From Civilisation To Barbarism?

Western Britain in the Early Middle AgesWeek Four:

Burial, Ritual, and Religion

Tutor: Dr Kirsten Jarrett

University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education

Lydney, Glos.

Classical and Romano-Celtic Temples

Caerwent

Prehistoric monument re-use

Uley, Glos. – re-use of Neolithic barrow for late Roman burial

Votive activity at prehistoric barrows

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 Bannavem Taburniae...’

C5 Phillack, Corn.Cemetery C5-6Inscribed stone: C6

Penmachno,Conwy

Chi-Rho SymbolsIdentifying Christian beliefs:Chi-rho symbols & early crossesCeramic sherd,

Tintagel, c. AD 470-520

Lamp: Dinas Emrys, late 5th – mid 6th century

Cross-inscribed stones: Irish / Welsh missionaries?

Henley Wood Temple Apostacy and

Christianisation?

Final temple construction phase:Demolition and metalworking: AD 367 – before c.600

Bath: temple of ‘Sulis Minerva’

C14: demolition c. AD 450-500

Aquae Sulis

Maiden Castle, Dorset: Temple to Shrine

Temple built after 367,Floor replaced: use into C5?

Villa Churches?

Hinton-St-Mary, DorsetFrampton, Dorset

Llandough: (N of St Dochdwy’s church)

• 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):‘Quies Docci episcopi sancti Britonum abbatis’• Book of Llandaff (C12, re. C7): Clergy of (Sanctus) Docguinnus / Docunnus

Villa site

• 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: Vallum monasterium?

• Grass-tempered pottery from site

West Hill, Uley: 5th century church?

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...’

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)

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

‘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?

Harlyn Bay,Nr. Padstow

Far West: some continuity of cemeteries from pre- to post-Roman period

Bath Gate,

Cirencester

Extra-mural Cemetery

> 400 Graves,Most late C4 – early C5

‘Pagan’ rites

Presumed C4 Bishop of Cirencester –But burials provide no certain evidence for Christian Communities

Poundbury

Cannington, N. Som.

C2-C82000-5000 burials (523 excavated)

C14: AD 220-440

C14: AD 620-1020

Exeter Basilica:demolished mid C5

2 graves C14: AD 420+/-70 AD 490+/-80

British monasteryPrecedes c. AD 670Anglo-Saxon Minster?

ChangingFunctionOf towns

CaerwentExtra-mural burials: 136+, including C6-7

> 100 intra-mural burials: C5-11C14: some C5-7

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?

Villa burials

Kingsweston

Winthill, Banwell, Som.

Frocester Court

• 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

Llandough

Graves containedRoman coinsLate Roman pottery

C14 datesBurials toBefore mid C7 -Includes burial dating AD 420-590

Late 4th century+ rural burials

Henley Wood

• Temple precinct burials: AD 375-600

• C14: AD 420-540, 415-535, 270-535 and 435-535

Temple reuse

Lamyatt Beacon, Som.

Brean Down, N. Som.

Oratory orShrine?Temple demolished c. 390

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

C5 Cremation burials

Tregony, Corn.?C5 Cremation: elderly woman; pits containing burnt grain

Tintagel Island: C14 AD 395-460

Tintagel Cemetery

St Materiana

Graveside fires (‘cena’) –

C14: c. AD 403 (250-530)

= use of timber c.500

Phase 1

N

Un-inscribed granite stone

Probably C10-11+

Socket

Carnsew Boslow

Barrow burials and inscribed

stones

Kenn, Devon

Stoneage Barton,Somerset

Beacon Hill, Lundy, Devon

St Nechtan’s,Hartland, Devon

Hut:C3-early C5

Enclosure:late C6?

Inscribed stones:C5- 6 & C7