Offa's Dyke

Landscape and Hegemony in Eighth Century Britain

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Archaeology, History, Medieval, British
Cover of the book Offa's Dyke by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray, Oxbow Books
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Ian Bapty, Keith Ray ISBN: 9781909686199
Publisher: Oxbow Books Publication: March 31, 2014
Imprint: Windgather Press Language: English
Author: Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
ISBN: 9781909686199
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Publication: March 31, 2014
Imprint: Windgather Press
Language: English

The massive ancient earthwork that provides the sole commemoration of an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon king and that gives its name to one of our most popular contemporary national walking trails remains an enigma. Despite over a century of study, we still do not fully understand how or why Britain's largest linear monument was built, and in recent years, the views of those who have studied the Dyke have diverged even as to such basic questions as its physical extent and date of construction. This book provides a fresh perspective on the creation of Offa's Dyke arising from over a decade of study and of conservation practice by its two authors. It also provides a new appreciation of the specifically Mercian and English political context of its construction. The authors first summarise what is known about the Dyke from archaeology and history and review the debates surrounding its form and purpose. They then set out a systematic approach to understanding the design and construction of the massive linear bank and ditch that has come to stand proxy for the Anglo-Welsh border. What can currently be deduced about the build qualities of the Dyke are then summarised from the authors' recent (and newly intricate) study of details of its localised form and construction and its landscape setting. The authors meanwhile also explain Offa's Dyke as an instrument of late 8th-century Mercian statecraft and the imperial ambitions of Offa himself.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The massive ancient earthwork that provides the sole commemoration of an extraordinary Anglo-Saxon king and that gives its name to one of our most popular contemporary national walking trails remains an enigma. Despite over a century of study, we still do not fully understand how or why Britain's largest linear monument was built, and in recent years, the views of those who have studied the Dyke have diverged even as to such basic questions as its physical extent and date of construction. This book provides a fresh perspective on the creation of Offa's Dyke arising from over a decade of study and of conservation practice by its two authors. It also provides a new appreciation of the specifically Mercian and English political context of its construction. The authors first summarise what is known about the Dyke from archaeology and history and review the debates surrounding its form and purpose. They then set out a systematic approach to understanding the design and construction of the massive linear bank and ditch that has come to stand proxy for the Anglo-Welsh border. What can currently be deduced about the build qualities of the Dyke are then summarised from the authors' recent (and newly intricate) study of details of its localised form and construction and its landscape setting. The authors meanwhile also explain Offa's Dyke as an instrument of late 8th-century Mercian statecraft and the imperial ambitions of Offa himself.

More books from Oxbow Books

Cover of the book Palmyra after Zenobia AD 273-750 by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Dictionary of Classical Mythology by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Engaging with the Dead by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Paradigm Found by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Bristol: A Worshipful Town and Famous City by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Care or Neglect? by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Current Research in Egyptology 2006 by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book St Paul's Cathedral by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Culture and Society in Later Roman Antioch by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Excavations at Cill Donnain by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book The Houses of Hereford 1200-1700 by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Burial and Social Change in First Millennium BC Italy by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Using Images in Late Antiquity by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Life on the Edge by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
Cover of the book Environment, Society and the Black Death by Ian Bapty, Keith Ray
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy