Combining a fresh analysis of the archaeological evidence with the traditional historical accounts, Neil Faulkner presents a new interpretation of the decline and fall of Roman Britain. The original conquest of Britain was one of the last successes of Roman military imperialism, whereas the Romans' repeated failures on the north British frontier shows the limits of this system. A new order became established in Britain: a centralised, military-bureaucratic state, governed by a class of super-rich landlords and apparatchiks, who siphoned wealth out of the provinces to defend the frontier. As a result the towns declined and the countryside was depressed. This process of decline led to the great military crisis of the last fourth century. The Roman imperial army, bled white by defeats on continental battlefields, withdrew its troops from Britain to defend the imperial heartlands, and the Romano-British elite succumbed to a combination of warlord power, barbarian attack an popular revolt. The study concludes by discussing the legacy of Roman's and the significance of the so-called 'Dark Ages'.

About the Author
Neil Faulkner is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He is a freelance lecturer in archaeology and ancient history as well as being Director of the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research project in north-west Norfolk, where he is excavating a Saxon village and cemetery.

Reviews
Neil Faulkner is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. He is a freelance lecturer in archaeology and ancient history as well as being Director of the Sedgeford Historical and Archaeological Research project in north-west Norfolk, where he is excavating a Saxon village and cemetery.



Book Information
ISBN 9780752419442
Author Neil Faulkner
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 530g
Dimensions(mm) 248mm * 172mm * 10mm