Exploring the Past #1: The Rural Settlement of Roman Britain: An Online Resource

           
Exploring the Past #1: The Rural Settlement of Roman Britain: An Online Resource

    One of the most useful resources for archaeologist and researchers are online databases, which can hold a large amount of information on a large variety subjects. There are a number of these databases available in archaeology, however a large majority of archaeological material is still difficult to get hold of, and is rarely in a digital format. However following a guest lecture from Martyn Allen of Reading University, I discovered another brilliant resource, which I believe will be one of the main resources for anyone studying Roman Britain in the future; The Rural Settlement of Roman Britain Project.

                The lecture focused on what research could be achieved from the system that was developed, such as differentiation between settlement patterns, however what interested me was the vast potential for future research that could be done using the database. The project has created a database of all the ‘grey literature’ e.g. excavation reports and dating evidence for Roman Sites in England and has digitised and mapped them. Not only have they achieved this, but they have also divided the Roman sites into a number of site types e.g. complex farmsteads and funerary sites. This has culminated into a searchable online database, capable of running queries on fields such as site types or locations, and a browsable map of all Rural Roman sites in England,, and probably most significantly, this is only its first phase.

Figure 1: Map of the area surrounding modern day Chichester, showing the sites recorded on the projects database.

                I have already used the database to look at the area which I am currently researching, the area occupied by the Iron Age tribe, the Regini. I was presented with the map shown in figure 1, which shows a variety of symbols, depicting different site types, and even Roman place names and roads. Once on the map, you can then select any of the symbols for further information. The page will provide basic information such as date and site type, and it also allows you to drill down into the information deeper, if further information is needed. The database provides information such as a summary, location (Easting and Northings), further sources and other site specific information.

This project is a great step forward in making the archaeological records more accessible for all. The map function allows you to easily browse Roman Rural settlements in your area, and quickly access further information and dating of sites to be used in research. However one of the most exciting things about the project is that it is only in its first phase. By December 2015 Wales will be added to the database, and by the 1^st April 2017, finds and environmental data will be available for the sites on the database as well. The addition of finds and environmental evidence coupled with the settlement evidence already on the site, will allow a full range of data to be explored by the public and professionals in depth for the first time.