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The Archaeobotany of Roman Britain: Current State and Identification of Research Priorities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2010

Marijke van der Veen ,
Alexandra Livarda  and
Alistair Hill
Marijke van der Veen
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester, mvdv1@leicester.ac.uk
Alexandra Livarda
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester, mvdv1@leicester.ac.uk
Alistair Hill
Affiliation:
School of Archaeology & Ancient History, University of Leicester, mvdv1@leicester.ac.uk
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Extract

The archaeobotanical record of Britain in the Roman period is reviewed. The data are plotted against area of the country, phase of occupation, type of site, and mode of preservation. Lacunae in the dataset are identified and research priorities formulated. More data are needed, especially from South-Western and North-Western England, Wales and Scotland, from major towns (especially from waterlogged deposits), from rural sites with waterlogged preservation (all parts of the country), and from burials and temple/shrine sites. Matters of concern are the identification of a downward trend in the average number of samples analysed from the 1990s onwards, and poor access to unpublished archaeobotanical reports (grey literature). Possible solutions to redress these are offered.

Keywords

Roman Britainarchaeobotanyplant remainsagriculturehorticulturesamplingresearch priorities
Type
Articles
Information
Britannia , Volume 38 , November 2007 , pp. 181 - 210
Copyright
Copyright © Marijke van der Veen, Alexandra Livarda and Alistair Hill 2007. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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