Making the most of PAS data: Macro- and micro-level studies of Romano-British settlement

Brindle, T. (2013) Making the most of PAS data: Macro- and micro-level studies of Romano-British settlement. Landscapes, 14 (1). pp. 73-92. ISSN 1466-2035 doi: 10.1179/1466203513Z.0000000001

Abstract/Summary

The Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) database includes records of over 225,000 artefacts of Roman date, with a wide geographical coverage and the potential to contribute to our understanding of Romano-British landscapes and settlement at several scales of analysis. This paper draws upon the author’s doctoral research to describe regional case studies from six counties (Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Northamptonshire, North Lincolnshire and Cumbria) on the use of PAS data. The data have value nationally and regionally as general guides to ancient settlement patterns, but it is arguably at the micro-scale that they have the most potential. With reference to detailed landscape studies from parts of Warwickshire and Wiltshire, the paper argues that sites represented by PAS data are often rural settlements that show evidence for continued activity throughout the Roman period. The paper demonstrates that with an appropriate methodology PAS data can be an immensely valuable archaeological resource, particularly when interpreted at multiple scales, and can be considerably more than a guide to broad distributions of Roman finds.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/33014
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Social Archaeology Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Archaeology
Publisher	Maney
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