Robert Webley | University of Exeter (original) (raw)
Papers by Robert Webley
A United Europe of Things, 2023
This chapter proposes that decorative pendants from medieval horses’ harnesses represent a novel ... more This chapter proposes that decorative pendants from medieval horses’ harnesses represent a novel vehicle through which to approach the question of whether there was a common material culture across Europe in the Middle Ages. On the one hand, pendants helped decorate harnesses from England and France in the west, to Poland, Czechia and Hungary in the east. On the other, authors have recently drawn out certain particularities in the use of different forms in different parts of the continent. This chapter seeks to build on previous findings in terms of chronology and spatial analysis. A diachronic approach is taken to assess a change from a commonality of pendant forms at the start of the high medieval period, to an increasing diversification and separation over the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries; here I also use the untapped evidence of pendant suspension mounts. In closing, we will consider whether the distributions of harness pendants support German scholar Stefan Krabath’s notion of numerous material divisions within medieval Europe, or, rather, imply a more universal phenomenon.
Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, vol. 27, 2021
Two late medieval lead-alloy badges found in Cambridgeshire, England, are argued here to belong t... more Two late medieval lead-alloy badges found in Cambridgeshire, England, are argued here to belong to the cult of Saint Margaret of Scotland (r 1070–93). As such, they represent the first pilgrim souvenirs to be linked to this important Scottish saint, whose cultic centre was at Dunfermline, Fife, and for whom badges have been speculated but never before identified (S Lee 2014; Penman and Utsi 2020). The badges were recovered in separate incidents by metal detecting and recorded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). The following is an examination of the badges’ significance which integrates complementary material and literary sources in an effort to draw out the wider implications of the finds. Thorough in scope, it encompasses a detailed description of the badges and discussion of their imagery, form, date, potential contexts of manufacture, acquisition, use and eventual deposition in England.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2019
Back in the bag: Essays exploring artefacts in honour of David Wynn Williams, 2022
This paper begins with an appreciation of David [Williams] but, really, the whole note may be see... more This paper begins with an appreciation of David [Williams] but, really, the whole note may be seen as an appreciation of the pioneering work David produced on the subject of equipment of the 'long 11th century'. David expanded our knowledge of various components, most notably stirrup-strap mounts, working alongside metal-detectorists to do so (before this had become commonplace). This article develops various aspects of David's work on these non-ferrous components of horse gear, before presenting the most complete set of 11th-century bridle fittings found to date in England.
Medieval Archaeology, 2021
This short note presents three new examples of 11th- to 13th-century 'Romanesque bronze' bowls fr... more This short note presents three new examples of 11th- to 13th-century 'Romanesque bronze' bowls from England, seemingly the first new publications of such bowls since the 1980s. Two examples are fragments which show evidence of clear (and less clear) re-use, suggesting that further examples of such bowls might be found amongst otherwise undefined fragments, as on the Continent.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2021
Popular culture presents a deep-rooted perception of medieval warhorses as massive and powerful m... more Popular culture presents a deep-rooted perception of medieval warhorses as massive and powerful mounts, but medieval textual and iconographic evidence remains highly debated. Furthermore, identifying warhorses in the zooarchaeological record is challenging due to both a paucity of horse remains relative to other domesticates, and the tendency of researchers to focus on osteological size, which makes it difficult to reconstruct in-life usage of horses and activity related changes. This paper presents the largest zooarchaeological dataset of English horse bones (n = 1964) from 171 unique archaeological sites dating between AD 300 and 1650. Using this dataset alongside a modern comparative sample of known equids (n = 490), we examine trends in size and shape to explore how the skeletal conformation of horses changed through time and reflected their domestic, elite and military roles. In addition to evidencing the generally small stature of medieval horses relative to both earlier and l...
Cheiron: The International Journal of Equine and Equestrian History, 2021
The warhorse is arguably the most characteristic animal of the English Middle Ages. But while the... more The warhorse is arguably the most characteristic animal of the English Middle Ages. But while the development and military uses of warhorses have been intensively studied by historians, the archaeological evidence is too often dispersed, overlooked or undervalued. Instead, we argue that to fully understand the cultural significance and functional role of the medieval warhorse, a systematic study of the full range of archaeological evidence for warhorses (and horses more generally) from medieval England is necessary. This requires engagement with material evidence at a wide variety of scales-from individual artefacts through to excavated assemblages and landscape-wide distributions-dating between the late Saxon and Tudor period (c. AD 800-1600). We present here a case study of our interdisciplinary engaged research design focusing upon an important English royal stud site at Odiham in Hampshire. This brings together several fields of study, including (zoo)archaeology, history, landscape survey, and material culture studies to produce new understandings about a beast that was an unmistakable symbol of social status and a decisive weapon on the battlefield.
Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, 2021
This paper presents two medieval lead-alloy badges found at Fordham, Cambridgeshire, which are ... more This paper presents two medieval lead-alloy badges
found at Fordham, Cambridgeshire, which are
identified by the authors as belonging to the cult
of St Margaret of Scotland. Detailed examination
of the badges situates them in time and space,
placing their production in the 13th century and
pinpointing Dunfermline, Queensferry or St
Andrews as possible centres of manufacture and
acquisition. The first badges to be attributed to this
saint, they are an important addition to the small
but ever-expanding corpus of pilgrim souvenirs
from Scotland. They provide rare glimpses into
the processes of design and manufacture of pilgrim
souvenirs and are evidence for the extra-regional
reach of St Margaret’s cult. Overall, this paper
demonstrates how much information can be
gleaned from objects such as these with careful
integration of complementary historical and
material sources.
Des objets et des hommes. Etudes offertes à Michel Feugère, 2021
The copper-alloy ‘octopus’ mount, enigmatic in some countries’ historiographies, is here presente... more The copper-alloy ‘octopus’ mount, enigmatic in some countries’ historiographies, is here presented as a medieval shield boss mount. In the spirit of the Artefacts project, work from across Europe has been brought together to support such an identification, provide dating, and chart the distribution of such objects. They, and the ‘binding strips’ from shields with which they can be associated, are then discussed as markers, and reinforcers, of elite identity within the context of recent work on the materiality of medieval elites.
Cahiers LandArc, 2020
This note focuses on a group of sizable medieval mounts made either in copper alloy, iron, or bot... more This note focuses on a group of sizable medieval mounts made either in copper alloy, iron, or both in combination, for which the function requires clarification. These mounts have variously described with reference to the Lombardic letter forms « M », « W » and « B », demonstrating confusion as to their correct orientation. Meanwhile, attribution of their function has ranged from brooches or handles, to lock fittings or items of horse furniture. Here, a specific association with curb bits is asserted, drawing on artefactual evidence and artistic representation. Based on analysis of around fifty examples, mostly from the United Kingdom but also encompassing continental evidence, the dating of these objects is considered in depth, as are available contextual associations.
Medieval Archaeology, 2019
This paper introduces and discusses a group of broadly 14th-century single-looped buckles. These ... more This paper introduces and discusses a group of broadly 14th-century single-looped buckles. These oval buckles are characterised by an outer edge which widens gradually towards its centre, thus providing a sizeable field either side of the pin rest. Two-thirds of the corpus of over 100 examples are decorated with engraved and punched motifs. These motifs comprise abstract forms, schematic or realistic vegetal or animal motifs, representations of humans and architectural features, and religious inscriptions. Such buckles are typical of the South of France, but are documented here for the first time from the eastern and southern coasts of England. Their presence in England can be framed in a commercial context; once diffused, they might have been copied, and other decorative motifs introduced in order to meet local needs. Compositional analyses revealed the existence of alloy groups with high proportions of lead or tin, potentially testifying to production in separate workshops.
Medieval Archaeology, 2019
In this short note, a small group of strap connectors with distinctive features are analysed. Usi... more In this short note, a small group of strap connectors with distinctive features are analysed. Using archaeological and stylistic evidence in combination they can be dated to the later 10th and 11th centuries. Their size and distinctive characteristics suggests that they might be an under-recognised type of book fitting.
Medieval Archaeology, 2018
A buckle of unusual construction is presented using examples recorded through the PAS to better u... more A buckle of unusual construction is presented using examples recorded through the PAS to better understand a singular piece known through excavation. The type is composite, formed of a separate frame, plate and bar; the pin, unusually, being integral with the plate. The ensemble bears moulded Urnes-style decoration. As further components are recognized, there is potential to modify claims of a dearth of metalwork in the decades after the Norman Conquest.
The Coat of Arms, 2017
The Coat of Arms, 3rd ser. 13 (2017), no. 233/234, pp. 1-12 An update of work presented in Cah... more The Coat of Arms, 3rd ser. 13 (2017), no. 233/234, pp. 1-12
An update of work presented in Cahier LandArc N°19, with expanded distribution mapping and analysis drawing the enigmatic 'octopus' mount and associated binding strips into sharper focus in the English literature on medieval shields, specifically the proposed origins of the heraldic charge of 'escarbuncle'.
In preparation. In Deckers, P. and Ten Harkel, L. (eds), A Central Place on the World's Edge. St... more In preparation. In Deckers, P. and Ten Harkel, L. (eds), A Central Place on the World's Edge. Studies on the Early Medieval History and Archaeology of the Island of Walcheren, the Netherlands.
Cahier LandArc N°19, février 2017: Appliques "binding strips" (responsable d'édition : Jean Soula... more Cahier LandArc N°19, février 2017: Appliques "binding strips" (responsable d'édition : Jean Soulat)
Un groupe d’appliques en alliage cuivreux datant de la période médiévale a depuis longtemps été identifié et étudié par les spécialistes du petit mobilier, essentiellement en Angleterre. Connues sous le nom de «binding strips», ces appliques en forme de bande sont considérées comme étant caractéristiques des XIIe et XIIIe siècles et des sites de haut rang. La publication récente d’études incluant ce type d’objets, en Angleterre ainsi que sur le Continent, invite à reconsidérer leur identification, datation et répartition. Les publications internationales présentent différentes interprétations sur leur fonction, qui ne peuvent être conciliées que si l’on admet l’hypothèse d’usages multiples. Malgré cela, ces objets demeurent importants pour l’étude du mobilier métallique médiéval pour plusieurs raisons qui seront explorées dans l’article.
Medieval Archaeology, 2014
Medieval Archaeology, 2013
Post-Medieval Archaeology: PAS round-up by Robert Webley
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2021
In 2019, over 16,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for th... more In 2019, over 16,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2019, also highlighting related finds of interest.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2020
In 2018, almost 15,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for ... more In 2018, almost 15,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2018, also highlighting related finds of interest.
A United Europe of Things, 2023
This chapter proposes that decorative pendants from medieval horses’ harnesses represent a novel ... more This chapter proposes that decorative pendants from medieval horses’ harnesses represent a novel vehicle through which to approach the question of whether there was a common material culture across Europe in the Middle Ages. On the one hand, pendants helped decorate harnesses from England and France in the west, to Poland, Czechia and Hungary in the east. On the other, authors have recently drawn out certain particularities in the use of different forms in different parts of the continent. This chapter seeks to build on previous findings in terms of chronology and spatial analysis. A diachronic approach is taken to assess a change from a commonality of pendant forms at the start of the high medieval period, to an increasing diversification and separation over the thirteenth-fourteenth centuries; here I also use the untapped evidence of pendant suspension mounts. In closing, we will consider whether the distributions of harness pendants support German scholar Stefan Krabath’s notion of numerous material divisions within medieval Europe, or, rather, imply a more universal phenomenon.
Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, vol. 27, 2021
Two late medieval lead-alloy badges found in Cambridgeshire, England, are argued here to belong t... more Two late medieval lead-alloy badges found in Cambridgeshire, England, are argued here to belong to the cult of Saint Margaret of Scotland (r 1070–93). As such, they represent the first pilgrim souvenirs to be linked to this important Scottish saint, whose cultic centre was at Dunfermline, Fife, and for whom badges have been speculated but never before identified (S Lee 2014; Penman and Utsi 2020). The badges were recovered in separate incidents by metal detecting and recorded through the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS). The following is an examination of the badges’ significance which integrates complementary material and literary sources in an effort to draw out the wider implications of the finds. Thorough in scope, it encompasses a detailed description of the badges and discussion of their imagery, form, date, potential contexts of manufacture, acquisition, use and eventual deposition in England.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2019
Back in the bag: Essays exploring artefacts in honour of David Wynn Williams, 2022
This paper begins with an appreciation of David [Williams] but, really, the whole note may be see... more This paper begins with an appreciation of David [Williams] but, really, the whole note may be seen as an appreciation of the pioneering work David produced on the subject of equipment of the 'long 11th century'. David expanded our knowledge of various components, most notably stirrup-strap mounts, working alongside metal-detectorists to do so (before this had become commonplace). This article develops various aspects of David's work on these non-ferrous components of horse gear, before presenting the most complete set of 11th-century bridle fittings found to date in England.
Medieval Archaeology, 2021
This short note presents three new examples of 11th- to 13th-century 'Romanesque bronze' bowls fr... more This short note presents three new examples of 11th- to 13th-century 'Romanesque bronze' bowls from England, seemingly the first new publications of such bowls since the 1980s. Two examples are fragments which show evidence of clear (and less clear) re-use, suggesting that further examples of such bowls might be found amongst otherwise undefined fragments, as on the Continent.
International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 2021
Popular culture presents a deep-rooted perception of medieval warhorses as massive and powerful m... more Popular culture presents a deep-rooted perception of medieval warhorses as massive and powerful mounts, but medieval textual and iconographic evidence remains highly debated. Furthermore, identifying warhorses in the zooarchaeological record is challenging due to both a paucity of horse remains relative to other domesticates, and the tendency of researchers to focus on osteological size, which makes it difficult to reconstruct in-life usage of horses and activity related changes. This paper presents the largest zooarchaeological dataset of English horse bones (n = 1964) from 171 unique archaeological sites dating between AD 300 and 1650. Using this dataset alongside a modern comparative sample of known equids (n = 490), we examine trends in size and shape to explore how the skeletal conformation of horses changed through time and reflected their domestic, elite and military roles. In addition to evidencing the generally small stature of medieval horses relative to both earlier and l...
Cheiron: The International Journal of Equine and Equestrian History, 2021
The warhorse is arguably the most characteristic animal of the English Middle Ages. But while the... more The warhorse is arguably the most characteristic animal of the English Middle Ages. But while the development and military uses of warhorses have been intensively studied by historians, the archaeological evidence is too often dispersed, overlooked or undervalued. Instead, we argue that to fully understand the cultural significance and functional role of the medieval warhorse, a systematic study of the full range of archaeological evidence for warhorses (and horses more generally) from medieval England is necessary. This requires engagement with material evidence at a wide variety of scales-from individual artefacts through to excavated assemblages and landscape-wide distributions-dating between the late Saxon and Tudor period (c. AD 800-1600). We present here a case study of our interdisciplinary engaged research design focusing upon an important English royal stud site at Odiham in Hampshire. This brings together several fields of study, including (zoo)archaeology, history, landscape survey, and material culture studies to produce new understandings about a beast that was an unmistakable symbol of social status and a decisive weapon on the battlefield.
Tayside and Fife Archaeological Journal, 2021
This paper presents two medieval lead-alloy badges found at Fordham, Cambridgeshire, which are ... more This paper presents two medieval lead-alloy badges
found at Fordham, Cambridgeshire, which are
identified by the authors as belonging to the cult
of St Margaret of Scotland. Detailed examination
of the badges situates them in time and space,
placing their production in the 13th century and
pinpointing Dunfermline, Queensferry or St
Andrews as possible centres of manufacture and
acquisition. The first badges to be attributed to this
saint, they are an important addition to the small
but ever-expanding corpus of pilgrim souvenirs
from Scotland. They provide rare glimpses into
the processes of design and manufacture of pilgrim
souvenirs and are evidence for the extra-regional
reach of St Margaret’s cult. Overall, this paper
demonstrates how much information can be
gleaned from objects such as these with careful
integration of complementary historical and
material sources.
Des objets et des hommes. Etudes offertes à Michel Feugère, 2021
The copper-alloy ‘octopus’ mount, enigmatic in some countries’ historiographies, is here presente... more The copper-alloy ‘octopus’ mount, enigmatic in some countries’ historiographies, is here presented as a medieval shield boss mount. In the spirit of the Artefacts project, work from across Europe has been brought together to support such an identification, provide dating, and chart the distribution of such objects. They, and the ‘binding strips’ from shields with which they can be associated, are then discussed as markers, and reinforcers, of elite identity within the context of recent work on the materiality of medieval elites.
Cahiers LandArc, 2020
This note focuses on a group of sizable medieval mounts made either in copper alloy, iron, or bot... more This note focuses on a group of sizable medieval mounts made either in copper alloy, iron, or both in combination, for which the function requires clarification. These mounts have variously described with reference to the Lombardic letter forms « M », « W » and « B », demonstrating confusion as to their correct orientation. Meanwhile, attribution of their function has ranged from brooches or handles, to lock fittings or items of horse furniture. Here, a specific association with curb bits is asserted, drawing on artefactual evidence and artistic representation. Based on analysis of around fifty examples, mostly from the United Kingdom but also encompassing continental evidence, the dating of these objects is considered in depth, as are available contextual associations.
Medieval Archaeology, 2019
This paper introduces and discusses a group of broadly 14th-century single-looped buckles. These ... more This paper introduces and discusses a group of broadly 14th-century single-looped buckles. These oval buckles are characterised by an outer edge which widens gradually towards its centre, thus providing a sizeable field either side of the pin rest. Two-thirds of the corpus of over 100 examples are decorated with engraved and punched motifs. These motifs comprise abstract forms, schematic or realistic vegetal or animal motifs, representations of humans and architectural features, and religious inscriptions. Such buckles are typical of the South of France, but are documented here for the first time from the eastern and southern coasts of England. Their presence in England can be framed in a commercial context; once diffused, they might have been copied, and other decorative motifs introduced in order to meet local needs. Compositional analyses revealed the existence of alloy groups with high proportions of lead or tin, potentially testifying to production in separate workshops.
Medieval Archaeology, 2019
In this short note, a small group of strap connectors with distinctive features are analysed. Usi... more In this short note, a small group of strap connectors with distinctive features are analysed. Using archaeological and stylistic evidence in combination they can be dated to the later 10th and 11th centuries. Their size and distinctive characteristics suggests that they might be an under-recognised type of book fitting.
Medieval Archaeology, 2018
A buckle of unusual construction is presented using examples recorded through the PAS to better u... more A buckle of unusual construction is presented using examples recorded through the PAS to better understand a singular piece known through excavation. The type is composite, formed of a separate frame, plate and bar; the pin, unusually, being integral with the plate. The ensemble bears moulded Urnes-style decoration. As further components are recognized, there is potential to modify claims of a dearth of metalwork in the decades after the Norman Conquest.
The Coat of Arms, 2017
The Coat of Arms, 3rd ser. 13 (2017), no. 233/234, pp. 1-12 An update of work presented in Cah... more The Coat of Arms, 3rd ser. 13 (2017), no. 233/234, pp. 1-12
An update of work presented in Cahier LandArc N°19, with expanded distribution mapping and analysis drawing the enigmatic 'octopus' mount and associated binding strips into sharper focus in the English literature on medieval shields, specifically the proposed origins of the heraldic charge of 'escarbuncle'.
In preparation. In Deckers, P. and Ten Harkel, L. (eds), A Central Place on the World's Edge. St... more In preparation. In Deckers, P. and Ten Harkel, L. (eds), A Central Place on the World's Edge. Studies on the Early Medieval History and Archaeology of the Island of Walcheren, the Netherlands.
Cahier LandArc N°19, février 2017: Appliques "binding strips" (responsable d'édition : Jean Soula... more Cahier LandArc N°19, février 2017: Appliques "binding strips" (responsable d'édition : Jean Soulat)
Un groupe d’appliques en alliage cuivreux datant de la période médiévale a depuis longtemps été identifié et étudié par les spécialistes du petit mobilier, essentiellement en Angleterre. Connues sous le nom de «binding strips», ces appliques en forme de bande sont considérées comme étant caractéristiques des XIIe et XIIIe siècles et des sites de haut rang. La publication récente d’études incluant ce type d’objets, en Angleterre ainsi que sur le Continent, invite à reconsidérer leur identification, datation et répartition. Les publications internationales présentent différentes interprétations sur leur fonction, qui ne peuvent être conciliées que si l’on admet l’hypothèse d’usages multiples. Malgré cela, ces objets demeurent importants pour l’étude du mobilier métallique médiéval pour plusieurs raisons qui seront explorées dans l’article.
Medieval Archaeology, 2014
Medieval Archaeology, 2013
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2021
In 2019, over 16,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for th... more In 2019, over 16,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2019, also highlighting related finds of interest.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2020
In 2018, almost 15,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for ... more In 2018, almost 15,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2018, also highlighting related finds of interest.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2019
In 2017, almost 16,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for ... more In 2017, almost 16,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2017, also highlighting related finds of interest.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2017
In 2015, almost 20,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for ... more In 2015, almost 20,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2015, also highlighting related finds of interest.
Post-Medieval Archaeology, 2018
In 2016, over 18,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for th... more In 2016, over 18,000 archaeological finds were recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for the post-medieval and modern periods. After setting out the year's statistics and emphasising the research value of PAS post-medieval data, this report details a number of important finds recorded in 2016, also highlighting related finds of interest.
The PAS 'round-up'included in the Medieval Britain and Ireland section of the journal Medieval Ar... more The PAS 'round-up'included in the Medieval Britain and Ireland section of the journal Medieval Archaeology (vol. 57). Includes summaries of important finds from 2012 and the following notes:
1. 'A late Saxon silver disc brooch from Suffolk' (Andrew Brown)
2. 'Some unusual late 9th- to 12th-century copper-alloy strap-ends or chapes' (Robert Webley and Laura Burnett)
3. 'An aberrant form of 10th-century strap-end' (Andrew Rogerson and Steven Ashley)
4. 'Pilgrim signs of St Margaret of Antioch' (Michael Lewis)
This report summaries the work of the PAS in 2016. It was launched by the Arts Minister John Glen... more This report summaries the work of the PAS in 2016. It was launched by the Arts Minister John Glen MP on Monday 4 December at the British Museum. The report was edited by Michael Lewis based on contributions by the PAS network of FLOs and FAs and other staff.
This chapter describes the solution adopted in England and Wales to the universal problem of how ... more This chapter describes the solution adopted in England and Wales to the
universal problem of how to deal with objects of archaeological, historical
or cultural importance found in the soil by members of the public (portable
antiquities): the Treasure Act 1996 and the Portable Antiquities Scheme.
Over the last thirty years we have developed an increasingly heightened sense of the ownership an... more Over the last thirty years we have developed an increasingly heightened sense of the ownership and use of horses in the long 11th century. The main evidence base which has contributed to this new knowledge is an archaeological one, with an influx of new material at our disposal over the same period. The majority of the new material constitutes non-ferrous metalwork discovered through metal-detecting in rural areas, and as such previously underrepresented through conventional archaeological investigation. This paper aims to provide an up-to-date synthesis of the evidence for equestrianism in the long 11th-century, taking an international approach. Since metal-detected evidence can only play a part when it has been recorded by responsible finders there will be a natural focus on areas where recording schemes for metal-detected finds have been in operation: England, the Low Countries and Denmark. Having explored the various supra-national connections and differences between the surviving components of equestrian equipment, we will attempt to assess the relative social standing of equestrianism in our North Sea case study areas. It is hoped that by taking a wide view of horse ownership and use in the 11th century that a more nuanced sense of its political and social function can be provided for a given country or region.
In Interpreting Medieval Small Finds (session 92), EAA, Barcelona 7th September 2018
The advent of systematic recording of metal-detected finds has helped advance the state of small ... more The advent of systematic recording of metal-detected finds has helped advance the state of small finds research, especially in England and Denmark where such recording is now long standing. Of the biases involved in metal-detected datasets, some can act positively to shed light on aspects of material culture otherwise neglected through traditional excavation. For the long medieval period, one notable object group for which records of metal-detected finds can significantly inform our knowledge comprises non-ferrous equestrian equipment. This represents artefacts often lost in the landscape, captured by hobby metal detectorists in numbers far disproportionate (c. 99%) to those known from excavation (c. 1%).
Indeed, using metal-detected finds, recent analysis of equestrian equipment from the late early-medieval and medieval period (Central Middle Ages) has served to challenge perceptions of the extent of social exclusivity of such accessories, particularly in the 11th century. This paper will use the latest data, from both excavated and metal-detected datasets, to explore such suggestions. Furthermore, it will build on recent initiatives to analyse horse accessories across national boundaries. Such work will only be enhanced in the future by the new recording schemes for metal-detected finds in Denmark (DIME project), Flanders (MEDEA project), and the Netherlands (Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands). However, there is already enough data to suggest that although various items, such as stirrup-strap mounts, were being used throughout a North Sea zone, varieties of both form and decorative treatment were together being used in distinct areas to create and reinforce local identities.
Though isolating material culture dating to the 12th century remains a challenge in England, deco... more Though isolating material culture dating to the 12th century remains a challenge in England, decorative ‘binding strips’ have long been considered a characteristic object type of this and the following century. However, despite a long historiography, no systematic survey has been attempted of such mounts until now. The survey re-examined their high status connotations through an appraisal of find locations. It also brought their cross-sea currency into sharp focus, that is, the use - across a significant area of northern Europe - of the objects to which they were attached (over which there remains debate). This paper proposes to reinvigorate discussion of binding strips, by presenting the above findings, and use them as a point of departure to contribute to wider debates regarding non-ferrous medieval metalwork, particularly its apparent dearth in the 12th century followed by its ubiquity across Europe by the 13/14th .
This paper considered artefactual connections between England and continental Europe in the 11th ... more This paper considered artefactual connections between England and continental Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries through three case studies. The first, regarding equestrian equipment traced continuity in Scandinavian decorative styles from the conquest of Cnut through the Norman Conquest and beyond. In such objects, and in various dress accessories, connections between England and late Viking Age Denmark were paramount. The second case study, which treated ornamental binding strips, saw a shift southwards in these connections around the first half of the 12th century, towards today's northern France and central Germany. Similar patterning was evident in the third case study object type, knife sheath chapes, datable to broadly the same period. In conclusion, it was argued that this shift in orientation could not be directly be attributed to the Norman Conquest; the changes were later and owed more to wider socio-economic forces.
The Late Viking-Age Urnes style was subject to a detailed survey by Olwyn Owen at the thirteenth ... more The Late Viking-Age Urnes style was subject to a detailed survey by Olwyn Owen at the thirteenth Viking Congress in 1997. There she developed notions of an eclectic English variant which mostly decorated metalwork, as opposed to a Scandinavian bias towards runestones. In this paper it was argued that the small 20th-century English corpus of artefacts decorated in the Urnes style was being mapped selectively until the 1990s to demonstrate a focus for the style in the Danelaw area.
In the intervening period many metal items decorated in this style have come to archaeological attention through the recording of metal-detected finds, especially through the Portable Antiquities Scheme: more than double the corpus presented by Owen in 1997. The Danelaw focus is no longer tenable, and the characterisation of objects decorated in the style has moved firmly from the ecclesiastical sphere to the secular. Scholars have begun to use this new corpus to examine differences in distribution, drawing out interesting discrepancies between object types. This paper explored these patterns further, drawing on results of the first systematic survey of the style since Owen’s study. It noted a markedly southern and eastern distribution pattern for equestrian equipment, which for the first time included mounts previously associated with boxes or books. If current dating is accepted in the Anglo-Norman period for the English Urnes style the equestrian equipment shows an orientation towards northern France and the Low Countries. By contrast, the distribution of dress accessories, especially brooches, suggested an enduring cultural alignment with the Scandinavian world. Evidently the Urnes style was being used by different groups to simultaneously express different identities in the early Anglo-Norman period.
50 Post-Medieval and Modern Finds: From the Portable Antiquities Scheme, Jan 15, 2024
The period between 1500 and the present day has directly formed the world we live in. Growing pop... more The period between 1500 and the present day has directly formed the world we live in. Growing population, increased urbanisation, industrialisation, and ever quickening pace of movement and technological change have radically reshaped society, global connections and individuals' horizons. It is the time from which we have the most written records, pictures, and, later, photos and videos. Archaeology's contribution to understanding this period might therefore be less obvious, but it has great potential to connect us to people's lived experience.
Artefacts provide important evidence where records may not exist, such as private beliefs, social lives and informal dress. They bear witness to those less likely to appear in historical records, such as the poor and children. Objects also provide a tangible link to events. In doing so they confront us with their reality and the experience of the individual humans who lived through this most formative of periods.