British Archaeological Reports

Papers and discussions from a four-day symposium of 'producers' and 'consumers' of dendrochronology. After a tribute to Bruno Huber, pioneer of European tree-ring dating, the first two sections are concerned with German, Soviet and Central European developments. In the section on oak chronologies for Northern Europe, reference chronologies for Britain are presented by J Fletcher (138-56) for medieval and Tudor timbers from slow- to moderate-growth oaks in E and S England; V Siebenlist-Kerner (157-61) has collected close-ringed oak from medieval or later buildings intended to establish an English-Welsh reference curve (AD 1341-1636), and A Barefoot et al (162-71) present the Winchester curve and problems connected with it. There follows a section on recent growth, in which G Varley (179-83) suggests that insect damage can affect ring growth, thus questioning the assumption that ring growth can be used to infer past climatic change. N Calton & J Fletcher (184 6) checked whether ash (which is less affected by insects) correlates with oak in ring growth; it does not. P Leggett et al (187-94) present a post-medieval chronology for slow-grown sessile oak in the Maentwrog district. Elm piles from the Trig Lane waterfront and the Jewel Tower in London have been studied by D Brett (195-9), and their combined curves should cover much of the 14th century. R Morgan et al (211-22) have examined brushwood material as well as large timbers from the Somerset Levels and found evidence for woodland management. With J Schofield, R Morgan has also (223-38) established a floating curve of 282 rings in the Roman period waterfront of London, and also has a medieval curve from Seal House, cross-dated from S Germany showing three phases of waterfront development around AD 1200. S McGrail (239-58) shows that 14C assay and dendrochronology are often the only feasible methods of dating ancient boats; he tabulates all published determinations for European logboats and plank boats. A pilot study of some re-used ship timbers from Wood Quay, Dublin, is reported by M G L Baillie (259-62); most seemed to be of Dublin origin. Papers on E Germany, Hedeby, Lund and S Central Europe follow. The evidence from submerged forests as sea level indicators is considered by A Heyworth (279-88) who foresees the eventual establishment of a precise and reliable measure of absolute and relative sea level rise. Samples from the Great Coxwell barn (V Siebenlist-Kerner et al, 295-302) suggest a construction date of AD 1300+10, but further research is needed. J Fletcher (303-6) has dated 80% of the 200 oak panels from late medieval to Jacobean panel paintings so far examined; and J Bauch (307-14) reports work on Dutch, Flemish and German panel paintings. There follows a section on new techniques and tree-ring features with contributions from O U Bräker & G Lambert (new Swiss laboratories), J Milsom & M K Hughes (X-ray densitometer), J F Hughes (density and cell-dimension measurement), C S Walker (pedunculate/sessile oak differences), M Tapper et al (abnormal small earlywood vessels), and R E Tout & W B Gilboy (trace element concentrations and X-ray tomography).

The first section of this conference volume deals with the individual and the group. In medieval England A Macfarlane (pp 17-22) finds evidence (contrary to common belief) for an essentially individualistic social structure with considerable geographic mobility. Recent attempts to infer status from European Iron Age burials are discussed by F R Hodson (23-30) while S J Pierpoint (31-45) uses models drawn from social psychology in an attempt to infer status, group differentiation, and make-up of burial population from N British funerary rites (Food Vessel associations). Indications of stress tending to tighten group identity were particularly searched for. For Anglo-Saxon burial practices John Shepherd (47-79) argues that isolated barrows were a means of demonstrating rank, while barrow cemeteries indicated an egalitarian society. Gypsy burial rites were the subject of J Okeley (81-92). C Blackmore, M Braithwaite and I R Hodder (93-111) choose Late Iron Age burials in Dorset as their focus for a study of social and cultural patterning, finding evidence of a 'core' area exhibiting strong group identity. D P S Peacock (113-17), replying to their alternative view on his Glastonbury pottery study, upholds his interpretation against theirs. Summarizing this section, E R Leach (119-24) argues that phenomena like 'stress' are inappropriately borrowed from other disciplines. The second section, on urban social groupings, begins with J R Collis (129-36) discussing how Sjøberg's social groupings might be tested archaeologically for the pre-Roman Iron Age. The spatial organization of medieval Winchester is Derek Keene's subject (149-59), while C G Pooley treats 19th century residential differentiation. R A Raper (137-47) treats Pompeii's town plan. Brian Robson summarizes this section. Section 3 moves on to the interaction of ethnic groups, with two papers on African peoples; J A Alexander (215-28) on the archaeological recognition of religion, particularly the influence of immigrant religious ideas on indigenous communities (Urnfields etc); and R Reece (229-40) examining Romano-British interactions. He finds art the only area to give a hint of suppression of British by Roman culture, and even then the post-Roman revival produced a remarkable flowering. Grahame Clark sums up Section 3, while E Hobsbawm gives a historian's view and C Renfrew comments on the fragmented, mutually uncomprehending nature of the conference contributions.

The work was composed, ostensibly as advice to the Emperor, by one known as 'the Anonymus', who wrote, on A Cameron's assessment, c 368/9. The document appears to discuss many aspects of Imperial warfare as practised at that time. J J G Alexander (11-15) compares the illustrations of DRB and the Notitia (the two documents were put together in ?9th century). M E Henig (17-38) discussing late antique book illustration believes the Gallic Prefecture could have provided the Notitia illustrations, and those for Vergilius Romanus might have been produced in Britain. K D White (39-45) finds the Late Roman harvesting machines too localized to have inspired the Anonymus's tichodifrus. The DRB references to coins and coinage are explored by R M Reece (59-66). For J S Johnson (67-75) nothing in the DRB descriptions is surprising in the context of frontier policy before 367. M W C Hassall's re-examination (77-99) of the Anonymus's 'inventions' concludes that even the most bizarre were practicable, the scythed chariots as well as the ballistae, ox-driven paddleboat, tichodifrus ('wallchariot'), and inflatable bridge. Some comments on plumbatae are offered by P A Barker (97-9) and D H Sherlock (101-2), while J P Wild (105-10) discusses the thorocomachus (undershirt) and other clothing improvements of the DRB. Sources mentioning siege machines, collected by D H Hill (111-17), show a more advanced post-Roman technology than is usually allowed for. Considering the later influence of the Anonymus, H M W Hodges (119-26) concludes that though he was required reading in Renaissance times, it was for historic interest only, not application. The second part of the volume has text, translation, commentary, and reproductions of the MS illustrations of DRB.

The papers from this conference fall under four headings. Tile and brick making contains eight papers, four relating to the Mediterranean world, four to Britain. D P S Peacock defines, from ethnological and other sources, five modes of brick production from household craft to full municipal undertaking, and suggests some lines for research. A McWhirr provides a gazetteer of sites of Roman tile-kilns in Britain, classifying them in four types, while T Green confirms some theories on the Itchingfield workshop. L Cram and M Fulford used the animal footprints on Silchester tiles to illuminate the process and intensity of manufacture as well as the evident freedom of stock to range across the tileyard. The section on stamps, marks and graffiti contains G Brodribb's survey of stamps, signatures, tallies, etc; T P Wiseman's study of Roman names on stamps; R Tomlin's of graffiti; A McWhirr's on the origins of legionary tile stamping in Britain; and M Hassall's study of stamps of the legions, the fleet, and the auxiliaries in Britain. Four papers on the uses of tile and brick follow: T Blagg looks at terracotta for architectural ornament in Italy and the western provinces, while G Webster deals with tiles as a structural component. T Rook treats tiled roofs, including a report on experimental production of tegulae, and he also considers the effect of the evolution of flues on the development of architecture. In analytical techniques, T Darvill's petrological study demonstrated the complexities of the Cotswold regional industry (both large- and small-scale operation). J Wilcock indicates some ways in which computers could help in recording, analysis, and publication, while T Green describes the use of thermosetting modelling clay for studying profiles of comb markings on tiles, and hence their geographical distribution. Relief patterned tiles are freshly appraised by D Johnston and D Williams with discussion of dating and organization. Experiments in making and firing box flue tiles have been made b G Morgan, while C Young suggests procedures for on-site recording of tile information to provide adequate data for study. Finally, the date of the Brixworth church 'Roman' bricks is undergoing re-examination by P Everson and D Parsons as part of a general study of re-use of Roman buildings and/or materials.

'For four centuries a small group of people living on the plain of Caen buried its dead in the same place', untouched by the upheavals of the Late Roman world although susceptible to Anglo-Saxon and Frankish fashions. This work provides a catalogue of the 650 graves and their furnishings and a synthetic discussion of inferences to be drawn from them. The grave goods include AS button brooches, square-head brooches, and British BB pottery exported through Clausentum to the Normandy coast and Frénouville itself. The skeletal evidence gives no trace of newcomers to the settlement, not even of those who carried weapons.

C R Whittaker (pp 1-22), on inflation and the economy in 4th century AD, enquires whether inflation has any importance for understanding the economy of the late empire; and if not, why not? J-P Callu (95-124) investigates the bronze issues minted from 348 to 392, and (213-54) analyses the sequence of silver emissions from 324-92 and the hoarding pattern. F Millar (125-40) on the Privata from Diocletian to Theodosius discusses one of the frameworks within which the state acquired, disposed of, administered, or exploited landed or movable property. C E King's paper (141-73) on the Sacrae Largitiones tries briefly to trace its emergence during 4th century and to discuss in more detail its function in regard to the mint system and the production. Finally R S O Tomlin (255-79) on 'fairy gold' provides a restatement of and commentary on K Menadier's 1914 paper on monetary history in the Augustan History; he includes a glossary of numismatic and related terms in the HA. Numis Lit/CEK (abr)

Study of a frontier organized in the Late Roman period as a defensive complex with mobile field army; emphasis on 4th to 6th centuries, little being known of earlier forts.

Includes contributions on pipes from St Malo, Schoonhoven, Gouda, Denmark, the Wasa and other Swedish wrecks, Oslo, etc. The Gouda industry was the most important in the 19th century world.