Aspects of the Roman villa as a form of British settlement

Abstract

This thesis examines the British provincial influences on the character and development of the Romano-British villa. The Introduction makes a case for the independence of Britain from any 'Euro-Celtic culture' and introduces the style and scope of the thesis. Chapter One examines late Iron Age society and settlement, analysing Caesar as a source and introducing models which are later used in conjunction with the Romano-British data. Chapter Two discusses ritual Iron Age burials and the possibility of infanticide. Chapter Three analyses the functions, origins and social position of aisled farmhouses, an important type of Romano-British villa 'outbuilding'. 3.1. Smith's 'Unit Theory' is modified. In Chapter Four the development of the wingedcorridor house is assessed from the perspective of 'Transformational Grammar'. An analysis of the configurations of social space suggests that the adoption of winged-corridor facades indicates fundamental changes in social relations; it was a social response to underlying economic changes. A new world of market forces, inflation, taxation and socially disembedded transactions led to a change in the world view of villa occupants. Chapter Five collects the substantial evidence for ritual animal burials and well deposits on villas. This behaviour was indigenous, yet peaked on villas in the fourth century, and possible reasons for this are suggested. Chapter Six assesses the likelihood of infanticide on villas, noting that lingering Victorian attitudes should not warp our analyses. Dedicatory infant burials are discussed. These chapters are brought together in the Conclusions. Appendix One is a catalogue of known, suspected and possible villas. Appendix Two lists enclosed villas. Appendix Three lists villas built on or close to churches. Appendix Four lists decorative marble from villas.