Reappraising Penn and Harker: a reassessment of the finds from excavations at Roman Springhead, published between 1957 and 1984, and interpretations made about their use in past activities

The purpose of this study is to re-assess the poorly understood, yet extensive, quantities of finds from the Roman 'temple site' at Springhead in North Kent. The publication of this material by William Penn and Sydney Harker in a series of reports, between 1957 and 1984, meant that the assemblage was never viewed as a whole, and a full analysis has never been undertaken. Recent work by Oxford Archaeology (1994) and Wessex Archaeology (1998-2001) led to a major increase in knowledge about the site, revealing three new temples in an extensive 'religious enclosure' and a large number of accompanying structures. It was, therefore, important that the large quantities of finds discovered during Penn and Harker's excavations were examined in relation to this work to provide as complete an understanding of the site as possible. The study sought to map the distribution of finds from Penn and Harker's excavations in time and space, and explore their relationship to the structural history of the site, to see what light they might shed on past activities, drawing on similar approaches used in current research on 'temple sites' in Roman Britain, which are felt to have yielded interesting information. The issues raised by current approaches to 'ritual' and 'structured deposition', which have played an important role in current studies of the distribution of finds and their significance to past activities, were also considered. Examination was undertaken, firstly, of the distribution of finds sharing similar forms and potential functions, to ascertain whether traits could be identified in their treatment and deposition that may have been significant as part of past activities. The importance of the material for understanding activities associated with other 'temple sites' in Roman Britain was also assessed. Analysis also took into account that while there may have been commonly held symbolic concepts affecting the use and treatment of finds on 'temple sites', such objects could have been used in many different ways once they had been brought there, in a variety of circumstances throughout its long history of use. Analysis was, therefore, also conducted upon relationships between finds deposited in archaeological features and strata from different periods, in an attempt to consider the potential for diversity in the use of objects at Springhead. The information obtained by the analysis was used to reappraise interpretations made about the site by Penn, Harker and various researchers, taking into consideration issues raised in current approaches towards 'interpretative archaeologies'

Identity and the Cruciform Brooch in Early Anglo-Saxon England: An Investigation of Style, Mortuary Context, and Use

This thesis uses the cruciform brooch, a well-represented and highly decorative dress-fastener, as an entry point for looking at the construction of identities relating to ethnicity, gender, age, and power in the early Anglo-Saxon period. The examination of this artefact is holistic and multi-dimensional, and the major topics of consideration are: (a) typology and stylistic variability, (b) chronology, (c) distribution, (d) mortuary context, (e) use, repair and costume, and finally (f) iconography and symbolism. These threads come together to provide an understanding of why and how the cruciform brooch evolved as it did, how it was used in life and death (and by whom), and the complex social identity the artefact was used to construct and display.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

THE PAST IN THE PAST: THE REUSE OF ROMAN OBJECTS IN EARLY ANGLO-SAXON SOCIETY c. AD 400 – c. 700

This thesis examines and analyses the reuse of Roman portable material culture in pre-conversion Anglo-Saxon grave assemblages dating between AD 400 and 700. In total 908 curated Roman objects were recorded from 65 cemeteries across the modern English counties of Kent, Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk. The Introduction provides a general overview of the historical context of Anglo-Saxon England and the end of the Roman Empire. Chapter 2 is concerned with the methodology and data collection which was carried out to compile this data. The third chapter gives an outline of the existing theoretical framework on curated Roman material in Anglo Saxon contexts. A general overview of all collated Roman objects gathered for this study is given in chapter 4. Each object type is examined according to its nature, chronology, purpose, social intent and circulation patterns. The relationship between Roman ruins and Anglo-Saxon cemeteries is also discussed. Chapters 5 - 7 analyse the objects within their archaeological contexts and in relation to the body. Chapter 5 engages with items found in concealed circumstances, such as in bags and wooden boxes, while chapter 6 discusses items which were openly displayed on the body as personal adornments, jewellery and costume accessories. Chapter 7 examines objects which were not found as part of the costume, but in the fill or placed beside the body. The focus of these thematic chapters is to critically engage with the different ways Roman objects were used in Anglo-Saxon funerary ritual. Chapter 8 contextualises the findings by drawing on the continental evidence for Roman object reuse. Chapter 9 discusses the findings of the previous chapters, setting them into context with existing theoretical frameworks on the early medieval world with emphasis on chronology, regionality, the body and the impact of Christianity in the 7th century

GameTale: Facilitating the Design of Gameful Museum Experiences

Digital technologies - games in particular - are offering museums new opportunities to engage the public with active and interactive experiences. Visitors are looking for experiences that are not only educative but also entertaining and more interactive than the traditional passive visit. While museums are pressured into designing experiences that are more interactive and digital, they are yet faithful to the traditional passive experience and are struggling to adapt to the new requirements. Thus, a game jam named GameTale was organized to facilitate museums with the design of new experiences that are emotionally and psychologically similar to games (i.e. gameful experiences). In order to achieve this purpose, participants should be given two main constraints: a short timeframe (i.e. 2 days) and a theme (i.e. develop the game around a specific artefact)

GameTale: Facilitating the Design of Gameful Museum Experiences

Digital technologies - games in particular - are offering museums new opportunities to engage the public with active and interactive experiences. Visitors are looking for experiences that are not only educative but also entertaining and more interactive than the traditional passive visit. While museums are pressured into designing experiences that are more interactive and digital, they are yet faithful to the traditional passive experience and are struggling to adapt to the new requirements. Thus, a game jam named GameTale was organized to facilitate museums with the design of new experiences that are emotionally and psychologically similar to games (i.e. gameful experiences). In order to achieve this purpose, participants should be given two main constraints: a short timeframe (i.e. 2 days) and a theme (i.e. develop the game around a specific artefact)

Image and Performance, Agency and Ideology: Human Figurative Representation in Anglo-Saxon Funerary Art, AD 400 – 750

This thesis investigates the topic of human imagery and hybrid human imagery rendered on metalwork of early Anglo-Saxon date recovered within eastern England. It presents the first definitive catalogue of its kind in this region and timeframe. Taking inspiration from recent transitions in thinking on early Anglo-Saxon art, the major topics of consideration include: a) the interrelationship between image, object and the user, b) the changing portrayal of human representation and the social implications of such developments and c) the emergence of new bodily gestures in representational art. These key themes might provide an understanding of how and why human imagery changed as it did, how and by whom it was deployed in life and death and the role this type of imagery performed in the construction and presentation of social identity

The settlement of East and West Flegg in Norfolk from the 5th to 11th centuries

The thesis explores the –by and English place names on Flegg and considers four key themes. The first examines the potential ethnicity of the –bys and concludes the names carried a distinct Norse linguistic origin. Moreover, it is acknowledged that they emerged within an environment where a significant Scandinavian population was present. It is also proposed that the cluster of –by names, which incorporated personal name specifics, most likely emerged following a planned colonisation of the area, which resulted in the takeover of existing English settlements. The second theme explores the origins of the –by and English settlements and concludes that they derived from the operations of a Middle Saxon productive site of Caister. The complex tenurial patterns found between the various settlements suggest that the area was a self sufficient economic entity. Moreover, it is argued that royal and ecclesiastical centres most likely played a limited role in the establishment of these settlements. The third element of the thesis considers the archaeological evidence at the –by and English settlements and concludes that a degree of cultural assimilation occurred. However, the presence of specific Scandinavian metal work finds suggests that a distinct Scandinavian culture may have survived on Flegg. The final theme considers the economic information recorded within the folios of Little Domesday Book. It is argued that both the –by and English communities enjoyed equal economic status on the island and operated a diverse economy