Two small votive plates from York, recorded as RIB 662 and 663, represent unique examples of the ... more Two small votive plates from York, recorded as RIB 662 and 663, represent unique examples of the Greek language in Roman Britain. Though traditionally attributed to Plutarch’s Demetrius of Tarsus, the authorship of these artefacts is disputed, due to the relative ambiguity of the contents and the lack of stratigraphic and dating information associated with their recovery. However, by analysing the metatextual features of the objects, it is possible to derive a comparative cultural background which can remedy the missing archaeological context. This article addresses the ansate shape of the plates, their punched-dot inscription style, and their use of the Greek language to reconnect the objects with a cultural context that helps to resolve the existing disputes regarding their contents.
Cultural change brought about in Britain by the Roman invasion and occupation is a much-discussed... more Cultural change brought about in Britain by the Roman invasion and occupation is a much-discussed topic in Roman archaeology, but although many individual studies have evaluated the information provided by physical artifacts like brooches, hairpins, food, and interior decor, no similar evaluation has been made of the most significant cultural import of the period: the presence of an entirely new language and of the option for a permanent written record. By looking at the presence of Latin documents and other artifacts associated with the production of writing as evidence of cultural change on the island, I will demonstrate that the adoption of Latin and writing across Britain was the most substantial paradigm shift in British life until the Norman invasions almost 1000 years later, taken up at multiple levels of society and in many different communities, and ultimately shaped not only Britain in the Roman period, but also Britain as the keystone of the later western world.
mirage Granaries and the grain supply of Roman frontier forts: case studies in local grain produc... more mirage Granaries and the grain supply of Roman frontier forts: case studies in local grain production from Hauarra (Jordan), Vindolanda (Britain), and Vindonissa (Switzerland). xmlui.dri2xhtml.structural.head-subtitle. Login/Register. ...
Mortaria are a particular and distinctive type of ceramic, and their presence, use, and productio... more Mortaria are a particular and distinctive type of ceramic, and their presence, use, and production in Roman Britain has been extensively documented. Their unique appearance compared with other ceramics, as well as the fact that they were luxury goods that required skilled craftsmen to produce, have made them useful markers of economic activity in Britain during the Roman period, particularly at military sites on Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall. This paper deals with a specific type of Romano-British mortarium known as Corbridge White Ware, produced at the Roman town of Corbridge on Hadrian’s Wall in the second century C.E. These vessels achieved a notable regional distribution across the militarized zone of northern England and southern Scotland; and the time frame in which they were produced seems to show a connection between the presence of official military garrisons at Corbridge and the production of mortaria at the site. These factors, along with the appearance of the vessels themselves, raise the question of whether Corbridge’s mortarium production was intended to fuel the demand of a military market for these distinctive Roman vessels and, further, whether these vessels were produced as cheaper imitations of better-quality mortaria that were not necessarily available at the margins of the Roman empire. This paper examines both of these questions based on the surviving fragments of Corbridge White Ware vessels, the distribution of sites at which they were found, and the evidence for commercial imitation in Romano-British ceramics industries
The viability and sustainability of a Roman frontier garrison was directly dependent on how easil... more The viability and sustainability of a Roman frontier garrison was directly dependent on how easily it could be supplied with the necessities of food, fodder, and water. It was therefore tactically and logistically necessary that the garrisons of the Roman military frontier organized their supplies of these staples in a way that was reliable enough to sustain the garrison long-term and minimized the distance those supplies had to travel. Obtaining the majority of staple supplies locally would reduce the costs of the supply system in both money and time as well as simplifying the logistical concerns of supply, thereby increasing the stability of the garrison.
In the case of Vindolanda, an important auxiliary fort in the highlands of northern Britain, garrisoned by troops charged with patrolling and protecting important transport along the Stanegate frontier, taking control of the sustainable resources in the vicinity of the fort was especially important to maintain the outpost’s viability. This paper explores the available resources of arable land near Vindolanda, and the potential capacity that these land reserves had to sustain the annual production of grain for the garrison.
Two small votive plates from York, recorded as RIB 662 and 663, represent unique examples of the ... more Two small votive plates from York, recorded as RIB 662 and 663, represent unique examples of the Greek language in Roman Britain. Though traditionally attributed to Plutarch’s Demetrius of Tarsus, the authorship of these artefacts is disputed, due to the relative ambiguity of the contents and the lack of stratigraphic and dating information associated with their recovery. However, by analysing the metatextual features of the objects, it is possible to derive a comparative cultural background which can remedy the missing archaeological context. This article addresses the ansate shape of the plates, their punched-dot inscription style, and their use of the Greek language to reconnect the objects with a cultural context that helps to resolve the existing disputes regarding their contents.
Cultural change brought about in Britain by the Roman invasion and occupation is a much-discussed... more Cultural change brought about in Britain by the Roman invasion and occupation is a much-discussed topic in Roman archaeology, but although many individual studies have evaluated the information provided by physical artifacts like brooches, hairpins, food, and interior decor, no similar evaluation has been made of the most significant cultural import of the period: the presence of an entirely new language and of the option for a permanent written record. By looking at the presence of Latin documents and other artifacts associated with the production of writing as evidence of cultural change on the island, I will demonstrate that the adoption of Latin and writing across Britain was the most substantial paradigm shift in British life until the Norman invasions almost 1000 years later, taken up at multiple levels of society and in many different communities, and ultimately shaped not only Britain in the Roman period, but also Britain as the keystone of the later western world.
mirage Granaries and the grain supply of Roman frontier forts: case studies in local grain produc... more mirage Granaries and the grain supply of Roman frontier forts: case studies in local grain production from Hauarra (Jordan), Vindolanda (Britain), and Vindonissa (Switzerland). xmlui.dri2xhtml.structural.head-subtitle. Login/Register. ...
Mortaria are a particular and distinctive type of ceramic, and their presence, use, and productio... more Mortaria are a particular and distinctive type of ceramic, and their presence, use, and production in Roman Britain has been extensively documented. Their unique appearance compared with other ceramics, as well as the fact that they were luxury goods that required skilled craftsmen to produce, have made them useful markers of economic activity in Britain during the Roman period, particularly at military sites on Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall. This paper deals with a specific type of Romano-British mortarium known as Corbridge White Ware, produced at the Roman town of Corbridge on Hadrian’s Wall in the second century C.E. These vessels achieved a notable regional distribution across the militarized zone of northern England and southern Scotland; and the time frame in which they were produced seems to show a connection between the presence of official military garrisons at Corbridge and the production of mortaria at the site. These factors, along with the appearance of the vessels themselves, raise the question of whether Corbridge’s mortarium production was intended to fuel the demand of a military market for these distinctive Roman vessels and, further, whether these vessels were produced as cheaper imitations of better-quality mortaria that were not necessarily available at the margins of the Roman empire. This paper examines both of these questions based on the surviving fragments of Corbridge White Ware vessels, the distribution of sites at which they were found, and the evidence for commercial imitation in Romano-British ceramics industries
The viability and sustainability of a Roman frontier garrison was directly dependent on how easil... more The viability and sustainability of a Roman frontier garrison was directly dependent on how easily it could be supplied with the necessities of food, fodder, and water. It was therefore tactically and logistically necessary that the garrisons of the Roman military frontier organized their supplies of these staples in a way that was reliable enough to sustain the garrison long-term and minimized the distance those supplies had to travel. Obtaining the majority of staple supplies locally would reduce the costs of the supply system in both money and time as well as simplifying the logistical concerns of supply, thereby increasing the stability of the garrison.
In the case of Vindolanda, an important auxiliary fort in the highlands of northern Britain, garrisoned by troops charged with patrolling and protecting important transport along the Stanegate frontier, taking control of the sustainable resources in the vicinity of the fort was especially important to maintain the outpost’s viability. This paper explores the available resources of arable land near Vindolanda, and the potential capacity that these land reserves had to sustain the annual production of grain for the garrison.
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This paper deals with a specific type of Romano-British mortarium known as Corbridge White Ware, produced at the Roman town of Corbridge on Hadrian’s Wall in the second century C.E. These vessels achieved a notable regional distribution across the militarized zone of northern England and southern Scotland; and the time frame in which they were produced seems to show a connection between the presence of official military garrisons at Corbridge and the production of mortaria at the site. These factors, along with the appearance of the vessels themselves, raise the question of whether Corbridge’s mortarium production was intended to fuel the demand of a military market for these distinctive Roman vessels and, further, whether these vessels were produced as cheaper imitations of better-quality mortaria that were not necessarily available at the margins of the Roman empire.
This paper examines both of these questions based on the surviving fragments of Corbridge White Ware vessels, the distribution of sites at which they were found, and the evidence for commercial imitation in Romano-British ceramics industries
In the case of Vindolanda, an important auxiliary fort in the highlands of northern Britain, garrisoned by troops charged with patrolling and protecting important transport along the Stanegate frontier, taking control of the sustainable resources in the vicinity of the fort was especially important to maintain the outpost’s viability. This paper explores the available resources of arable land near Vindolanda, and the potential capacity that these land reserves had to sustain the annual production of grain for the garrison.
This paper deals with a specific type of Romano-British mortarium known as Corbridge White Ware, produced at the Roman town of Corbridge on Hadrian’s Wall in the second century C.E. These vessels achieved a notable regional distribution across the militarized zone of northern England and southern Scotland; and the time frame in which they were produced seems to show a connection between the presence of official military garrisons at Corbridge and the production of mortaria at the site. These factors, along with the appearance of the vessels themselves, raise the question of whether Corbridge’s mortarium production was intended to fuel the demand of a military market for these distinctive Roman vessels and, further, whether these vessels were produced as cheaper imitations of better-quality mortaria that were not necessarily available at the margins of the Roman empire.
This paper examines both of these questions based on the surviving fragments of Corbridge White Ware vessels, the distribution of sites at which they were found, and the evidence for commercial imitation in Romano-British ceramics industries
In the case of Vindolanda, an important auxiliary fort in the highlands of northern Britain, garrisoned by troops charged with patrolling and protecting important transport along the Stanegate frontier, taking control of the sustainable resources in the vicinity of the fort was especially important to maintain the outpost’s viability. This paper explores the available resources of arable land near Vindolanda, and the potential capacity that these land reserves had to sustain the annual production of grain for the garrison.