Cultural Transformations in Germania Secunda (Paperback)

Berber S. van der Meulen-van der Veen

ISBN 10: 1803279915 / ISBN 13: 9781803279916

Published by Archaeopress, Oxford, 2025

Paperback. Studies of the Late Roman Lower German frontier have often focused on the evidence for Germanic migrants from either burials, material culture or settlement forms. Cultural Transformations in Germania Secunda adopts a multi-variate approach combining data on settlements, finds and metallurgy in both Germania Secunda and Germania Magna to present a more complex picture. A long-term comparison of structural evidence, archaeobotanical data and handmade pottery from rural settlements challenges the role of migration in the changes observed in the Late Roman settlement landscape. Instead of distinct migration events, this book argues for long-term interactive processes such as trade, exchange and multi-directional mobility.This book further brings together evidence on style, decoration, dating, spatial distribution and find contexts of 4540 civilian and military copper-alloy dress ornaments to challenge labels such as "Roman", "Germanic", "military" and "civilian" to argue for long-term continuity and hybridisation of material culture styles in the Lower Rhine frontier area in the Late Roman period. This Nuanced approach is also supported by the metallurgical analysis of 686 copper-alloy dress accessories, which gave insight into the production organisation of items worn by different social groups. This book uses a multi-variate approach to study the Late Roman Lower German frontier, challenging the role of migration in settlement changes. It highlights long-term interactive processes and continuity in material culture styles, supported by metallurgical analysis of copper-alloy dress ornaments. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9781803279916

Synopsis:

Studies of the Late Roman Lower German frontier have often focused on the evidence for Germanic migrants from either burials, material culture or settlement forms. Cultural Transformations in Germania Secunda adopts a multi-variate approach combining data on settlements, finds and metallurgy in both Germania Secunda and Germania Magna to present a more complex picture. A long-term comparison of structural evidence, archaeobotanical data and handmade pottery from rural settlements challenges the role of migration in the changes observed in the Late Roman settlement landscape. Instead of distinct migration events, this book argues for long-term interactive processes such as trade, exchange and multi-directional mobility.

This book further brings together evidence on style, decoration, dating, spatial distribution and find contexts of 4540 civilian and military copper-alloy dress ornaments to challenge labels such as "Roman", "Germanic", "military" and "civilian" to argue for long-term continuity and hybridisation of material culture styles in the Lower Rhine frontier area in the Late Roman period. This Nuanced approach is also supported by the metallurgical analysis of 686 copper-alloy dress accessories, which gave insight into the production organisation of items worn by different social groups.

About the Author:

Berber S. van der Meulen-van der Veen acquired her BA and MA in Archaeology at Leiden University and the University of Amsterdam in 2014 and 2017 respectively. From 2018-2023, she carried out her AHRC-funded PhD research at Cardiff University and the University of Reading into the archaeology of the Late Roman Lower Rhine frontier. She currently works as a lecturer in historical archaeology at the University of Amsterdam and sits on the editorial board of the Historical Metallurgy Journal.

Bibliographic Details

Title: Cultural Transformations in Germania Secunda...
Publisher: Archaeopress, Oxford
Publication Date: 2025
Binding: Paperback
Condition: new