Papers
A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antique Egypt, 2021
Following a short section summarizing the interpretative contributions of the book as a whole, th... more Following a short section summarizing the interpretative contributions of the book as a whole, this chapter takes a wider perspective, drawing on the material studied in the preceding chapters to first compare Egypt to the wider Roman world, and, second, examine the transition from the Roman to late antique period and beyond in Egypt. First, the overall contribution of the book is emphasized: a new interpretation which takes a social archaeology approach to everyday life. The point is also made that the work is grounded in a careful re-evaluation of object dating, and informed by neglected archive information. In addition to providing a secure foundation for the book, this fundamental research provides an important resource for future studies. Next, evidence for both similarities and differences to wider Roman culture is presented, and the multiple ways in which Roman-style material culture may have functioned within the social context of Egypt are examined. Finally, the relationshi...
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Internet Archaeology, 2021
Replica artefacts are a well-established feature of Roman archaeology, particularly as used in ex... more Replica artefacts are a well-established feature of Roman archaeology, particularly as used in experimental archaeology, by re-enactors, and in museum education. 3D scanning offers a new methodology for the accurate production of such artefacts, which can then be used both in scholarly research and in public engagement activities. This article describes methodologies for 3D scanning and 3D printing, together with appropriate craft techniques, in the creation of replica musical instruments from the collection of UCL's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in London. While there were some challenges in replica creation, discussed in further detail, 'functional replicas' were successfully made, that, we argue, replicate sufficiently accurately those features of the objects under investigation from a research perspective. These were the decibel levels (sound power levels), and, for some objects, frequency (pitch) ranges produced, and the variety of sounds that they could pro...
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Materiality in Roman Art and Architecture
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Antiquité Tardive, 2004
... culture which is found further to the west, eg in Britannia or Germania Inferior, bead neckla... more ... culture which is found further to the west, eg in Britannia or Germania Inferior, bead necklaces ... many examples of different types of stone, animal bones and teeth, glass discs, jet ... been more concerned with the assertion of the wearer's integration with established Roman-style cul ...
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Late Antique Archaeology, 2006
Following recent theoretical redefinitions of concepts such as ethnic identity, this paper explor... more Following recent theoretical redefinitions of concepts such as ethnic identity, this paper explores the possibility of using archaeological evidence to investigate Roman identities in the 4th to 5th c. western frontier provinces. The difficulties of the evidence and the complexities of studying identity through material culture are discussed. Possible approaches to the archaeological material are illustrated through a case study of the Rhine-Danube frontier in the 4th and 5th c. The use of material culture to create military identities at death for Roman soldiers on the frontier line is discussed, together with an analysis of the relationship of this military culture to subsequent weapon burials, and the use, by Germanic societies, of elite Roman and Byzantine objects to create ruling, martial identities in the 5th c.
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Oxford Handbooks Online, 2014
This chapter comprises a historiography of Roman artefact study in Britain from the antiquarian p... more This chapter comprises a historiography of Roman artefact study in Britain from the antiquarian period to the present day. It documents the evolution of finds catalogues within excavation reports, changing approaches to interpretation, and how and to what extent finds research has been incorporated into synthetic studies of Roman Britain. It investigates possible influential factors in the development of artefact research that have influenced its nature and status within the wider field of Roman archaeology in Britain. The profile of artefact researchers, persistent traditions of scholarship, and the wider academic context are all argued to be important in understanding the current position of artefact research.
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Late Antique Archaeology, 2012
This paper surveys reused and recycled material culture from the Roman period, particularly that ... more This paper surveys reused and recycled material culture from the Roman period, particularly that found in late antique contexts. While there is a focus on Late/Post Roman material from Britain, examples from wider Late Antiquity are also included. Reuse and recycling is clearly part of normal Roman practice, however particular instances must be evaluated within their specific contexts and the varied motives that exist for reuse behaviour need to be considered. Reuse seems to increase significantly in the late 4th c. onwards in Britain, and this well-documented evidence can most readily be explained firstly in relation to the wider problems with production and distribution systems that led to a collapse in the availability of new durable material culture at the end of the 4th c. and secondly with regard to wider cultural change.
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The Antiquaries Journal, 2010
... the Roman period and beyond. Item Type: Book. Uncontrolled keywords: Roman decoration artefac... more ... the Roman period and beyond. Item Type: Book. Uncontrolled keywords: Roman decoration artefacts art living social life society interiors style silver plate glass potteryjewellery dress accessories mosaics interior decoration. ...
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Internet Archaeology, 2021
The paper documents the process of creating replicas of various types of Roman musical instrument... more The paper documents the process of creating replicas of various types of Roman musical instruments (bells, rattles, small cymbals, clappers, pan-pipes, double-flute) using 3D scanning and modelling processes. These types of objects are very neglected in previous scholarly research and very few have previously been the subject of experimental archaeology projects to create replicas, which it is argued can be used successfully in research projects as well as for public engagement purposes. The paper also outlines the use of the replicas in an exhibition and associated activites at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaology, London, and analyses visitor questionnaires to understand how the replicas contributed to the visitor experience and extended the knowledge and understanding of museum visitors. Furthermore, it provides significant data in the form of sound recordings and .stl files which can be used in new research projects.
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Recycling and Reuse in the Roman Economy, 2020
The paper addresses the complexity of reuse behaviours in the late-to-post Roman transition perio... more The paper addresses the complexity of reuse behaviours in the late-to-post Roman transition period in Britain by drawing on a range of examples of the modification and reuse of metal artefacts. It is suggested that significant factors prompting reuse behaviour include the obsolescence of many Roman objects due to cultural change, and a decline in access to the requisite technology for the production of new artefacts.
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Medieval Archaeology 63:1, 2019
QUOIT BROOCH STYLE MATERIAL, produced from the early 5th century onwards, has been primarily cons... more QUOIT BROOCH STYLE MATERIAL, produced from the early 5th century onwards, has been primarily considered from a stylistic point of view, leaving much scope for further investigation. In addition, the known corpus of material has been much expanded through newly excavated and metal-detected finds. In this article, I bring together the known extant material for the first time, and document important
evidence relating to contextual dating, gender associations, manufacture (including new compositional analyses of c 75 objects), repair, and reuse. The article questions previous interpretations of Quoit
Brooch Style material as relating to Germanic mercenaries and/or post-Roman political entities. It interprets the earliest material as a part of wider trends elsewhere, in England and in continental north-western
Europe, for the production of material imitating late-Roman symbols of power. It presents new evidence for connectivity with continental Europe via the western-Channel route in the 5th century. A detailed investigation of individual artefacts shows that many Quoit Brooch Style objects were reused, and sometimes subject to extensive repair and modification. This provides new insights into the 5th-century metal economy; for instance, acute problems in the availability of new metal objects in south-eastern Britain in the middle years of the 5th century. Compositional analyses contribute further to our understanding
of metal supply in the 5th century and relationships with the post-Roman West. Insights are provided into wider cultural transformations in the 5th century and the gradual loss of value that occurred for Roman-style objects.
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Journal of Roman Archaeology 27
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Britannia 43
Documenting a phenomenon that has been previously overlooked, this article examines the later sta... more Documenting a phenomenon that has been previously overlooked, this article examines the later stages of object biography in relation to Romano-British bracelets, namely, their modification and subsequent re-use as smaller rings. Reuse is shown to occur widely and is particularly associated with the late fourth to early fifth centuries A.D., with cut-down bracelets also found in Anglo-Saxon cemeteries. The making of smaller rings from late Roman bracelets is demonstrated to be part of a wider phenomenon of re-use, repair and recycling at the end of the Roman period in Britain, with attendant implications of cultural and economic change. It is proposed that the transformation of these artefacts was accompanied by changes in meaning which undermine the apparent continuity that is seen in the extended lifespan of the original object. This in turn illuminates the way that wider cultural norms were gradually eroded in the fifth century. Through the study of these artefacts a new perspective is provided on the transition to post-Roman Britain and the relationship between this and early Anglo-Saxon England.
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Britannia 41, 2010
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Books
A Social Archaeology of Roman and Late Antique Egypt: Artefacts of Everyday Life, 2021
The first in-depth study of the society and culture of Roman and Late Antique Egypt that uses eve... more The first in-depth study of the society and culture of Roman and Late Antique Egypt that uses everyday artefacts as its principal source of evidence, this book transforms our understanding of many aspects of its society and culture. It represents a fundamental reference work for scholars, with much new and essential information on a wide range of artefacts, many of which are found not only in Egypt, but also in the wider Roman and late antique world. It also sets out a new interpretation of everyday life and aspects of social relations in Egypt in the period under study. By taking a social archaeology approach, it contributes substantial insights into everyday practices and their social meanings in the past. Artefacts from UCL's Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology are the principal source of evidence. Most of these objects have not been the subject of any previous research. The book integrates the close study of artefact features with other sources of evidence, including papyri and visual material. There are two principal parts to the book, Part One, Exploring the Social Functions of Dress Objects, and Part Two, The Domestic Realm and Everyday Experience. An important theme is the life course, and how both dress-related artefacts and ordinary functional objects construct age and gender-related status, and facilitate appropriate social relations and activities. There is also a particular focus on wider social experience in the domestic context. Other topics covered include economic and social changes across the period studied.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-social-archaeology-of-roman-and-late-antique-egypt-9780198867340?cc=gb&lang=en&
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Based on extensive data collection and the close study of artefacts from museum collections and a... more Based on extensive data collection and the close study of artefacts from museum collections and archives, the book examines the relationship between artefacts, everyday behaviour, and experience. The concept of 'affordances' -features of artefacts that make possible, and incline users towards, particular uses for functional artefacts - is an important one for the approach taken. This concept is carefully evaluated by considering affordances in relation to other sources of evidence, such as use-wear, archaeological context, the end-products resulting from artefact use, and experimental reconstruction. Artefact types explored in the case studies include locks and keys, shears, pens, glass vessels, dice, boxes, and intaglio set finger rings, using material mainly drawn from the north-western Roman provinces, with some material also from Roman Egypt. The book then considers how we can use artefacts to understand particular aspects of Roman behaviour and experience, including discrepant experiences according to factors such as age, social position, and left or right-handedness, which are fostered through artefact design. The relationship between production and users of artefacts is also explored, investigating what particular production methods make possible in terms of user experience, and also examining production constraints that have unintended consequences for users. The book examines topics such as the perceived agency of objects, differences in social practice across the provinces, cultural change and development in daily practice, and the persistence of tradition and social convention. It shows that design intentions, everyday habits of use, and the constraints of production processes each contribute to the reproduction and transformation of material culture.
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... the Roman period and beyond. Item Type: Book. Uncontrolled keywords: Roman decoration artefac... more ... the Roman period and beyond. Item Type: Book. Uncontrolled keywords: Roman decoration artefacts art living social life society interiors style silver plate glass potteryjewellery dress accessories mosaics interior decoration. ...
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Papers-Conceptual (with dropbox links)
Late Antique Archaeology, 2009
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Conference announcements
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Talks
A new 2 year AHRC-funded research project, " Roman and Late Antique Artefacts from Egypt: Underst... more A new 2 year AHRC-funded research project, " Roman and Late Antique Artefacts from Egypt: Understanding society and culture " , began in June 2017 led by Ellen Swift (Principal Investigator; University of Kent), with April Pudsey (Co-Investigator; Manchester Metropolitan University) and Jo Stoner (Research Associate; University of Kent). The project is the first in-depth study of Roman and Late Antique Egypt that uses everyday artefacts as its principal source of evidence; it aims to enhance our understanding of social experience, social relations, and cultural interactions, among the population of Egypt in this period. UK museums hold significant collections of artefacts from Roman and Late Antique Egypt as a result of late nineteenth and early twentieth century archaeological excavations, yet most of these objects have never been studied systematically, from a social perspective. The project will study artefacts from the collection of UCL's Petrie Museum in Bloomsbury, London, one of the largest and best-documented in the UK. The research will bring together specialists in the interpretation of ancient Egyptian texts on papyrus, and archaeological artefacts, drawing on new methodologies and interpretative approaches including the 3D scanning and the experimental recreation of objects. Our exhibition at UCL's Petrie museum towards the end of the project, open to the general public, will present our research on the Petrie collection of Roman musical instruments in particular, displaying the originals, and prototypes & replicas made via 3D scanning/printing technology. Visitors will be able to experience the sounds of the artefacts, handle and play the replica items, and learn how the artefacts would have been used to create particular experiences, for instance in religious and ritual activities. Please see the project blog at the following address:
http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/egypt-artefacts/blog/
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evidence relating to contextual dating, gender associations, manufacture (including new compositional analyses of c 75 objects), repair, and reuse. The article questions previous interpretations of Quoit
Brooch Style material as relating to Germanic mercenaries and/or post-Roman political entities. It interprets the earliest material as a part of wider trends elsewhere, in England and in continental north-western
Europe, for the production of material imitating late-Roman symbols of power. It presents new evidence for connectivity with continental Europe via the western-Channel route in the 5th century. A detailed investigation of individual artefacts shows that many Quoit Brooch Style objects were reused, and sometimes subject to extensive repair and modification. This provides new insights into the 5th-century metal economy; for instance, acute problems in the availability of new metal objects in south-eastern Britain in the middle years of the 5th century. Compositional analyses contribute further to our understanding
of metal supply in the 5th century and relationships with the post-Roman West. Insights are provided into wider cultural transformations in the 5th century and the gradual loss of value that occurred for Roman-style objects.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-social-archaeology-of-roman-and-late-antique-egypt-9780198867340?cc=gb&lang=en&
http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/egypt-artefacts/blog/
evidence relating to contextual dating, gender associations, manufacture (including new compositional analyses of c 75 objects), repair, and reuse. The article questions previous interpretations of Quoit
Brooch Style material as relating to Germanic mercenaries and/or post-Roman political entities. It interprets the earliest material as a part of wider trends elsewhere, in England and in continental north-western
Europe, for the production of material imitating late-Roman symbols of power. It presents new evidence for connectivity with continental Europe via the western-Channel route in the 5th century. A detailed investigation of individual artefacts shows that many Quoit Brooch Style objects were reused, and sometimes subject to extensive repair and modification. This provides new insights into the 5th-century metal economy; for instance, acute problems in the availability of new metal objects in south-eastern Britain in the middle years of the 5th century. Compositional analyses contribute further to our understanding
of metal supply in the 5th century and relationships with the post-Roman West. Insights are provided into wider cultural transformations in the 5th century and the gradual loss of value that occurred for Roman-style objects.
https://global.oup.com/academic/product/a-social-archaeology-of-roman-and-late-antique-egypt-9780198867340?cc=gb&lang=en&
http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/egypt-artefacts/blog/