Clash of Cultures?

Clash of Cultures?
Author: Roger White
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Total Pages: 642
Release: 2018-02-21
Genre: History
ISBN: 1785709232

The general perception of the west midlands region in the Roman period is that it was a backwater compared to the militarized frontier zone of the north, or the south of Britain where Roman culture took root early – in cities like Colchester, London ,and St Albans – and lingered late at cities like Cirencester and Bath with their rich, late Roman villa culture. The west midlands region captures the transition between these two areas of the ‘military’ north and ‘civilized’ south. Where it differed, and why, are important questions in understanding the regional diversity of Roman Britain. They are addressed by this volume which details the archaeology of the Roman period for each of the modern counties of the region, written by local experts who are or have been responsible for the management and exploration of their respective counties. These are placed alongside more thematic takes on elements of Roman culture, including the Roman Army, pottery, coins and religion. Lastly, an overview is taken of the important transitional period of the fifth and sixth centuries. Each paper provides both a developed review of the existing state of knowledge and understanding of the key characteristics of the subject area and details a set of research objectives for the future, immediate and long-term, that will contribute to our evolving understanding of Roman Britain. This is the third volume in a series – The Making of the West Midlands – that explores the archaeology of the English west midlands region from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards.

The Archaeology of the West Midlands

The Archaeology of the West Midlands
Author: Sarah Watt
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2011
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9781842174272

"The west midlands region ... embraces the counties of Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, and the former West Midlands County."--P. xiv.

Westward on the High-Hilled Plains

Westward on the High-Hilled Plains
Author: Derek Hurst
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Total Pages: 410
Release: 2017-03-31
Genre: History
ISBN: 1785704125

The West Midlands has struggled archaeologically to project a distinct regional identity, having largely been defined by reference to other areas with a stronger cultural identity and history, such as Wessex the South-West, and the North. Only occasionally has the West Midlands come to prominence, for instance in the middle Saxon period (viz. the kingdom of Mercia), or, much later, with rural south Shropshire being the birthplace of the Industrial rRevolution. Yet it is a region rich in natural mineral resources, set amidst readily productive farmland, and with major rivers, such as the Severn, facilitating transportation. The scale of its later prehistoric monuments, notably the hillforts, proclaims the centralisation of some functions, whether for security, exchange or emulation, while society supported the production and widespread distribution of specialised craft goods. Finally, towards the close of prehistory, localised kingdoms can be seen to emerge into view. In the course of reviewing the evidence for later prehistory from the Middle Bronze Age to Late Iron Age, the papers presented here adopt a variety of approaches, being either regional, county-wide, or thematic (eg. by site type, or artefactual typology), and they also encompass the wider landscape as reconstructed from environmental evidence. This is the second volume in a series – The Making of the West Midlands – that explores the archaeology of the English West Midlands region from the Lower Palaeolithic onwards. These volumes, based on a series of West Midlands Research Framework seminars, aim to transform perceptions of the nature and significance of the archaeological evidence across a large part of central Britain.

Archaeology in the PPG16 Era

Archaeology in the PPG16 Era
Author: Timothy Darvill
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Total Pages: 488
Release: 2019-02-28
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1789251095

The Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP), funded by English Heritage, systematically collected information about the nature and outcomes of more than 86,000 archaeological projects undertaken between 1990 and 2010. This volume looks at the long-term trends in archaeological investigation and reporting, places this work within wider social, political, and professional contexts, and reviews its achievements. Information was collected through visits to public and private organizations undertaking archaeological work. Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: Archaeology and Planning (known as PPG16), published in 1990, saw the formal integration of archaeological considerations with the UK town and country planning system that, and set out processes for informed decision-making and the implementation of post-determination mitigation strategies, defined a formative era in archaeological practice and established principles that underpin today’s planning policy framework. The scale of activity represented – more 1000 excavations per year for most of the PPG16 Era – is more than double the level of work undertaken at peak periods during the previous three decades. This comprehensive review of the project presents a wealth of data. A series of case studies examines the illustrate different types of development project, revealing many ways in which projects develop, how archaeology is integrated with planning and execution, and the range of outputs documenting the process, and identified a series of ten important lessons that can be learned from these investigations. Looking into the post-PPG16 Era, the volume considers anticipated developments in the changing worlds of planning, property development, and archaeological practice and proposes the monitoring of archaeological investigations in England using a two-pronged approach that involves self-reporting and periodic strategic overviews.

The West Midlands

The West Midlands
Author: Della Hooke
Publisher:
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2006
Genre: Archaeology
ISBN: 9780007155750

This volume offers an explanation of why the countryside of England looks the way it does in contemporary times. It covers the geology, archaeology and history of each area and what effects each has had on the landscape.

The Undiscovered Country

The Undiscovered Country
Author: Paul Garwood
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
Total Pages: 238
Release: 2007
Genre: History
ISBN:

This is the first volume in a series - The Making of the West Midlands - that explores the archaeology of the English West Midlands region from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Industrial Revolution. These books, based on the West Midlands Research Framework seminars held in 2002-3, aim to transform perceptions of the nature and significance of the archaeological evidence across a large part of central Britain, in an area extending from the plains of eastern England to the Cambrian Mountains and from the Cotswolds to the southern Pennines. The earlier prehistory of the region, in particular, has been neglected at a national level and deserves far wider recognition in research terms. This first volume reveals the scale, richness and diversity of the evidence from all earlier prehistoric periods in the West Midlands, from the Lower Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, and considers its research significance and potential. The book is copiously illustrated, and includes a large number of colour maps and plans.