An Archaeology of Identity: Soldiers and Society in Late Roman Britain (UCL Institute of Archaeology Publications) - Hardcover

Gardner, Andrew

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1598742264 ISBN 13: 9781598742268

Publisher: Routledge, 2007

Synopsis

What happened to Roman soldiers in Britain during the decline of the empire in the 4th and 5th centuries? Did they withdraw, defect, or go native? More than a question of military history, this is the starting point for Andrew Gardner’s incisive exploration of social identity in Roman Britain, in the Roman Empire, and in ancient society. Drawing on the sociological theories of Anthony Giddens and others, Gardner shapes an approach that focuses on the central role of practice in the creation and maintenance of identities―nationalist, gendered, class, and ethnic. This theory is then tested against the material remains of Roman soldiers in Britain to show how patterning of stratigraphy, architecture, and artifacts supports his theoretical construct. The result is a retelling of the story of late Roman Britain sharply at odds with the traditional text-driven histories and a theory of human action that offers much to current debates across the social sciences.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

What happened to Roman soldiers in Britain during the decline of the empire in the 4th and 5th centuries? More than a question of military history, this is the starting point for Andrew Gardner’s incisive sociological exploration of identity in Roman Britain, in the Roman Empire, and in ancient society.

About the Author:

Andrew Gardner is Lecturer in the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL. He has worked previously at the University of Reading, the University of Leicester, and Cardiff University. His publications include the edited volume

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1598742264
• ISBN 13: 9781598742268
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312