An archaeology of identity : soldiers and society in late Roman Britain / Andrew Gardner.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gardner, Andrew, 1973-

Contributor:

Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

Series:

Institute of Archaeology.

Institute of Archaeology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Great Britain--History--Roman period, 55 B.C.-449 A.D.

Great Britain.

History.

Great Britain--Social life and customs--To 1066.

Manners and customs.

Great Britain--Antiquities, Roman.

Classical antiquities.

Romans--Great Britain.

Romans.

Physical Description:

311 pages : illustrations, maps ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Walnut Creek, Calif. : Left Coast Press, [2007]

Summary:

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 Gardners 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 identitiesnationalist, 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.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [267]-301) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Anne and Joseph Trachtman Memorial Book Fund.

ISBN:

9781598742268

1598742264

9781598742275

1598742272

OCLC:

74569208