ABSTRACT

For archaeology to begin properly to tell its own story of life in the Roman period it is necessary to view its evidence as independently of historical source material as possible. Proper archaeological interpretation, while it may be part inspirational, must rely upon a clear understanding and appreciation of all the available facts. Archaeologists may argue long and hard over how large such a sample should be, which sites it should contain, whether its concentration should be on military or civilian, religious or rural settlement sites. Much has been learned in recent years from techniques of study applied to sites and excavated material from other periods, where there exists no ready-made historical framework in which it can be set. The increased use of non-destructive techniques to prospect sites may point another way forward: at present aerial, magnetometer, resistivity, and other survey techniques can begin to tell us what is in the ground before the surface is broken by trowel, spade.