A re-examination of medieval material culture : Buckingham and Oxfordshire rural and urban sites reconsidered

This study takes as its primary data the medieval portable fmds from eight excavated sites in the south Midland region, with a date range from the c. lOth to c. 16th/l7th century. The finds within historical archaeology present us with a number of fundamental problems ranging from the quality of the surviving evidence and method of excavation to the post-excavation analysis and interpretation. The purpose of this research is to critically review how we deal with fmds from medieval sites and to explore new ways of approaching and using site evidence. In this explicitly archaeological approach the finds data is drawn from both rural and urban sites, and includes four deserted villages in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, two Oxford suburbs and two moated manor house sites. Working as far as possible with the whole finds assemblage, a critical reassessment of each site challenges certain methodological issues and assumptions that are reoccurring and significantly affect site interpretation. A strong correlation was noted between the stratified and the unstratified finds when compared by category confirming the value of unstratified material to site interpretation. The three Buckinghamshire sites present the opportunity to compare the fmds assemblages of near neighbours. Contextual issues are debated including new interpretations of residual artefacts, and the contrasting use of single objects and whole assemblages. This intra-site critique is followed by inter- site comparisons of objects. Some distinctions are drawn between security and horse equipment items that may imply a rural/urban divide. The decorated objects provided an opportunity to examine the social conventions ofthe time embedded in the imagery on objects made for display. The changing social status of objects that appear to have been reused in a secondary capacity is highlighted and it is argued that the disposal of some 'rubbish' reflects cultural practices beyond the purely functional or practical.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo