shown as black dots
• Figure 86: Summarised settlement forms in Roman towns from AD 300 to 600
• Figure 87: Nature of 5th- and 6th- century settlement within former Roman towns, in AD 450 (left, 28 towns) and AD 600 (right, 23 towns)
• Figure 88: Overall urban trajectories in the mid-5th century AD
• Figure 89: Overall urban trajectories by AD 600
• Figure 90: A cultural and ethnic divide in 5th- and 6th-century Britain?
• Figure 91: Contemporary settlements, yet worlds apart? Reconstruction views of 5th- to 6th-century Canterbury (top) showing small timber housing scattered amongst ruinous Roman structures (copyright Canterbury Archaeological Trust), contrast greatly with
• Table 11: Canterbury: 4th-century settlement evidence
• Table 12: Canterbury: 5th- to 6th-century settlement evidence
• Table 13: Cirencester: 4th-century settlement evidence
• Table 14: Cirencester: 5th- to 6th-century settlement evidence
• Table 15: Colchester: 4th-century settlement evidence
• Table 16: Colchester: 5th- to 6th-century settlement evidence
• Table 17: Leicester: 4th-century settlement evidence
• Towns in the Dark?
• Urban transformations
• from Late Roman Britain to Anglo-Saxon England
• Contents
• List of Figures and Tables
• Acknowledgements
• Preface
• Chapter 1:
• Introduction and Methodology
• Chapter 2:
• A Review of Debate on Romano-British Towns, AD 300 – 600
• Chapter 3: Urban Sequences in the South-East
• Chapter 4: Urban Sequences in the South-West
• Chapter 5: Urban Sequences in the Midlands
• Chapter 6: Questioning Towns in Late Roman Britain: Forms, Functions, and FailingsForms, Functions, and Failings
• Chapter 7: Towns as Settlements, or as Symbols of the Past?
• Chapter 8: Stepping out from the Dark: Conclusions and Directions
• Appendices
• Bibliography