Life and Economy at Early Medieval Flixborough, c. AD 600-1000: The Artefact Evidence (Excavations at Flixborough Book 2)

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. Volume 2 contains detailed presentation of some 10,000 recorded finds, over 6,000 sherds of pottery, and many other residues and bulk finds, illustrated with 213 blocks of figures and 67 plates, together with discussion of their significance.It presents the most comprehensive, and currently unique picture of daily life on a rural settlement of this period in eastern England, and is an assemblage of Europe wide significance to Anglo-Saxon and early medieval archaeologists. Title Page Copyright Contents List of Figures List of Plates List of Contributors to the Flixborough Volumes Summary Zusammenfassung Résumé Acknowledgements Preface and Introduction Chapter 1: Dress and Personal Items 1.1 Brooches 1.2 Strap-ends 1.3 The hooked tags 1.4 Buckles: Non-ferrous buckles and other belt fittings Iron buckles and belt fittings 1.5 Jewellery 1.6 Toilet implements 1.7 Medical items 1.8 The pins 1.9 Tool-marks and finishing details on non-ferrous, surface-coated and inlaid objects, including dress items 1.10 Combs Chapter 2: Consumption of Luxuries : The Glas and Copper Alloy Vesels 2.1 Glass vessels 2.2 Analysis of chemical compositions of the glass 2.3 Copper alloy vessels and container mounts Chapter 3: Artefacts Relating to Specialist Activities 3.1 Horse equipment 3.2 Weapons and armour 3.3 Writing and literacy-related items: The styli A decorated silver plaque, possibly from a book cover The inscribed objects 3.4 Possible liturgical objects: Iron bells and bell clappers Chapter 4: Building Materials and Fittings 4.1 Structural ironwork and fittings 4.2 Structural fired clay or daub 4.3 Window glass and lead cames 4.4 Other building materials Chapter 5: Domestic Fittings and Implements 5.1 Iron domestic fixtures, fittings and implements 5.2 Iron locks and keys 5.3 Copper alloy keys 5.4 Miscellaneous copper-alloy fixtures and fittings 5.5 Miscellaneous lead and lead alloy objects 5.6 Miscellaneous iron fixtures and fittings: Knives Appendix 1. Metallographic examination of knife blades 5.7 Bone and antler implements and utensils 5.8 Hones and sharpening stones A note on the geology of the hones 5.9 Stone lamps 5.10 A possible carved chalk vessel Chapter 6: Cultivation, Crop Processing and Food Procurement 6.1 Agricultural tools 6.2 Querns A note on the geology of the sandstone querns A note on the lava querns from Flixborough 6.3 Evidence for fishing and netting birds Iron fish hooks Chapter 7: Woodworking, the tool hoard and its lead containers 7.1 Woodworking tools 7.2 The Flixborough tool hoard 7.3 The lead vessels housing the Flixborough tool hoard Chapter 8: Leatherworking 8.1 Leatherworking tools Chapter 9: Textile Production 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Fibre processing 9.3 Spinning A note on the geology of the stone spindle whorls 9.4 Weaving 9.5 Cutting and stitching Shears Needles Rubbing stones 9.6 Summary Selective catalogue Chapter 10: Ironworking 10.1 Artefacts and objects relating to ironworking 10.2 Ironworking debris and manufacturing processes Visual examination of the slags and metalworking debris Distribution of metalworking debris by period within the occupation sequence Physico-chemical analysis of debris Chapter 11: Non-Ferrous Metalworking 11.1 The crucible and mould fragments 11.2 Other fired clay objects 11.3 Surface analysis of crucible and mould fragments 11.4 Copper alloy manufacturing debris 11.5 Evidence for leadworking Chapter 12: The Anglo-Saxon Pottery 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Early to Middle Anglo-Saxon handmade wares 12.2.1 Charnwood (CHARN) 12.2.2 Organic-tempered fabrics (ECHAF) 12.2.3 Iron-tempered fabrics (FE) 12.2.4 Sandstone-tempered fabrics (SST) 12.2.5 Local Anglo-Saxon fabrics (ESAXLOC) 12.2.6 Greensand-tempered fabrics (ESGS) 12.2.7 Sparry calcite-tempered fabrics (SPARC) 12.2.8 Anglo-Saxon non-local fabrics (ESAXX) 12.3 Middle Saxon wares 12.3.1 Northern Maxey-type ware 12.3.2 Other shell-tempered Middle Saxon fabrics 12.3.3 Ipswich ware 12.3.4 Imported pottery from continental Europe 12.4 The Late Saxon Pottery 12.4.1 Lincoln Kiln-type shelly ware (LKT) 12.4.2 Torksey and Torksey-type ware 12.4.3 Other Late Saxon fabrics 12.5 The site pottery sequence Pottery catalogue 12.6 The Anglo-Saxon pottery from Flixborough within the context of the East Midlands of England, AD 650–1000 12.6.1 Late 7th and early 8th century 12.6.2 The 8th century 12.6.3 The 9th to 11th centuries Chapter 13: The Anglo-Saxon Coins, Mensuration Weights and Ingots 13.1 The Anglo-Saxon and medieval coins from Flixborough The Northumbrian coins 13.2 Investigative conservation of the sceattas and stycas 13.3 Silver ingot for bullion-based exchange 13.4 Lead and lead alloy mensuration weights Chapter 14: Prehistoric, Romano-British and High Medieval Remains 14.1 Prehistoric remains 14.1.1 Prehistoric lithic material 14.1.2 The hammer stone 14.1.3 Prehistoric pottery 14.1.4 The sling-shots 14.2 Romano-British remains 14.2.1 The Roman coins 14.2.2 The Romano-British pottery 14.2.3 The Romano-British ceramic building materials 14.2.4 A copper alloy penannular brooch 14.2.5 A Romano-British sculpted stone fragment 14.2.6 A stone pestle 14.2.7 The jet pin 14.3 High Medieval and later remains 14.3.1 Medieval and later pottery 14.3.2 Medieval and later non-ferrous metal objects 14.3.3 Medieval and later objects of iron 14.3.4 A medieval lead alloy spoon fragment 14.3.5 The medieval stone roof tile 14.3.6 Medieval and later coins Bibliography Index Colour Plates

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 2 (the final volume to be published in the series) completes the four-volume series of reports on the excavations and details an assemblage of Europe wide significance to Anglo-Saxon and early medieval archaeologists.