Iron age roman transition comp

‘Drawing lines in the sand: continuity and change in the Marches during

the Iron Age / Roman transition’

An archaeological investigation based on the material culture

Peter Reavill : Finds Liaison Officer

The Portable Antiquities Scheme in Herefordshire and Shropshire is supported

by the following institutions

Reconstruction of

Hen Gaer Iron Age hillfort, Bow Street,

near Aberystwyth

IA reconstructions

Preconceptions

Images of Ritual Feasting and Roman / Native interaction

Iron Age v

Roman

Celtic

If I use the word Celtic in this talk then I am not referring to a pan European group with a shared identity.

However, if I do use the term Celtic then I may be referring to a shared form of design or expression of artistic nature.

In Archaeology neat ‘catch all’ terms do not work– everything is much more messy and more complicated then we could possibly imagine.

The Coinage Evidence

Money makes the World Go Round

Or does it?

Gold Stater Inscribed CATTI of the Dubonni (North Shropshire)

Gold ¼ Stater Inscribed COR[IO] of the Dubonnni (Herefordshire)

Silver unit of Dubonnic Tribe –Weston Under Penyard HESH-544227

Iron Age CoinsMaterial only from Celtic Coin Index and PAS Dataset

Source of Coins

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Shropshire Wroxeter

Site

Nu

mb

er Dobunnic / Western

Other

Iron Age Coinage

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Gold Coinage Silver Coinage Copper Alloy

Material

Nu

mb

er Shropshire

Wroxeter

This chart shows the material the coin is made from. The blue shows Shropshire, purple: Wroxeter

This chart shows the Source / ‘Tribe’The blue shows Dobunni (Western), purple: Other

Reece Period Analysis of the DataShropshire compared with the British mean

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21

Reece periods

Coi

ns p

er m

ill

Per mill

Britain Per Mill

This analysis shows considerable activity in the period R1 pre Claudian / Iron Age (pre 41 AD) - R10 Severus (238 AD) specifically R1 (pre 41 ) –R7

(138 AD)

This material is taken from Phillipa Walton PhD at UCL – completion date 2010

Shropshire compared with the British mean

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21

Reece periods

Co

ins

per

mil

l

Per mill

Britain Per Mill

Herefordshire compared with the British mean

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21

Reece periods

Co

ins

pe

r m

ill

Per Mill

Britain Per Mill

Comparison between Wroxeter (after Casey 1980) and PAS Data

Shropshire compared with the British mean

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21

Reece periods

Coi

ns p

er m

ill

Per mill

Britain Per Mill

Coin Hoards

Some recent Hoards and what they tell us about money and circulation of currency

Albrighton Coin Hoard deposited AD 37 ish

Some examples of the coinage

Overley Hoarddeposited during

reign of Vespasian c. 79 AD

Pattingham Hoard Shropshire

Hoard of nearly 100 Silver Denari from the Oswestry Area

When encounter coins like this then care should be taken

Denarius of M Antonius 32-31 BCFrom Rossett, Wrexham HESH-B3BB24

Roman Denarii Left:Domitian AD 89 (HESH 927906)

Right: Marcus Aurelius AD170-171 (HESH BC7744)

Roman coin known as a Barbarous radiate (contemporary copy or forgery) dated

between 260 – 290 AD. Found in North

Herefordshire. HESH-F1B8F6

Reece Period Analysis of the DataShropshire compared with the British mean

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21

Reece periods

Coi

ns p

er m

ill

Per mill

Britain Per Mill

This analysis shows considerable activity in the period R1 pre Claudian / Iron Age (pre 41 AD) - R10 Severus (238 AD) specifically R1 (pre 41 ) –R7

(138 AD)

This material is taken from Phillipa Walton PhD at UCL – completion date 2010

Artefacts

• These have been separated into a series of case studies showing relatively functional types. I have specifically highlighted those which are common or unusual in the Marches / West Midlands.

• Thoughts as to deposition or use will be given as we go along – site deposition will be discussed at the end.

Horse and Harness

Terret Rings

(HESH-78A2E1 and HESH-951174 )

Polychrome enamelled fragment from a skirted terret 1st century AD ish(WMID-3867F2 )

Late Iron Age Bridle CheekpieceCockshutt: CPAT-E87263

Paralleled with this example (the first from Wales) from Maescar, (Brecon)

Powys (NMGW-31C972 )

Linch pinLinch Pin from Staffordshire border

1st century AD WMID-94763

Strap Slide (HESH-116CA2)Mount (HESH-165726)

Strap Junction (HESH-F35BD6)

Dress Accessories

Iron Age La Tene (II) Style Bow

brooch HESH - 49FBD8

La Tene III Bow Brooch – N Shrops

One Piece Colchester Brooch (HESH-B5A7C1)

Colchester Derivative Brooches (Dolphin Types. 43 – 150 AD. Found in South

Herefordshire

Polden hill (Dolphin) type copper alloy (bronze) brooch. 43 – 100 AD. Found in

East Shropshire. HESH 2CBA21

Rare complete Roman bow (Polden Hill type) Brooch with pin found in East

Shropshire (HESH-4FE278)

Early Roman (75-150 AD) Trumpet Brooch – Whittington

Roman Trumpet Brooch – Bayston Hill – Shrewsbury HESH-53EAC7

Dragonesque Style Brooch, Bridgnorth Area HESH-69B018

Plate Brooch – Early Roman. HESH-040BF6

Gilt disc brooch – Cockshutt – 3rd CenturyHESH-E14AF3

Bulls Head Bucket Mounts

Bulls Head Bucket Mount from Staffordshire Border

Illustration of Bulls Head Mount

Late Iron Age Bulls-head Vessel Mount HESH-E00294

Bulls Head Vessel Mount, Newport Area (HESH-C96C96)

From Frodesley after Wroxeter Hinterland Project

Now in Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery

The Distribution of Bovine Vessel Mounts in Relation to Their Methods of Discovery or Recording

HESH-88D672 West FeltonHESH-83A395 Whitchurch

Cosmetic mortars

National Distribution of

Cosmetic Mortars

after Worrell2007

Button and Loop FastenersFound in North Shropshire. HESH-CB73D7

B&L Fastener – Newport HESH-61B3C2

B&L Fastener, Bayston Hill

B&L Fastener, PattinghamHESH-101F56

Enamelled Button and Loop Fastener

HESH-157F63

1st Century AD Toggle (HESH-786D48)

National Distribution of Button and Loop

Fasteners after Worrell

2007

Tankard Handle

(HESH-7757A4)

Three exceptional finds

1

Telford Torc

Snetisham Torc, Norfolk

Gold Pellet like ingots

of Iron Age composition from the

Rowton Area Shropshire

2

Pair of Iron Age Spoons Mid Shropshire – 2005

T228

Distribution of Spoons After Fitzpatrick 2008

Spoons from Penbryn, Dyfed

3

Copper alloy scabbard guard studied by Adam Gwilt and Mary Davis NGMW

Cardiff

And the only site which consistently produce Material from both the Roman and Iron Age periods

Tankard Handle

(HESH-7757A4)

What Next• Although I have spoken for too Long (Sorry)

• There is very little site specific information about finds in Shropshire when compared to the other known archaeology

• Finds tell you about people and can tell you as much about an area as any other form of archaeology

• More fieldwork is desperately needed• A well thought out research strategy for the county is also

needed – with this practical research can be carried out to answer some of the big questions

• Who can do this:I suggest the audience may have the answer

• Although I will lend a hand!

Peter Reavill; Finds Liaison Officer

Ludlow Museum Resource Centre

7-9, Parkway. Ludlow. Shropshire.

SY8 2PG

Telephone: 01584 813 641

Email: peter.reavill@shropshire.gov.uk

Website: www.finds.org.uk.

or visit me at one of my regular finds ID days