Ian Bapty

Bio: Ian Bapty is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Archaeological record & Welsh. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 15 citations.

Early medieval wales: a framework for archaeological research

Abstract: INTRODUCTION The early medieval period in Wales (c AD 400-1070), spanning the centuries between the end of Roman rule and the coming of the Normans, embodies a process of fundamental social, political and economic transition from which – in language, human landscapes, culture and belief – the recognisable beginnings of Wales itself first emerged. Yet it is still a period about which we know remarkably little archaeologically and the evidence to date leaves many of the most fundamental questions unanswered. The documentary sources, though they are also notoriously sparse and frequently difficult to interpret, continue to provide a basic chronological framework. However, historical questions have tended to frame our knowledge or lack of it and have often been seen to drive the archaeological research agenda. Thus, the end of Roman imperial control, Irish settlement in the west, the establishment of distinct regional kingdoms, the emergence and ideological triumph of Christianity, increasing Anglo-Saxon pressure in the east, the Viking impact, Anglo-Norman conquest and the Welsh response, provide datable, or otherwise, markers to what might be expected to be major changes, if indeed they are recognisable in the archaeological record. The impact these factors had on the population, settlement and land use are for archaeology to answer.

Santé et pratiques médicales des Bretons insulaires et continentaux du Haut Moyen Âge (V-Xe siècles) : revue de la littérature ouverte, analyse croisée des données historiques et archéologiques

Abstract: Introduction. Nous possedons une connaissance de l'etat de sante et des pratiques medicales des populations anciennes grâce aux textes anciens et aux donnees archeologiques. Concernant les populations bretonnes du Haut Moyen Age, les premiers travaux importants datent de la fin des annees 1940. Depuis de nombreux travaux et decouvertes ont ete realises dans differents domaines. Une synthese des donnees historiques et archeologiques pourrait ameliorer la connaissance de l'etat de sante et des pratiques medicales des populations bretonnes insulaires et continentales du Haut Moyen Age. Methode. Revue de la litterature ouverte des textes anciens du Haut Moyen Age et des publications archeologiques et paleopathologiques relatives a la Bretagne continentale, a la peninsule Sud-Ouest britannique et au Pays de Galles. Les donnees relatives a la sante, aux maladies, aux therapeutes et aux pratiques medicales des populations bretonnes du Haut Moyen Age ont ete extraites de ces sources pour beneficier d'une analyse qualitative thematique. Resultats. 28 textes anciens et 47 publications ont ete inclus. Les donnees paleopathologiques montraient le caractere sain de ces populations rurales, souffrant de peu de carences, rarement victimes de traumatismes importants ou de violences. Les donnees paleodemographiques montraient un âge moyen de deces avoisinant les trente ans. La mortalite des enfants en bas âge et des femmes adultes etait importante. Quelques cas de lepre et de tuberculose etaient recenses. Les problemes dentaires etaient dominees par les depots de tartre et les parodontopathies. Les textes permettaient de completer cette liste par des pathologies ne laissant pas de trace au niveau osseux. La medecine avait une pratique rationnelle heritee de l'Antiquite. Une conception magico-religieuse illustree par les miracles des saints guerisseurs etait aussi colligee dans la litterature hagiographique bretonne. 20 cas de trepanation recenses montraient les savoirs chirurgicaux des Bretons continentaux. Conclusion. Cette revue ouverte de la litterature a fait le point sur l'etat de sante et les pratiques medicales des populations bretonnes du Haut Moyen Age. Les donnees sont riches et variees. A l'avenir, la creation d'une base de donnees osteologiques anciennes, l'uniformisation des standards en paleopathologie pourraient permettre des etudes a l'echelon europeen. Les techniques d'imagerie et de biologie moleculaire pourraient etre appliquees a l'etude des populations bretonnes comme elles ont pu l'etre pour d'autres populations anciennes.

A multi-isotope investigation of diet and subsistence amongst island and mainland populations from early medieval western Britain.

Abstract: Objectives: This is the first investigation of dietary practices amongst multiple early medieval populations (AD 500–1000) from Wales and the Isle of Man using carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotope analysis. The analysis will illuminate similarities or differences between the diets and subsistence strategies of populations occupying different geographical regions, specifically those living in marginal coastal regions in comparison to inland populations well-connected to ecclesiastical centres and high-status settlements. Materials and Methods: One hundred and two human skeletons were sampled for carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis, and 69 human skeletons were sampled for sulphur isotope analysis from nine cemetery sites from western Britain (Isle of Man = 3, southwest Wales = 4, southeast Wales = 2). Thirteen faunal skeletons from St Patrick's Chapel (southwest Wales) were sampled for carbon, nitrogen, and sulphur isotope analysis. Results: Human δ13C values range from −19.4‰ to −21.2‰ (δ13C mean=−20.4 ±0.4‰, 1σ, n = 86), and δ15N values range from 9.1‰ to 13.8‰ (δ15N mean = 10.8 ± 0.9‰, 1σ, n = 86). δ34S values range from 1.2‰ to 18.4‰ (δ34S mean = 11.6 ± 4.5‰, 1σ, n = 66). Significant differences were noted between the mean δ13C, δ15N and δ34S values according to geographic region: Isle of Man (δ13C = −20.7 ± 0.4‰, δ15N = 11.4 ±0.6‰, n = 13/86; δ34S mean = 17.1 ±0.6, n = 4/66), southwest Wales (δ13C = −20.5 ± 0.4‰, δ15N = 11.0 ±1‰, n = 32/86; δ34S = 16.1 ± 2.1, n = 21/66), and southeast Wales (δ13C =−20.3 ±0.4‰, δ15N = 10.4 ±0.7‰, n = 41/86; δ34S= 8.8 ±3‰, n = 41/66). Faunal δ13C values range from −23.1‰ to −21.2‰ (δ13C mean= −22.1 ±0.5‰, 1σ, n = 13), and δ15N values range from 6.3‰ to 9.8‰ (δ15N mean = 7.3 ± 1.1‰, 1σ, n = 13). δ34S values range from 4.7‰ to 18.4‰ (δ34S mean= 16.3 ± 3.6‰, 1σ, n = 13). Conclusions: The data reveal a reliance on terrestrial protein, however differences are observed between the resource consumption of populations from southwest Wales and the Isle of Man in comparison to the populations from southeast Wales. Populations from the west coast have a marine sulphur signature that reflects their coastal proximity and may also include a reliance on seaweed as a fertiliser/food source. Populations in the southeast were connected to ecclesiastical centres and high-status settlements and had access to inland-grown produce. The data add support to the suggestion that δ34S can be used as a mobility indicator.

Discovery by design : the identification of secular élite settlements in Western Britain A.D. 400-700

Abstract: Subtitled The identification of secular elite settlements in western Britain AD 400-700', this book presents the theory of historical archaeology in practice, seeing how new perspectives may be able to solve the problem of archaeologists' inability to recognise secular settlement sites in Celtic Britain. In four parts, the first chapter presents an outline of recent theory and historical archaeology. Subsequent chapters define high status' sites and secularity in the archaeology of western Britain, AD 400-700, and present an application and test of the models outlined in the first chapter using excavated evidence from western Britain, and an evaluation of hill-fort and castle sites.