This volume provides an authoritative account of research excavations at Lyminge, Kent, conducted by the University of Reading in collaboration with the Canterbury Archaeological Trust and Kent Archaeological Society, 20082015. The aim of the project was to harness the archaeological potential of Lyminge one of the earliest documented monastic establishments in AngloSaxon Kent to offer new perspectives on the role played by monasteries in the Christianisation of early medieval peoples and landscapes. One of the most distinctive aspects of the project was its scale: addressing the lack of comprehensive schemes of archaeological investigation on comparable AngloSaxon monastic sites, all available spaces within the historic core of the village were targeted with openarea investigation giving a combined areal coverage of 2 acres (8,000m2). Large expanses of early medieval stratification were recovered and Lyminge ranks as one of the most extensively excavated elite/monastic centers of the period. The results offer pioneering perspectives on the complex cultural biographies of early medieval monastic landscapes. A key discovery was a preChristian (5th7th centuries AD) settlement focus offering detailed insights on the antecedent social setting of the monastery. This early occupation climaxed in the construction of a Yeaveringtype 'great hall complex', the first example of this rare form of elite residence to have been investigated in Kent. Subsequent occupation over the 8th9th centuries was evidenced by an extensive swathe of timber buildings, pits, ditched boundaries and industrial features, together affording a rare view of the domestic and economic infrastructure of a contemporary monastic establishment. Abundant assemblages of artifacts and ecofactual data combined with a refined chronological framework, supported by over 40 radiocarbon dates, charts significant transformations in diet and lifestyle correlating with Lyminge's documented emergence as a monastery at the end of the 7th century. The book provides a comprehensive account, analysis, and synthetic interpretation of these discoveries situated at the forefront of interdisciplinary research agendas. The introductory chapters place the project within its scholarly framework, provide essential historical background and regional context, and elucidate a chronological framework for the settlement sequence. A phased description and analysis of the buildings and other settlement remains follows, interwoven with insights obtained from the analysis of artifactual and ecofactual data. The latter receive detailed coverage in a series of chapters authored by independent specialists. A final synthetic discussion pulls together the strands under a series of thematic headings. These are aligned on interdisciplinary research agendas and situate Lyminge within local, regional and supraregional contexts. Themes include the entwinement of elite residences in processes of religious transformation, new approaches to defining monastic signatures in the AngloSaxon settlement record, and fresh perspectives on AngloSaxon Kent as a 'gateway' province and conduit for continental influences and innovations.
AUTHORS: Gabor Thomas is Professor in Early Medieval Archaeology at the University of Reading. He holds a PhD from University College London. His main areas of research are in early medieval rural settlements and landscapes, religion and monasticism, and early medieval objects and identities, with a particular interest in ornamental metalwork and dress accessories.
Darko Maricevic is an archaeologist based at the University of Reading, where he obtained his PhD. His career spans commercial, public and higher education sectors. His main research interests are in landscape archaeology, human/environment interaction, cultural heritage management and archaeological prospection.
250 images including colour photos and line drawings
By:
Gabor Thomas,
Darko Maričević
Imprint: Casemate Publishers
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 297mm,
Width: 210mm,
ISBN: 9798888571637
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 01 May 2026
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Unspecified
1. Introduction: project themes, aims and objectives Historical context and local setting Excavation, recording and sampling methodologies Chronological framework and settlement sequence 2. Archaeological description and contextual analysis: Period 1 (5th7th centuries AD) 3. Archaeological description and contextual analysis: Period 2 (8th9th centuries AD) 4. Food, feasting and farming: zooarchaeological and palaeobotanical assemblages Animal remains (Matilda Holmes) Fish remains (Rachel Blevis) Marine molluscs (Greg Campbell) Charred plant material (Mark McKerracher) 5. Adorning, consuming and crafting: material culture assemblages Early AngloSaxon metalwork (Chris Scull) Mid Saxon metalwork (Gabor Thomas) AngloSaxon coinage (Rory Naismith) Bone artefacts (Ian Riddler) Iron artefacts (Patrick Ottaway) Glass beads and vessels (Rose Broadley) Metalworking evidence (Eleanor Blakelock) 6. Synthetic discussion 7. Conclusion
Gabor Thomas is Professor in Early Medieval Archaeology at the University of Reading. He holds a PhD from University College London. His main areas of research are in early medieval rural settlements and landscapes, religion and monasticism, and early medieval objects and identities, with a particular interest in ornamental metalwork and dress accessories. Darko Maričevic is an archaeologist based at the University of Reading, where he obtained his PhD. His career spans commercial, public and higher education sectors. His main research interests are in landscape archaeology, human/environment interaction, cultural heritage management and archaeological prospection.
