ABSTRACT
This chapter draws attention to aspects of imperial associations, perceived or real, within the archaeology of Wales and western Britain, and to Byzantine collections of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. The majority are coastal, and the largest group have been reported from sites in south-west England and south Wales. ‘High-end’ Byzantine goods in limited quantities reached Britain, from a bronze pail found on the Isle of Wight to silver spoons, Byzantine silks and bronze vessels. A notable advance in understanding population mobility has been the application of strontium and oxygen isotope analysis to the study of human remains in order to identify the childhood place of origin of individuals. This method has been applied to a number of cemetery populations from Wales and the Isle of Man. The Byzantine empire used its coinage, in particular the coin multiples of the sixth and seventh centuries, as gifts, through a functioning network of diplomatic representatives.
