Medieval Adaptation, Settlement and Economy of a Coastal Wetland : The Evidence from Around Lydd, Romney Marsh, Kent

by Barber, Luke; Priestley-Bell, Greg; Gardiner, Mark (CON); Sweetinburgh, Sheila (CON)

• ISBN13: 9781842172407
• ISBN10: 1842172409
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-12-01
• Publisher: David Brown Book Co

Summary

Romney Marsh is the largest coastal lowland on the south coast of England. Since 1991 excavations in advance of gravel extraction around Lydd on Romney Marsh, have uncovered large areas of medieval landscape, one of the largest to be exposed in southern England. Features uncovered include 12th-13th century drainage ditches, ditched field systems and sea defences. Also of particular significance is the identification of a series of occupation sites and their enclosures. The excavation of dispersed settlements is particularly difficult, because of the scale of work required to produce meaningful results. In this case it has been possible to work on sufficiently large areas to allow significant conclusions to be drawn. The excavations at Lydd Quarry have shown how dispersed settlement existed alongside the nucleated market settlements on Romney Marsh. This extensive report details the archaeological investigations of the field systems and occupation sites, finds and environmental material. There is also a section by Sheila Sweetinburgh on the documentary evidence. Two final chapters set out broader conclusions from the evidence for the field systems, settlements, and economy, and set the area in its wider context. The research has provided an unprecedented opportunity to study reclamation, occupation and economy of a large tract of marginal landscape through a considerable period of time.

Table of Contents

List of Figures
List of Tables
General Introduction	p. 1
The Documentary Sources	p. 7
Abstract	p. 7
Introduction	p. 8
The Nature of the Evidence	p. 8
Reclamation and Field Systems	p. 13
Settlement Pattern	p. 16
The Local Economy	p. 18
The Lydd Quarry Area in 1552	p. 24
The Archaeological Investigations	p. 29
Lydd Quarry	p. 29
The Ditch System: Overview	p. 34
Sample Excavations at Dering Farm, Lydd	p. 93
Excavations at Caldicott Farm	p. 96
Archaeological Discoveries from Pioneer Pit and Allen's Bank	p. 100
Denge West Quarry	p. 101
The Finds and Environmental Material	p. 113
The Pottery	p. 113
Coins, Tokens, Jetons and a Coin Weight	p. 174
The Metalwork	p. 176
The Metallurgical Remains	p. 191
The Ceramic Building Material	p. 191
Burnt Clay	p. 195
The Clay Tobacco Pipes	p. 196
The Glass	p. 197
The Leather	p. 198
Worked Bone or Antler	p. 200
Geological Material	p. 202
The Animal Bone	p. 212
Other Vertebrate Remains	p. 224
The Insect Remains	p. 227
The Marine Molluscs	p. 228
The Vegetation and Environment of the Medieval and Later Periods; Pollen and Wood Analysis	p. 239
Plant Macrofossils	p. 252
Discussion	p. 275
The Pioneer Phase: Establishing the Field System (up to the Early 13th Century)	p. 275
Consolidation and Settlement (Early & Mid 13th Century)	p. 284
Start of the Decline (Late 13th to 14th Century)	p. 290
Continuing Decline (15th to Mid 16th Century)	p. 294
The Post-Medieval Period (Mid 16th Century Onwards)	p. 296
The Wider Context	p. 297
Archaeology of Landscapes	p. 297
Wetland Archaeology and Lydd	p. 299
Medieval Settlement Studies and Lydd	p. 301
The Research Agenda for the Future	p. 303
Bibliography	p. 305
Index	p. 313
Colour Figures	p. 319
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.