Living with a trespasser: Riparian names and medieval settlement on the River Trent floodplain

Jones, R., Gregory, R. , Kilby, S. and Pears, B. (2017) Living with a trespasser: Riparian names and medieval settlement on the River Trent floodplain. European Journal of Post-Classical Archaeologies, 7, pp. 33-64.

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Abstract

The Trent is England’s third longest river. Its propensity to flood has long been recognised. Indeed it is this distinguishing trait that appears to have given the river its name. In this paper, we examine how this mercurial and potentially dangerous river was understood and how its floodplain was settled in the Middle Ages. Drawing on toponomastic and palaeoecological evidence we examine the relationship between archaeologically attested medieval riparian settlements and the river. These themes are examined against the twin backgrounds of climate and anthropogenic landscape change which ensured that England’s floodplains were some of the most dynamic, and thus complex, spaces in which medieval people chose to live.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This paper was written as part of the Leverhulme Trust-funded ‘Flood and Flow’ project (RPG-2016-004).
Keywords:medieval, place-names, floodplain, palaeoenvironment, settlement
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Gregory, Dr Rebecca
Authors: Jones, R., Gregory, R., Kilby, S., and Pears, B.
Subjects:C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain
P Language and Literature > PE English
Q Science > QH Natural history
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Critical Studies > English Language and Linguistics
Journal Name:European Journal of Post-Classical Archaeologies
Journal Abbr.:PCA
ISSN:2039-7895

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