This paper initially presents a set of density models for England constructed by the members of the English Landscape and Identities (EngLaId) project and then goes on to discuss three possible explanations for the variation seen: modern affordance, variability in past usage of material culture, and past population density. The various members of the project team (with the aid of Andrew Lowerre) then provide their thoughts on the models and ideas presented from their own specific period specialist perspectives. The article is presented in this discursive format to reflect the differing opinions and approaches across an unusual multi-period project, in the spirit of multi-vocality and healthy debate.

Summary This paper discusses the relationship between agricultural activity and ritualized/religious practices in England from the middle Bronze Age to the early medieval period (c.1500 BC–AD 1086). It is written in the context of the ERC‐funded, Oxford‐based ‘English Landscapes and Identities project’ (EngLaId), which involved the compilation of an extensive spatial database of archaeological ‘monuments’, finds and other related data to chart change and continuity during this period. Drawing on this database alongside documentary and onomastic evidence, we analyze the changing relationship between fields, ritual and religion in England. We identify four moments of change, around the start of the middle Bronze Age (c.1500 BC), in the late Bronze Age (c.1150 BC), the late Iron Age (c.150 BC) and the middle/late Anglo‐Saxon period (c.800 AD). However, despite changes in both agricultural and ritual/religious practices during this extensive timeframe, a clear link between them can be observed throughout.

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The archaeology and heritage of South Sinai is rich and varied. Most research to date has focused on the High Mountains, specifically the area around the famous St Catherine’s Monastery, placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2002 (Saint Catherine Area, World Heritage Site 954). Recently, the Sinai Peninsula Research and the Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa projects have focused on the landscape surrounding the St Catherine’s Monastery. These projects highlighted the wealth of archaeological and heritage sites spanning the prehistoric to modern periods, including sites that are still in use by local communities today, as well as the environmental and anthropogenic factors that threaten their survival, such as climate change, tourism, and the impact of infrastructure developments. By contrast, the archaeology and heritage of the coastal areas was never surveyed systematically until the research presented in this paper. Remote sensing work by the Maritime Endangered Archaeology project revealed a coastal landscape that is likewise rich in archaeological and heritage sites. As in the High Mountains, many of the coastal sites are under significant threat, but they do not enjoy the same level of recognition and protection. This paper compares the coastal sites to those in the High Mountains, including their disturbances and threats, and demonstrates the need for a locally specific heritage management and protection strategy for different parts of South Sinai.

The project on which the book was based synthesized all the major available sources of information on English archaeology for the period from 1500 BC to AD 1086, providing an overview of the history of the English landscape from the Bronze Age to the Norman invasion. The result is the first account of the English landscape over a crucial 2500-year period when people created many of the features still visible today. It also provides a celebration of many centuries of archaeological work, especially the intensive investigations that have taken place since the 1960s, when frequent large-scale work has transformed our understanding of England’s past.