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

Student Information Continuing Education Library Rewley House, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2HY Opening hours Term-time (to 14 th Dec.): Mon–Thurs: 9am pm Fri: 9am - 5 pm Sat: 9.30 am pm Sun: 1pm - 4pm Vacation (to 7 th Jan.): Mon – Fri: 9am - 5pm Sat & Sun: Closed Closed 22 nd Dec.-1 st Jan. 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 2A p. 9]

De Excidio Britanniae (‘D.E.B.’) 3:2. [Britain] is ornamented with twenty- eight 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 C4: 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 (Handout 2A, p. 7, & Worksheet 2A, p. 8) Pen = Headland Avon = River Wic = settlement Creech = cruc Coyd = wood Ham = homestead Tre = Farmstead Caer = walled settlement Chester = (Roman) Walled town Walh = ‘foreigner’

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 2B: p.9- 10]

Wroxeter basilica

Gloucester Castle St Oswalds Tilery >LC4 <C6 >EC5 New Market Hall site: Ash & molten lead = metalworking Spearhead & human jaw on mosaic Hoard including early C5 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 C5 coin ‘Grass-tempered’ pottery Castle Site: Building continued use C5+ (TPQ = 374 C14: TAQ =C6) Post-holes cut into floor Build up of loam Hearths, lead ingot, & charcoal = metalworking C5 pottery Human / animal bone

Caerwent

Group Exercise: Urban Settlements