The Roman Rural Settlement Project

Coins and ‘small finds’ from the south-east of England: preliminary results

Dr Tom Brindle

Structure of the Paper

Coins

Brooches

Other small finds

Roman coinage in the South East

• As in regions previously analysed, Roman coins far from ubiquitous

• Just 49% of sites produced coins

• Wide intra-regional variation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Pe

rce

nt

County

Presence of coins (% of sites)

Intra-regional variation explained?

E.g. Buckinghamshire and Berkshire

• Buckinghamshire – 85 sites, 54% with coins

• Berkshire – 56 sites, 31% with coins

0

5

10

15

20

25

Bucks Berkshire

Pe

rce

nt

County

Proportion of sites for which controlled metal detection noted

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

GreaterLondon

Berkshire Kent Isle of Wight Surrey Oxfordshire Bucks Hampshire West Sussex East Sussex

Pe

rce

nt

County

Date of reports

<1970s

1980s

1990s

2000+

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

<0.25ha 0.25-0.5ha 0.5-1ha 1 to 5ha 5ha+

Pe

rce

nt

Area of investigation

Proportion of sites with coins against area of investigation

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Sites occupied beyond AD 250 Sites abandoned before AD 250

Pe

rce

nt

Proportion of sites with coins

Proportion of sites occupied >AD 250 and <AD 250 with coins

Occupation sites with activity beyond c. AD 260 should produce coins

• Reasonable area of excavation (0.5ha?)

• Controlled metal detector use on site

• Coins included in the site report(!)

What about early Roman coinage?

• 29% of sites produced coins up to AD 260

• Even with sample of sites with large excavated areas >5ha only 42% had coins (as opposed to 66% for coins of all periods)

So, which sites produce early coins?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Nucleatedsites

Villas Religious sites Linear farms Enclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Site type

Presence/absence early Roman coins

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Nucleatedsites

Villas Religious sites Linear farms Enclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Site type

Presence/absence late Roman coins

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Pe

rce

nt

Brooches Linear/developed farms (presence)

0.0%2.0%4.0%6.0%8.0%

10.0%12.0%14.0%16.0%

Pe

rce

nt

Brooches Enclosed farms (presence)

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

Pe

rce

nt

Brooches Villas (presence)

0.0%5.0%

10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%40.0%

Pe

rce

nt

Brooches Religious sites (presence)

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Pe

rce

nt

Brooches Nucleated sites (presence)

Colchester

Colchester derivative

Nauheim derivative

Hod Hill

Aucissa

Images copyright of Portable Antiquities Scheme

Distribution of some particular types of brooch recorded by the Roman rural settlement project

Colchesters

Colchester derivatives

Nauheim derivatives

Hod Hills

Aucissa/Bagendons

! Towns

SE Roman Roads

Distribution of some particular types of brooch recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme

Aucissa/Bagendons

Aucissa/Bagendon brooches recorded by the Roman rural settlement project and PAS

Frere (1987) Britannia

Aucissa Brooches

• Total of 31 brooches at 17 sites

Multiple examples from 5 sites

– 10 from Springhead (roadside settlement and sanctuary complex)

– 3 from Fishbourne (villa)

– 2 from Wavendon Gate, Bucks (farm, funerary site)

– 2 Wilcote (village)

– 2 Barton Court Farm (farm/ villa)

12 single examples • Thurnham (villa/temple) • North Leigh (villa) • Gatehampton Farm (villa) • Thruxton (villa/shrine/funerary site) • Shakenoak Farm (villa) • Woodeaton (temple) • Walton Court, Aylesbury

(village/shrine) • Swarling (funerary site) • Mount Farm Berinsfield (linear

farm) • Northumberland Bottom (linear

farm), • Northbrook, Micheldever (enclosed

farm) • Ructstalls Hill, Basingstoke (enclosed

farm)

Very strong association between Aucissa brooches and nucleated, ritual and villa sites – officialdom?

Zoomorphic brooches

Multiple examples from 3 sites

– 2 from Weston Turville (hare and fly - funerary site)

– 2 from Campsfield, Kidlington (fly/bee and fly -farm – part of possible structured deposit in 4th century corn drier

– 2 from Wiggonholt (duck and rearing horse and soldiers above eagle – villa)

9 single examples • Springhead Sanctuary (hare-temple) • Walton Court Aylesbury (cockerel -

shrine/village) • Slonk Hill, Shoreham (cockerel –

shrine) • Lancing Down (cockerel –

temple/shrine – recovered from grave near temple)

• Muntham Court, Finden (fish – shrine)

• Ewell (stag -shrine/village) • Brentford (hare - village/funerary

site) • The Mount, Maidstone(horse - villa) • Ashtead (plate depicting dolphin -

villa)

Overwhelming association between zoomorphic brooches and ritual/funerary sites

Other finds – presence of objects (proportion of sites)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

UnenclosedFarms

Pe

rce

nt

Dress Accessories

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

UnenclosedFarms

Pe

rce

nt

Reading and Writing

0

20

40

60

80

100

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

UnenclosedFarms

Pe

rce

nt

Cosmetic/ Toilet implements

05

101520253035

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

UnenclosedFarms

Pe

rce

nt

Title

Lighting Equipment

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

UnenclosedFarms

Pe

rce

nt Military/hunting

Dress – presence of objects with Mediterranean identity

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Hairpins

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Ear-rings

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Finger rings

05

10

15

202530

35

4045

50

Nucleatedsites

combined

Religioussites

combined

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Hobnails

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Religioussites

combined

Nucleatedsites

combined

Titl

e

Mirrors

0

2

4

6

8

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Religioussites

combined

Nucleatedsites

combined

Titl

e

Combs

02468

10

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Religioussites

combined

Nucleatedsites

combined

Titl

e

Cosmetic mortars/grinders and palettes

0

5

10

15

20

25

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Religioussites

combined

Nucleatedsites

combined

Titl

e

Tweezers

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Villas LinearFarms

EnclosedFarms

Unenclosedfarms

Religioussites

combined

Nucleatedsites

combined

Titl

e

Nail Cleaners

Presence of objects associated with personal presentation and hygiene

0

20

40

60

80

100

Villas Linear Farms Enclosed Farms Unenclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Presence of paddocks/stock enclosures Connectedness?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Villas Linear Farms Enclosed Farms Unenclosedfarms

Pe

rce

nt

Presence of trackways/roads

0

5

10

15

20

25

Villas Linear Farms Enclosed Farms Unenclosed farms

Pe

rce

nt

Objects associated with horses/transport

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Villas Linear Farms Enclosed Farms Unenclosed farms

Pe

rce

nt

Sites with horse bones

0

5

10

15

20

25

Villas Linear Farms Enclosed Farms Unenclosed farms

Pe

rce

nt

% of sites with horse ABGs (associated bone groups)

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5

10

15

20

Villas Linear Farms Enclosed Farms

Pe

rce

nt

Presence of juvenile horse bones

Conclusions • Recovery of artefacts strongly influenced by investigation methodology,

particularly size of excavation and whether metal detectors are used • By late Roman period coins widespread across Roman sites, and should be

expected at sites occupied beyond late 3rd century AD • Early Roman coins less evenly distributed and appear less widespread at

enclosed and unenclosed farms than linear farms, villas and nucleated sites • Interesting brooch patterns beginning to emerge – have been able to show clear

association for Aucissa brooches to follow the Roman road network, and to show a tendency towards non-farm sites. V clear relationship between zoomorphic brooches and ritual/funerary contexts– seem to occur rarely as casual losses on farm

• Developing patterns suggest the types of site we can expect finds to occur on – nucleated sites, religious sites and villas best represented by finds, though linear farms stand out as being far better represented by objects than the other farms

• Linear farms more commonly associated with a range of objects regarded as more ‘Roman’ than native, and also tend to exhibit better evidence for personal grooming and bodily display

• This is likely to be associated with cultural and social status, and the increased presence of paddocks, trackways and horse remains at linear farms are suggestive of better access to transport, travel, and social situations in which it is desirable to project one’s identity

• Building a better picture of a very nuanced socially stratified society that goes well beyond the traditional villa/farm dichotomy