Conferences by Hella Eckardt
Literacy is a central aspect of society from antiquity to the present day, but there is often a d... more Literacy is a central aspect of society from antiquity to the present day, but there is often a disconnect between the study of written texts and the attention paid to the materiality of their production and consumption. This workshop aims to address the particular qualities of the materiality of writing in the pre-modern period, an era in which the technologies of writing by hand were paramount.
Scholars researching material aspects of writing exist within diverse disciplines (Archaeology, Art-history, Calligraphy, Classics, English, History, Papyrology and Palaeography). Methods and approaches are diverse, ranging from studies of writing form and style, to technologies of writing and the wider social context of literacy and cultural transmission. Within individual disciplines, there are established traditions of scholarship that tend to constrain how the material is approached, and there is little cross-fertilization between scholars working either in different periods, or from different disciplinary perspectives. The workshop brings together scholars and experts across a wide range of periods and disciplines to foster new perspectives and to explore future directions that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. This will include a consideration of writing as a material practice, the subsequent treatment and curation of writing documents, and the relationship between writing equipment and written documents. We will provide a fresh exploration of writing practices from Antiquity to the Early Modern period and consider the interplay between practices of literacy and diverse aspects of social and cultural identities and experience. A practical calligraphy session and a trip to Canterbury Cathedral Archive are included in order to foster an awareness of the material processes and equipment of writing, enabling scholars to gain new perspectives on the historical material culture that they study.
http://materialwebkent.co.uk/material-culture-and-writing-practice-from-antiquity-to-the-early-modern-period-an-interdisciplinary-workshop/
Papers by Hella Eckardt
Putting the concept of 'inventing traditions' central to analyses of the Roman world implies a fo... more Putting the concept of 'inventing traditions' central to analyses of the Roman world implies a focus on the latter strategy. But are the two really that different? From an ethnographic perspective it is only logical that the Roman literary discourse portrayed everything that was not Roman as (eastern or western) Barbarian. But this was, so it seems, mainly an intellectual, mental construction in order to arrive at definitions of Romanitas. 4 Putting all the negative stereotypes one finds in literary sources together may easily result in the conclusion that there were strongly demarcated borders between Romans and Natives. Reality, however, often was very different. All those negative stereotypes, in fact, seem to show that the Other had already become part of Rome, and that it just had to be allotted its proper place. Recent scholarship, therefore, now often understands all these negative stereotypes as a form of framing. 5 The fact that all 'Natives' would become 'Roman' in 212 AD through the edict of Caracalla is a case in point here, and only the result of a much longer development. This definition of Roman as 'fundamentally multicultural' in recent scholarship implies, therefore, that the categories of the real, present-day Other on the one hand and the imaginary, remembered Other on the other are, in fact, contextual and often overlapping. In a recent study on Siberia and 'traditional' Koryak traditions, the anthropologist Alexander D. King has beautifully shown how "the explicit discourse of cultural compartimentalism denies the lived realities". 6 And this is how we would like to approach the functions of the Other, and the traditions of the Other, in the Roman world. There is explicit discourse, there is lived reality as something very different, and there is even explicit discourse as lived reality. Traditions were borrowed, manipulated, and transformed by all involved, and the boundaries between Self and Other were constantly (re)defined. This volume tries to understand the world touched by Rome as a zone of intra-cultural rather than inter-cultural connectivity. 7 The invention of tradition, as such, may then well become, to borrow from 4 "Telling tales on the Middle Ground", as Woolf 2011 eloquently puts it.
The material presented here is the result of data collection on a range of object types from Roma... more The material presented here is the result of data collection on a range of object types from Roman Britain and the Roman north-western provinces for a forthcoming book: Eckardt, H. forthcoming (2014), Objects and Identities in Roman Britain and the North-Western Provinces. Oxford: OUP. Conventional publication does not permit the inclusion of the many finds lists that form the basis of distribution maps and discussion in printed format, and therefore they are published here in summary form. Images are not included for copyright reasons, and given the range and amount of material, all lists are essentially preliminary. It is hoped that they are nevertheless useful to artefact researchers, and that they will stimulate further research on these objects
Britannia, 2009
ABSTRACT -
The Society of Antiquaries' excavation of Silchester's insula ix in 1893-4 left most of t... more The Society of Antiquaries' excavation of Silchester's insula ix in 1893-4 left most of the stratigraphy undisturbed. A new programme of work has shown that the insula underwent radical change, c. AD 250/300, with the construction of new, workshop and residential buildings on the orientation of the Roman street-grid, following the demolition of mid-Roman buildings arranged on different, pre- and early Roman alignments. The plans of several properties and individual buildings were recovered and analysis of the rich range of artefactual and biological data has allowed a detailed and differentiated characterisation of the life and occupations of the inhabitants in the fourth century. The context of the 5th century ogham-inscribed stone is explored and the history of the insula is followed into the 5th/6th century.
When Roman objects are discovered in rivers across the north-western provinces of the Roman Empir... more When Roman objects are discovered in rivers across the north-western provinces of the Roman Empire, they are often interpreted as the accidental losses of travellers or as rubbish deposits revealed by fluvial erosion; this is in contrast to prehistoric assemblages, which are usually seen as ritual offerings.Our project challenges these assumptions by publishing an entire riverine artefactual assemblage for the first time and placing it into its archaeological context. British material has not previously been studied at all, and on the continent only exceptional assemblages like the large vessel hoard from Neupotz or high status objects like swords have been studied. To remedy this situation, we are publishing all the finds from the Tees at Roman Piercebridge (3,619 objects) as a Britannia monograph, including objects such as fishing weights and furniture fittings as well as gold jewellery and coinage. Interpretative chapters explore the significance of the different categories of finds while the individual objects are all recorded on the Portable Antiquities Scheme website (www.finds.org.uk). We employ Correspondence Analysis to compare the composition of the riverine assemblage to those excavated at nearby sites, and demonstrate that its chronological and functional profile differs significantly from settlement sites, making ritual deposition of at least some finds highly likely. There are also chapters on Roman riverine deposition and the significance of bridges across the Roman world, as well as the archaeological context of the discovery.
The projected examined whether the famous Roman barrows were visible from nearby Roman roads, vil... more The projected examined whether the famous Roman barrows were visible from nearby Roman roads, villas and other settlements
This paper reviews contributions to the journal Britannia over the last 50 years, and considers f... more This paper reviews contributions to the journal Britannia over the last 50 years, and considers future directions. Papers are examined in relation to topic and the gender and professional associations of authors.
Britannia, 2018
Bells are recorded in many published excavation reports from Roman sites, but there has been no p... more Bells are recorded in many published excavation reports from Roman sites, but there has been no previous study of the British material. This paper explores the significance of bells in the Roman world from both a ritual and a functional perspective. We create a first typology of Romano-British bells, provide an understanding of their chronology and examine any spatial and social differences in their use. Special attention is paid to bells from funerary or ritual contexts in order to explore the symbolic significance of these small objects. Bells from other parts of the Roman world are considered to provide comparisons with those from Roman Britain. The paper demonstrates that small bells were used as protective charms and may have been preferentially placed into the graves of children and young women. The paper identifies a new, probably Roman type of bell that has no parallels within the Empire, although similar pieces occur in first- and second-century graves in the Black Sea region.
Britannia, 2015
ABSTRACTAt Hollow Banks Quarry, Scorton, located just north of Catterick (N Yorks.), a highly unu... more ABSTRACTAt Hollow Banks Quarry, Scorton, located just north of Catterick (N Yorks.), a highly unusual group of 15 late Roman burials was excavated between 1998 and 2000. The small cemetery consists of almost exclusively male burials, dated to the fourth century. An unusually large proportion of these individuals was buried with crossbow brooches and belt fittings, suggesting that they may have been serving in the late Roman army or administration and may have come to Scorton from the Continent. Multi-isotope analyses (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium) of nine sufficiently well-preserved individuals indicate that seven males, all equipped with crossbow brooches and/or belt fittings, were not local to the Catterick area and that at least six of them probably came from the European mainland. Dietary (carbon and nitrogen isotope) analysis only of a tenth individual also suggests a non-local origin. At Scorton it appears that the presence of crossbow brooches and belts in the grave...
Archaeological Journal, 2003
The material culture of the Roman empire is characterized by a contrast between uniformity in cer... more The material culture of the Roman empire is characterized by a contrast between uniformity in certain artefacts and diversity in others, often expressed in the style of the artefacts or the context of their use. In the past, with ‘Romanization’ acting as the main theoretical framework, attention has focused on the observed similarities in Roman material culture. Much less work has been done on the ways in which material culture and social practice varied across the empire and on the possible reasons for this process. This paper sets out to explore regionality in Roman Britain, using nail-cleaners, small objects associated with grooming and self-representation as a case-study.
World Archaeology, 2014
ABSTRACT Levels of mobility in the Roman Empire have long been assumed to be relatively high, as ... more ABSTRACT Levels of mobility in the Roman Empire have long been assumed to be relatively high, as attested by epigraphy, demography, material culture and, most recently, isotope analysis and the skeletons themselves. Building on recent data from a range of Romano-British sites (Poundbury in Dorset, York, Winchester, Gloucester, Catterick and Scorton), this article explores the significance of the presence of migrants at these sites and the impact they may have had on their host societies. The authors explore the usefulness of diaspora theory, and in particular the concept of imperial and colonial diasporas, to illustrate the complexities of identities in later Roman Britain.
Antiquity, 2010
Modern methods of analysis applied to cemeteries have often been used in our pages to suggest gen... more Modern methods of analysis applied to cemeteries have often been used in our pages to suggest generalities about mobility and diet. But these same techniques applied to a single individual, together with the grave goods and burial rite, can open a special kind of personal window on the past. Here, the authors of a multidisciplinary project use a combination of scientific techniques to illuminate Roman York, and later Roman history in general, with their image of a glamorous mixed-race woman, in touch with Africa, Christianity, Rome and Yorkshire.
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, 2006
... Romano-British toilet instruments can be defined as sets of small copper-alloy objects (tweez... more ... Romano-British toilet instruments can be defined as sets of small copper-alloy objects (tweezers, nail-cleaners and ear-scoops/cosmetic spoons) which are ... Toilet instruments are often seen as relating to 'Roman' grooming practices but an initial study of nail-cleaners has ...
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2010
This paper presents the results of an isotopic investigation of population and dietary diversity ... more This paper presents the results of an isotopic investigation of population and dietary diversity in Roman Gloucester, focusing on individuals found in a late 2nd century AD mass burial pit at London Road, and comparing them to those found in the nearby cemetery. There were no statistical differences in isotopic composition between mass grave and cemetery burials, suggesting, in agreement with the osteological evidence, that the mass burial was the result of a catastrophic event, probably an epidemic disease. Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis demonstrated considerable diversity in the origins of the Gloucester population, with evidence for both UK and non-UK individuals. Diet was predominately terrestrial and similar to that of other Romano-British populations. Elevated 13 C dentine ratios in some individuals are correlated with raised 18 O p values and are therefore probably due to childhoods spent in warmer climates, rather than dietary variation. Given the geological complexity of the Gloucester area, this study also provides new biosphere 87 Sr/ 86 Sr data for the wider region. A technical appendix gives details on the analytical methods employed by the NERC Isotope Geoscience Laboratory (NIGL) in the measurement of oxygen stable isotope ratios of biogenic phosphate (18 O p) and evaluates different phosphate oxygen-meteoric water conversion equations using data from Britain.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2011
In order to investigate how the population diversity at major Romano-British urban centres compar... more In order to investigate how the population diversity at major Romano-British urban centres compared to small towns and military outposts, we conducted multi-isotope (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium) analyses of bones (42 individuals) and teeth (26 individuals) of human skeletons from Cataractonium/Roman Catterick in North Yorkshire (U.K.). The results suggest a markedly less diverse population at Catterick than at the
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2009
Artefacts and burial rites in the late Roman cemetery at Lankhills School, Winchester, southern E... more Artefacts and burial rites in the late Roman cemetery at Lankhills School, Winchester, southern England, were used by Clarke (1979) to distinguish between local Romano-British individuals and migrants thought to be from the Danube region, a suggestion tested through isotope analysis by Evans et al. (2006a,b). This paper reports strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope data for tooth enamel sampled from
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Conferences by Hella Eckardt
Scholars researching material aspects of writing exist within diverse disciplines (Archaeology, Art-history, Calligraphy, Classics, English, History, Papyrology and Palaeography). Methods and approaches are diverse, ranging from studies of writing form and style, to technologies of writing and the wider social context of literacy and cultural transmission. Within individual disciplines, there are established traditions of scholarship that tend to constrain how the material is approached, and there is little cross-fertilization between scholars working either in different periods, or from different disciplinary perspectives. The workshop brings together scholars and experts across a wide range of periods and disciplines to foster new perspectives and to explore future directions that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. This will include a consideration of writing as a material practice, the subsequent treatment and curation of writing documents, and the relationship between writing equipment and written documents. We will provide a fresh exploration of writing practices from Antiquity to the Early Modern period and consider the interplay between practices of literacy and diverse aspects of social and cultural identities and experience. A practical calligraphy session and a trip to Canterbury Cathedral Archive are included in order to foster an awareness of the material processes and equipment of writing, enabling scholars to gain new perspectives on the historical material culture that they study.
http://materialwebkent.co.uk/material-culture-and-writing-practice-from-antiquity-to-the-early-modern-period-an-interdisciplinary-workshop/
Papers by Hella Eckardt
Scholars researching material aspects of writing exist within diverse disciplines (Archaeology, Art-history, Calligraphy, Classics, English, History, Papyrology and Palaeography). Methods and approaches are diverse, ranging from studies of writing form and style, to technologies of writing and the wider social context of literacy and cultural transmission. Within individual disciplines, there are established traditions of scholarship that tend to constrain how the material is approached, and there is little cross-fertilization between scholars working either in different periods, or from different disciplinary perspectives. The workshop brings together scholars and experts across a wide range of periods and disciplines to foster new perspectives and to explore future directions that encourage interdisciplinary collaboration. This will include a consideration of writing as a material practice, the subsequent treatment and curation of writing documents, and the relationship between writing equipment and written documents. We will provide a fresh exploration of writing practices from Antiquity to the Early Modern period and consider the interplay between practices of literacy and diverse aspects of social and cultural identities and experience. A practical calligraphy session and a trip to Canterbury Cathedral Archive are included in order to foster an awareness of the material processes and equipment of writing, enabling scholars to gain new perspectives on the historical material culture that they study.
http://materialwebkent.co.uk/material-culture-and-writing-practice-from-antiquity-to-the-early-modern-period-an-interdisciplinary-workshop/