The Development of Artefact Studies

This chapter comprises a historiography of Roman artefact study in Britain from the antiquarian period to the present day. It documents the evolution of finds catalogues within excavation reports, changing approaches to interpretation, and how and to what extent finds research has been incorporated into synthetic studies of Roman Britain. It investigates possible influential factors in the development of artefact research that have influenced its nature and status within the wider field of Roman archaeology in Britain. The profile of artefact researchers, persistent traditions of scholarship, and the wider academic context are all argued to be important in understanding the current position of artefact research