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From Civilisation To Barbarism? Western Britain in the Early Middle Ages

University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education . From Civilisation To Barbarism? Western Britain in the Early Middle Ages. Week Four: Burial, Ritual, and Religion. Tutor: Dr Kirsten Jarrett . Classical and Romano-Celtic Temples . Lydney , Glos. Caerwent.

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From Civilisation To Barbarism? Western Britain in the Early Middle Ages

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  1. University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education From Civilisation To Barbarism? Western Britain in the Early Middle Ages Week Four: Burial, Ritual, and Religion Tutor: Dr Kirsten Jarrett

  2. Classical and Romano-Celtic Temples Lydney, Glos. Caerwent

  3. Prehistoric monument re-use • Uley, Glos. – re-use of Neolithic barrow for late Roman burial Votive activity at prehistoric barrows

  4. C4 Christianisation of the State • Conversion of Constantine c. AD 312, Edict of Milan 313 • Ban of pagan State religious sacrifices AD 341 • Order of closure for urban State temples AD 356 • Julian ‘the Apostate’: AD 362 religious tolerance (restoration of paganism) • Theodosius: end to toleration of paganism AD 380 Patrick: ‘...father the deacon Calpurnius, son of the late Potitus, a priest, of the settlement of BannavemTaburniae...’

  5. Identifying Christian beliefs: Chi-rho symbols & early crosses Chi-Rho Symbols Ceramic sherd, Tintagel, c. AD 470-520 Penmachno, Conwy Lamp: Dinas Emrys, late 5th – mid 6th century C5 Phillack, Corn. Cemetery C5-6 Inscribed stone: C6 Cross-inscribed stones: Irish / Welsh missionaries?

  6. Henley Wood Temple Apostacy and Christianisation? Final temple construction phase: Demolition and metalworking: AD 367 – before c.600

  7. Bath: temple of ‘Sulis Minerva’ AquaeSulis C14: demolition c. AD 450-500

  8. Maiden Castle, Dorset: Temple to Shrine Temple built after 367, Floor replaced: use into C5?

  9. Villa Churches? Hinton-St-Mary, Dorset Frampton, Dorset

  10. Llandough: (N of St Dochdwy’s church) Villa site • No indication of continued villa occupation into C5 • Burials possibly begin late C4 • Religious community: established by Dochdwy, c. 600? • (C9+) Annals of Ulster (re. 473): • ‘QuiesDocciepiscopisanctiBritonumabbatis’ • Book of Llandaff (C12, re. C7): • Clergy of (Sanctus) Docguinnus / Docunnus

  11. West Hill, Uley: 5th century church? • Romano-Celtic temple demolished c. AD 400 • Timber basilica NE-SW with polygonal baptistery, > c. 402? • Dismantled late 6-7 C & Small stone structure built • late C5 - C6 earthwork with towers: Vallummonasterium? • Grass-tempered pottery from site

  12. DEB 28. ...Constantine... in the habit of a holy abbot amid the sacred altars... 34. [Maglocune] ‘... thou didst ruminate on the Lord's ritual and the ordinances of the monks, and then publish to the world and vow thyself before God a monk with no intention to be unfaithful...’

  13. DEB:Burials, Graves, and Cemeteries [commentary on the 5th century] ‘There was no burial to be had except in the ruins of houses or the bellies of beasts and birds’ (ch. 24.4) [Like Baasha & Jeroboam] ‘…Descendants who die in the city shall be eaten by dogs, and their dead bodies shall be eaten on the plains by the birds of the sky’ (ch. 40.1)

  14. Late Roman Burial RitesTraditional ‘Pagan’ Practices • Inhumation and some cremation • NS alignment, or alignment upon features or boundaries • ‘Aberrant’ rites: prone & decapitation • Crouched and flexed • Grave goods & costume: ceramics & animal bones, hob-nail boots, coins, jewellery • Extra-mural and domestic cemeteries • Clustered & inter-cutting graves • Few small children

  15. ‘Romano-Christian’ practices? • Gradual ‘Standardisation’ late C4+: • Inhumation • Managed cemeteries: rows of non-intercutting graves • EW alignment • Grave linings: cists and stone slabs • Supine, extended • Burial in shrouds, with few or no grave goods (some possible finds within grave fills) • Burial of babies & small children Sectors of ‘Christian’ burials within cemeteries: Christian communities?

  16. Far West: some continuity of cemeteries from pre- to post-Roman period Harlyn Bay,Nr. Padstow

  17. Bath Gate, Cirencester Extra-mural Cemetery > 400 Graves, Most late C4 – early C5

  18. ‘Pagan’ rites Presumed C4 Bishop of Cirencester – But burials provide no certain evidence for Christian Communities

  19. Poundbury

  20. Cannington, N. Som. C14: AD 220-440 C14: AD 620-1020 C2-C8 2000-5000 burials (523 excavated)

  21. Exeter Basilica:demolished mid C5 Changing Function Of towns 2 graves C14: AD 420+/-70 AD 490+/-80 British monastery Precedes c. AD 670 Anglo-Saxon Minster?

  22. Caerwent Extra-mural burials: 136+, including C6-7 > 100 intra-mural burials: C5-11 C14: some C5-7

  23. Wroxeter 12 burials, including crouched elderly man, in hypocaust – possibly next to a church within frigidarium (building EW) • Cut through building platform • Adult male c. 26 -7 years • No grave goods • ? AD 600-790 – after abandonment of town?

  24. Villa burials Kingsweston

  25. Winthill, Banwell, Som.

  26. FrocesterCourt • Grave 1: male aged 50-55, head aligned NE, wearing hobnail boots • Grave 10: flexed inhumation male aged 30-40, died from cut leg • Grave 11: prone female, aged over 45 years • Grave 12: dug into the villa garden path; female aged c. 48, head aligned SE

  27. C14 dates Burials to Before mid C7 - Includes burial dating AD 420-590 Llandough Graves contained Roman coins Late Roman pottery

  28. Late 4th century+ rural burials

  29. Temple reuse Henley Wood • Temple precinct burials: AD 375-600 • C14: AD 420-540, 415-535, 270-535 and 435-535

  30. LamyattBeacon, Som.

  31. Brean Down, N. Som. Oratory or Shrine? Temple demolished c. 390

  32. Glastonbury TorEarly monastic or secular elite site? 2 disturbed graves: C6? Fragmentary remains - young person, or 2 young people, NS aligned Abbey: monastery probably C7 (Anglo-Saxon), though possibly earlier monastic site

  33. C5 Cremation burials Tintagel Island: C14 AD 395-460 Tregony, Corn. ?C5 Cremation: elderly woman; pits containing burnt grain

  34. St Materiana Tintagel Cemetery Graveside fires (‘cena’) – C14: c. AD 403 (250-530) = use of timber c.500

  35. N Socket Un-inscribed granite stone Phase 1 Probably C10-11+

  36. Barrow burials and inscribed stones Carnsew Boslow

  37. Kenn, Devon Stoneage Barton, Somerset

  38. St Nechtan’s, Hartland, Devon Beacon Hill, Lundy, Devon Enclosure: late C6? Hut: C3-early C5 Inscribed stones: C5- 6 & C7

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