The Early Medieval Settlement Remains from Flixborough, Lincolnshire: The Occupation Sequence, c. AD 600-1000(1 Excavations at Flixborough)

Between 1989 and 1991, excavations in the parish of Flixborough, North Lincolnshire, unearthed remains of an Anglo-Saxon settlement associated with one of the largest collections of artefacts and animal bones yet found on such a site. In an unprecedented occupation sequence from an Anglo-Saxon rural settlement, six main periods of occupation have been identified, dating from the seventh to the early eleventh centuries; with a further period of activity, between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries AD. The remains of approximately forty buildings and other structures were uncovered; and due to the survival of large refuse deposits, huge quantities of artefacts and faunal remains were encountered compared with most other rural settlements of the period. The quality of the overall archaeological data contained within the settlement sequence is important for both the examination of site-specific issues, and for the investigation of wider research themes and problems, facing settlement studies in England, between AD 600 and 1050. Volume 1 focuses on the occupation sequence, looking at the structural and stratigraphical evidence from the site, and interpreting the changing use of the site during its lengthy occupation. This interpretation of the occupation sequence forms the basis for all thematic discussions in Volumes 3 and 4. It also examines the evidence for burials at the site, and places this into the wider context of sepulchral practices in mid and late Saxon England. Finally there is discussion of the osteological remains themselves, giving hints of the demographic spectrum of the inhabitants, their lifestyles and ailments.

Table of Contents:
Introduction (C Loveluck) The excavations 1989-91, and approaches to post-excavation analysis (C Loveluck, M G Canti and A Payne) Periods 1 and 2: the seventh century (C Loveluck and D Atkinson, with contributions by J Young and P Didsbury) Period 3: early eighth to early ninth centuries (C Loveluck and D Atkinson, with contributions by J Young and P Didsbury) Period 4: early to mid ninth century (C Loveluck and D Atkinson, with contributions by J Young and P Didsbury) Period 5: mid to late ninth to early tenth centuries (C Loveluck and D Atkinson, with contributions by J Young and P Didsbury) Periods 6 and 7: tenth to fifteenth centuries (C Loveluck and D Atkinson, with contributions by J Young and P Didsbury) The inhabitants (H Geake, S Mays and P Ottaway) Bibliography

About the Author :
by Christopher Loveluck and David Atkinson

Review :
Christopher Loveluck should be congratulated...for integrating the results of the project into an impressive, and readable, account of the development of this important site.' -- Antiquity Antiquity These are first-class, well-produced books that should be on the shelves not just of Anglo-Saxonists, but of anyone interested in site interpretation. A joy to read!' -- Antiquaries Journal Antiquaries Journal These volumes provide a wealth of high-quality primary data and thoughtful analysis which will enrich and inform our understanding of the communities of mid- and late Saxon England for years to come.' -- Early Medieval Europe Early Medieval Europe The volumes under review here present unparalleled window on the workings and character of an early medieval estate centre with a degree of resolution only normally encountered in urban archaeology. As principal author and coordinator of the Flixborough project, Chris Loveluck has achieved a substantial task in bringing high-definition archaeology and a new type-site to the field of early medieval studies following two previous detailed interim reports. The Flixborough publication will serve as a benchmark for years to come.' -- Medieval Archaeology Medieval Arc haeology the series editor and principal author Christopher Loveluck is to be congratulated' -- British Archaeology British Archaeology