Mark Redknap - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Mark Redknap

International medieval research, 1998

chapters, starting boldly with ‘Ships, Sea and the Imagination’, describing how the coast and shi... more chapters, starting boldly with ‘Ships, Sea and the Imagination’, describing how the coast and shipping has inspired artists, writers, musicians and architects. The seven following pieces cover ‘Seafaring in Medieval Legend’, ‘Medieval Poets at Sea’, ‘Ships Fashioned and Scratched’, ‘Visual Imagery, ‘Sailors’ Souvenirs’, ‘Pioneers of Photography and Film’ and ‘Songs of the Sea’. Chapter 2, ‘For Those in Peril: Navigation and Safety’ covers, as well as lighthouses and lifeboats, medals for bravery, pilot cutters and the shipping forecast. Chapter 3, ‘The Sea’s Rise and Fall’, presents ‘The West Coast Palaeolandscapes Project’, ‘The Evolution of the Menai Strait’, ‘Molluscs, Middens and Fishing’, ‘Seascape Characterisation’ and ‘Welsh Floods’. Section 2, ‘History at Sea’, starts with ‘Prehistoric and Roman Boats’, ‘Calldicot and Goldcliff’, ‘Ships on Coins in the Rogiet Hoard’, ‘Placing Faith in Divine Aid’ and the Barland’s Farm boat. Chapter 5 covers Roman conquest and trade, with pieces on ‘Port Facilities at Caerleon’, ‘Late-Roman Coastal Defences’ and ‘Roman Trade and Transport’. Chapter 6, ‘Early Medieval Connections’, includes ‘Documentary Sources for Early Medieval Seafaring’ and ‘Scandinavian Coastal Names’. Chapter 7 ‘The Middle Ages’, contains ‘The Medieval Dock at Beaumaris Castle, ‘Rhuddlan Castle and the Canalisation of the River Clwyd’, ‘Flint: Coastal Fortress and Centre of Industry’ and ‘The Ports and Harbours of South-West Wales’. ‘From Coracles to Carracks’ is the theme of ch. 8, including two ship-remains, at Magor Pill and Newport, the slate trade and ships on seals. The next chapter is ‘Maritime Wales in the Tudor Period’, with pieces on ‘A Tudor Trader’s House’ and ‘Port Books and Trade’. Chapter 10, ‘Merchant Shipping in the Modern Age’, has sections on shipbuilding, coastal trade, particularly in copper, coal, slate and limestone, smaller vessels such as smacks, sloops, trows and flats, ballast, fishing, slavery, merchant shipping dynasties as well as less obvious topics such as ‘Trans-Shipment from Canals to Ocean-Going Vessels’. Section 3, ‘Window on the Past’, is introduced by ‘The Lure of the Sea’, with sections on the royal yacht Mary, ferries, pleasure steamers and the development of coastal tourism. Chapter 12 covers ‘Defending the Welsh Coast’, with pieces such as ‘The Last Invasion of the British Isles’, training ships, ‘The Resurgam Submarine’, and on later wrecks including aircraft, and more recent coastal defences such as anti-tank blocks and radar installations. ‘Ships as Microcosms’ is the title of ch. 13, which includes topics such as carpenter’s marks, and archaeological evidence for food on board ships, as well as collections of finds from some specific shipwrecks. ‘ARelevantDiscipline’ is Section 4, which discusses the future of the study of the maritime history and archaeology ofWales, the technology employed such as aerial photography, the effects of climate change and coastal erosion and the growth of renewable energy,maritime law and the protection of historic and archaeological sites, the future of museums, and the use of models and replicas. I would love to know how the subject mix was chosen. Was it minutely planned before contributors were commissioned, or did contributors write about what they knew best, and the editors then organize the disparate material into its present impressive form? Either way the editors must have had an exhausting task, which they have carried out thoroughly and successfully. The 45 pages of back matter include a glossary, endnotes for each chapter, a combined bibliography, notes on contributors, acknowledgements, and an index. Together with numerous cross-references, these add greatly to the user-friendliness of the volume. It may sometimes superficially lack depth, but it is to be commended for the breadth of its coverage, aiding a greater understanding and appreciation of the coast of Wales for the general reader, whether resident or visitor, while offering the inspiration for much further reading and research. My only adverse comment is that this large-format and heavily illustrated volume would have merited being bound within hard covers. According to its publishers it is

Oxbow Books, Feb 28, 2020

Environmental Archaeology, Jan 22, 2015

The Archaeological Journal, 1989

Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, Nov 30, 1979

Excavation at the Benedictine Abbey on lona just S of 'St Columba's Shrine' intended to test prev... more Excavation at the Benedictine Abbey on lona just S of 'St Columba's Shrine' intended to test previous observations, established that the 'Shrine' preceded the other standing structures in the area and overlay earlier features associated with the pre-Benedictine period. To the Benedictine period belong a number of graves, paved surfaces and the well. No evidence was found for a Round Tower.

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Aug 23, 2007

... In recent years archaeologists have discovered much about the development of ships: the Vikin... more ... In recent years archaeologists have discovered much about the development of ships: the Vikinglongboat, the ubiquitous cog, the hulk and ... MEIER teaches ancient and medieval history and is Head of Coastal Archaeology at the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany. ...

BRILL eBooks, Aug 18, 2013

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Aug 23, 2019

Do not expect more than a cursory reference to shipwrecks (logboats excepted) in this excellent c... more Do not expect more than a cursory reference to shipwrecks (logboats excepted) in this excellent compendium of real archaeological insight into mankind’s past. While the excavation of a shipwreck will always garner media and public interest, however exciting the results are they will add little to the story of human history. The sharpened stick, bone-fragments, hearths, or chipped flint are generally absent from the popular image of underwater archaeology, but they can add more to our knowledge and understanding of the evolution of the cultural activities of the prehistoric period of our species. At the end of the last Ice Age rising sea-levels and eustatic change caused enormous tracts of what were rich coastal environments, with plentiful flora and fauna, to disappear beneath the water. These areas were abundant in natural resources and were the sites of some of the earliest human activity and settlement, but between 20,000 and 5000 years ago Europe lost almost a third of its habitable land to sea-level rise.While many of these coastal plains have simply been lost to the action of the sea, where the lie of the land has sheltered their remains the preservation of submerged cultural deposits far surpasses that found on land. Until recent decades much of this resource has been unexplored and difficult to access, with many of the archaeological remains available for study having been recovered, or discovered, by accident, with few proactive archaeological incursions to collect data for evaluation. With access to the seabed now far more readily available to archaeologists, with or without diving skills, and with tremendous advances in underwater remote-sensing technology, researchers can now explore and study these unseen sites with greater efficiency, and meticulously recover archaeological evidence unavailable elsewhere. The often-overlooked archaeological contribution of these drowned landscapes to our knowledge of the development of early human society is of fundamental importance. There is, understandably, a strong Danish representation of such drowned lands in this volume, but Oceans of Archaeology gathers together the work of 38 specialists from ten different countries to present a variety of case-studies of flooded prehistory from locations including the Baltic, the UK, the Atlantic seaboard of Europe, the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey, and Bulgaria. The prevalence of Danish sites and contributors simply reflects that, currently, Denmark has the majority of such sites which have been discovered and subjected to academic study, with about ten such archaeological investigations occurring annually in Danish waters. Many of these are undertaken in advance of development or construction projects. From undisturbed inundated settlements and in situ inhumations to the minutiae of the daily routines of hunting, tool-making, and cooking, the sites covered here all strikingly illustrate prehistoric life in these lost landscapes. A good example of the quality of archaeological remains in shallow coastal waters is the study of well-preserved food residues often recovered on ‘dirty dishes’ from submerged sites; these fats and oils give an insight into otherwise unrecorded dietary and culinary habits. With the seabed becoming increasingly commercially exploited (with scant regard to archaeology) a notable contributor to the work undertaken, and indeed to the promotion of this book itself, is JD-Contractors A/S, the offshore diving and subsea-services company, which provided logistics for some of the archaeological investigations described in the book, and which freely promotes the book on its website (https://jdcon.dk). Here selected ‘offprints’ may be downloaded, and a link to Aarhus University Press is provided for those wishing to purchase the full book. The work is illustrated with many colour photographs, nearly all of high quality, both above and below water; though a minor criticism here is the occasional inclusion of images too small and lowresolution for the reader to make out the detail. The otherwise excellent illustrations are complemented by numerous colour maps and plans to a common, clear, format to depict, and support, information given in the text. The text comprises some 33 chapters presented in six sections, each focusing on a different aspect of the study and, as would be expected, much data presented, and correlation with geological information. The geology is relevant to the understanding of sea-level rise and land subsidence, as both archaeologists and geologists share a common interest in understanding the submergence of landscapes. Almost a third of prehistoric Europe has been lost to a sea-level rise of up to 130m. Such information is set out in an introductory section before the

International Journal of Nautical Archaeology, Feb 13, 2017