Alice Rogers | University of Reading (original) (raw)

Books by Alice Rogers

This study examines female representation in British Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (2500 – 15... more This study examines female representation in British Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (2500 – 1500 BC) funerary practices. Chronology relating to the burial practices is studied, from large scale change over time through to small scale individual chronologies; looking at age representation. In contrast to previous approaches, this study moves beyond purely looking at the grave goods and instead places greater emphasis upon other features of the burials, such as location, form and method. As a result, the methodology used in this study examines the varied forms of this period’s burials, yet still considers them as a unit.

Papers by Alice Rogers

It is widely accepted that between the beginning of the Early Neolithic period and the end of the... more It is widely accepted that between the beginning of the Early Neolithic period and the end of the Early Bronze
Age different regions of Britain were connected to one another by sea, but little is known about the nature of
maritime contacts before plank-built boats developed during the 2nd millennium BC. This paper considers a
series of coastal sites, some of which were first settled from Mesolithic times. From the early 4th millennium they
were also associated with artefact production and the use of imported objects and raw materials. Their
distribution focuses on the region of isostatic uplift in northern Britain where the ancient shoreline still survives.
It is considered in relation to a new model of coastal change which suggests that these locations were
characterised by natural havens sheltered behind islands or bars. The sites can be compared with the ‘landing
places’ and ‘beach markets’ discussed by historical archaeologists in recent years.

Keywords: Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, navigation, harbours, beach markets, seamarks, craft production, coastal
change, sand dunes, Culbin Sands

Oxford Journal of Archaeology Vol 32 Issue 1, 2013

This research is an investigation of the locations of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age round ... more This research is an investigation of the locations of Late Neolithic
and Early Bronze Age round barrows in the Peak District. The work involved close examination of the barrows present around two earlier monuments: the Long Low bank barrow and the henge at Arbor Low. Using a Geographic Information System, it considered the densities of the barrows around these focal monuments, inter-visibility between the sites, and the distribution of distinctive artefacts in the surrounding area. The results raise important
questions about the role of memory in the past.

In the research into the British female burials practices of c. 2500 -1500 BC a similar process a... more In the research into the British female burials practices of c. 2500 -1500 BC a similar process appeared to be happening within the evidence. One of the ways that this was represented was through the number of beads which were provisioned within the burials of the different age categories (figure 2), of young adults (18-25 years), adults (25-40 years) and mature individuals (40+ years). Figure 2: Average number of beads per burial by age (both within necklaces and overall total)

Talks by Alice Rogers

For the British Early Bronze Age period, 2500 – 1500 cal BC, most of our conceptions of differen... more For the British Early Bronze Age period, 2500 – 1500 cal BC, most of our conceptions of differences between the sexes have been based upon the burial evidence collected by the nineteenth century antiquarians. However, this evidence has its limitations; not least in the fact that many of the human remains within the burials were not anthropologically sexed. Instead sex was often assigned to the burial though artefact associations based upon Victorian sensibilities. This has led to a highly masculine interpretation of the period, the so-called “realm of kings and warriors” (Ashbee 1960:172), where females, and their roles, are hardly considered at all, except in relation to men.

My research (Rogers 2013) was designed to answer a call for a reappraisal of the evidence of female burials in the British Early Bronze Age (Brück 2009). In a study of 247 anthropologically sexed female burials from modern excavations, I examined how females were represented in the burial record during this period. This paper will present some of the results obtained, concerning the roles females were represented as having within burial practices, their changes through time and also how age of the individual affected her representation. Finally, I will discuss the complexities of examining sex representation within the archaeological burial record.

ASHBEE, P. 1960. The Bronze Age round barrow in Britain. London: Phoenix House.

BRÜCK, J. 2009. Women, death and social change in the British Bronze Age. Norwegian Archaeological Review 42(1): 1-23.

ROGERS, A. 2013. Female Burial Traditions of the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age: A pilot study based on modern excavations. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports British Series 581.

In recent years the topic of prehistoric movement has sparked the interest of many researchers, a... more In recent years the topic of prehistoric movement has sparked the interest of many researchers, as evidenced by the proliferation of isotopic analysis and studies looking specifically at different zones of movement and interaction in the archaeological record.
Movement is a fundamental part of human life; it provides practical, social and ritual benefits by linking people together and forging new relationships. One of the key questions in archaeology is what form does this movement take in the record and how can it be detected?

My PhD is looking to examine the potential of the British North Sea coastline, an often overlooked axis of travel, for providing a route for movement and exchange during the Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age.

This paper will outline my research and also present some preliminary results that are starting to emerge for the Early Bronze Age. I will begin by discussing some of the theories surrounding maritime movement which I am applying to my research. I will then present some initial results pertaining to the Early Bronze Age period. This will be focussing upon the evidence offered by the funerary record along the British North Sea coast, looking at whether it provides indications of movement and mobility along this maritime route. Key points which will be considered include the burials’ form, their grave goods and also how they relate to the geography of the coastline. Finally I shall discuss why a consideration of movement in archaeology is so important.

British archaeology has a long history of barrow research, from early antiquarian excavations to ... more British archaeology has a long history of barrow research, from early antiquarian excavations to modern studies harnessing the power of computer software.

This paper presents research looking at two barrow landscapes from the Peak District, England, an area with hundreds of barrows and a history of antiquarian investigation. The barrows were examined in terms of their placement within the landscape and how they related to the monuments already present, specifically a Middle Neolithic bank barrow and a Late Neolithic henge. Using a Geographical Information System, my paper considers the inter-visibility between the barrows and earlier monuments, the densities of the barrows around these focal monuments, and also the distribution of distinctive artefacts in the surrounding areas. These results are then placed within a theoretical framework looking at how monuments can become embedded within social memory.

Using a GIS approach to barrow landscapes allows us to begin to address concepts such as memory and the social creation of landscapes in the past. The results presented in this paper show how Early Bronze Age communities planned the placement of their funerary barrows both in relation to the monuments visible within the landscape and the very geography of the land itself.

In recent years there has been a focus upon the maritime travel of Neolithic communities in the B... more In recent years there has been a focus upon the maritime travel of Neolithic communities in the British Isles. However, in the absence of excavated remains of Neolithic sea-worthy vessels, approaching the idea of sea travel has had to be from the archaeological remains of material culture. Much of this research has focussed upon the western seaways between Britain and Ireland (Cummings and Fowler 2004; Cummings 2009), or the role that the English Channel had to play in the introduction of the Neolithic way of life to these isles (i.e. Whittle et al 2011). However, the north – south axis along the eastern seaboard has been neglected as a prehistoric maritime route (the North Sea has only been considered in terms of movement across the water to the continent rather than specifically along it; i.e. Van de Noort 2011). This is an oversight and I argue that the British North Sea coastal route was a vital resource in the exchange of ideas and material culture between communities in the Neolithic period and beyond.

Several different aspects of material culture have a distinct British North Sea bias, such as certain groups of polished stone axes, and, furthermore, recent research has revealed that north-east Scotland is one of the earliest regions to demonstrate evidence of the Neolithic way of life (Whittle et al 2011). How have these patterns come about? The most convincing argument is that Neolithic communities were using the British North Sea coastal sea route as a means of travel, facilitating exchange and interaction between those communities living alongside it. This paper will outline some of the British North Sea coastal distributions of material culture and ritual practices, and then introduce the methodology employed in my thesis looking into how this exchange could have been facilitated. This examines the role that geography has in determining movement and mobility in prehistory, examining specifically the land/ sea interaction along the British North Sea coastline. This work also draws upon the social and ritual importance of coastwise travel, as outlined by Braudel (1972) and Helms (1988). By considering geographical evidence alongside the archaeology we can fully appreciate the use of this coastline for movement during the Neolithic period.

Exchange can be considered a very modern phenomenon, especially with the emergence of the modern ... more Exchange can be considered a very modern phenomenon, especially with the emergence of the modern global markets. However, studies in archaeology have revealed that exchange was a fundamental aspect of the past too. Archaeological engagement with the concept of exchange has shifted considerably during the development of our discipline, from little consideration at all, through purely commercial and economic models, finally to the present broader understanding of exchange; looking at aspects such as the exchange of ideas, beliefs and practices and also the social and ritual nature of exchange in the past.

This paper will outline the development of exchange theory within archaeology over the past century, and illustrate the approach to exchange considered within my current doctoral work in British prehistory. British later prehistory (around 4000 – 1500 BC) is known for its elaborate artefacts, such as stone axes and necklaces of precious materials, and its monumental remains. My research considers the distributions of these aspects of culture along the British North Sea coast, an axis so far neglected in studies of prehistoric exchange, and what they can tell us about the nature of exchange in the past. By engaging with the social, ritual and geographical aspects of exchange a greater understanding of past networks can be developed.

In recent years there has been much interest in the zones of maritime interaction which facilitat... more In recent years there has been much interest in the zones of maritime interaction which facilitated exchange in prehistory, looking at both material goods and also more abstract notions such as the transmission of ideas and knowledge. For the British evidence key studies have been conducted concerning the lands bordering the Irish Sea from the Neolithic onwards (Waddell 1991-2; Cummings and Fowler 2004; Cummings 2009) and those bordering the English Channel (Needham 2009). However, the North Sea is frequently overlooked, the key exception being Van de Noort’s (2011) study examining the interaction across the North Sea between Britain and the Continent. The maritime zone along the British North Sea coast has not been considered in terms of cultural interaction and exchange.

The focus of my PhD aims to remedy this situation and consider the archaeology of the British North Sea Coast in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (4000 – 1500 cal BC) in terms of evidence for cultural interaction facilitated by the North Sea passage. This paper will introduce the methodology and aims of my research and what I hope to achieve. The British North Sea coastline will be considered in terms of how it relates to the idea of a cultural interaction zone and a selection of previous studies which highlight the potential of this zone will also be discussed. Finally, preliminary results obtained from the burial evidence of the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age will be reported, and the future directions of the study.

Book Reviews by Alice Rogers

Archaeological Review from Cambridge 2013 28(2)

Thesis Chapters by Alice Rogers

University of Reading PhD Thesis, 2016

This thesis demonstrates the significance of the British North Sea coast as a route facilitating ... more This thesis demonstrates the significance of the British North Sea coast as a route facilitating movement and interaction during the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, 4000 – 1500 cal BC. It represents the first sustained archaeological study of this coastline as a route for movement. It is argued that during the course of the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age interaction and movement between different communities was facilitated by access to this coastline. It progresses the discussion of prehistoric British maritime movement by considering a route along the sea, rather than just across it.

A key aspect of this thesis examines how geography relates to movement and interaction; in particular looking at how large river estuaries impact upon the level of maritime movement and interaction occurring in the surrounding land. Two new ways of examining maritime interaction are presented; using the fractal values of coastlines to indicate areas of potential, and also using the theory of maritime havens to actually detect maritime interaction occurring.

An approach is developed which considers the evidence of monuments, burial practices and material culture alongside each other, and evidence for movement and interaction taking place along the British North Sea coast is examined through time. This allowed changes in the level of engagement in interaction and maritime movement to be detected, and revealed that the British North Sea coastal route was at its greatest extent during the period 2250 – 1950 cal BC.

The results of this research are then situated within wider discussions of exchange and maritime movement in archaeology, looking in particular at how the studied route interacts with other networks of exchange.

Keywords: Neolithic, Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, navigation, harbours, beach markets, seamarks, craft production, coastal
change, sand dunes, Culbin Sands

Oxford Journal of Archaeology Vol 32 Issue 1, 2013

ASHBEE, P. 1960. The Bronze Age round barrow in Britain. London: Phoenix House.

BRÜCK, J. 2009. Women, death and social change in the British Bronze Age. Norwegian Archaeological Review 42(1): 1-23.

ROGERS, A. 2013. Female Burial Traditions of the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age: A pilot study based on modern excavations. Oxford: British Archaeological Reports British Series 581.

University of Reading PhD Thesis, 2016