This thesis undertakes a review and synthesis of the evidence arising from a study of Roman, Anglo- Saxon and medieval archaeology in Essex, in its historical, theoretical, regional and landscape context. It adopts a holistic, interdisciplinary approach that incorporates a wide range of different evidence, including archaeological, documentary, palaeoenvironmental, place-name and landscape-topographical material. Addressing the related themes of persistence, continuity and change in the historic landscape, it reviews the development of the physical landscape - the settlements, their fieldscape and the territorial units - from the third to the twelfth century AD, with an emphasis on the late Roman and early medieval period. The survival of Iron Age or Roman fieldscapes is addressed, and it can be shown with recourse to horizontal stratigraphy that at least one example - Dengie - probably predates the eighth century, and may well be Roman in date. The evidence also suggests woodland regeneration in the post-Roman period was not widespread, and that woodland resources were already unevenly distributed by at least the ninth century. The distribution of early Anglo-Saxon pottery and its appearance on Roman sites, when compared to the restricted and largely coastal distribution of cemeteries and Grubenhduser, would suggest that a post-Roman British population was selectively using aspects of Anglo-Saxon material culture, and there is little evidence to demonstrate migration on a massive scale. The Roman archaeology is marked by a series of demolition and levelling 'events' at villas, temples and public buildings, which is tentatively suggested to relate to an anti-Roman reaction in the very late fourth or early fifth century. The assessment of territorial development in Essex demonstrated that the medieval pattern of parishes can be shown to be based on secular estates of the later tenth or early eleventh century, arising from the fission of larger, valley-based secular and ecclesiastical territories

This study examines the archaeological reflections of group identity and socio-economic networks in the region of Essex and London in the Anglo-Saxon period, between c.400 and 1066. Given its location in the south-east of England, Essex was a key zone of socio-political interaction during the early medieval period. This doctoral research has brought together the stray and excavated archaeological material from the region for the first time. The thesis presented here is centred on diachronic, quantified distributional analyses of three key material culture classes: dress accessories, pottery, and coinage. The discussion synthesises the results of these analyses, examining the observed patterns within their broader archaeological context. The thesis reveals the emergence of a hybrid dress style in the 5th and 6th centuries. This appears to have been actively created in Essex to reflect a diverse cultural inheritance, but not a specific ethnic identity. However, from the mid-7th century these styles were rejected in favour of dynamic fashions, reflecting the maritime focus of the region, and especially links with the Merovingian/Carolingian Continent. From the later 9th century, Scandinavian dress and cultural practice are also apparent, particularly in north Essex This Continental orientation reflects the emergence and transformation of the North Sea network. The engagement of Essex communities with this network is studied in detail in this thesis. The coinage and pottery analyses reveal the emergence of several exchange hubs along the North Sea coast, as well as a generalized engagement with long-distance exchange among coastal communities. This system was disrupted, but not destroyed, by the Vikings, who linked Essex with wider Scandinavian networks. However, the long-term pattern shows the decline of coastal sites in favour of urban centres from the later 9th century.