Plague, Climate and Faith in Early Medieval Western Britain: Investigating Narratives of Change

Comeau, Rhiannon; Seaman, Andy; Bloxam, Anna

doi:10.1080/00766097.2023.2204655

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Analysis of dates from all broadly comparable sites in Wales and south-west England indicates that there was a widespread move away from hillforts in the late-sixth/early-seventh century, pointing to a period of significant socio-political and economic change (Comeau et al 2023: 9-10). Consolidation of political units, the growth of the Christian Church and the effects of the Justinianic Plague may have had a significant impact on the decline of hillforts at this time (Campbell 2007: 132;Comeau et al 2023). The archaeological evidence from southern Britain contrasts with that from the north, where later first-millennium AD use of defended sites is increasingly attested (Noble 2016: 30-1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new chronology for the Welsh hillfort of Dinas Powys

Campbell,

Seaman,

Lane

et al. 2023

Antiquity

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Excavated by Leslie Alcock in the 1950s, the inland promontory fort of Dinas Powys is widely cited as a type site for elite settlements of post-Roman western Britain. Alcock's interpretation and dating of the main defences as a Norman-period castle were effectively disproven in the 1990s, but the excavator's original chronology continues to be cited. Here, the authors present a revised chronology, integrating new radiocarbon dates and stratigraphic analysis to re-evaluate the history of occupation. The new phasing redates the main defences to the early medieval period, which aligns with the site's notable early medieval assemblage. The findings contribute to understanding of post-Roman western Britain and the (re)occupation of late antique hilltop sites more generally.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%