Talk:Roman Norfolk

Needs working on and will continue for next couple of weeks

Hi

I have created the page as part of a series on the History of Norfolk

The page is under development and will take shape over the next few weeks.

Chaosdruid (talk) 22:39, 27 June 2010 (UTC)

Infobox

Will need an infobox constructing for the series "History of Norfolk"

Should have things such as:

Preceding
Iron Age Norfolk (800 BC - 50 BC)

Roman Britain

After
Sub-Roman Britain (500 AD - 600 AD)

and so on for all these:

• Earliest Iron Age. 800-600 BC. Parallel to Hallstatt C on the continent.
• Early Iron Age. 600-400 BC. Hallstat D and half of La Tène I.
• Middle Iron Age. 400-100 BC. The rest of La Tène I, all of II and half of III.
• Late Iron Age. 100-50 BC. The rest of La Tène III.
  • Latest Iron Age. 50 BC - 100 AD.
• Sub-Roman Britain (5th to 6th centuries)
• Early Middle Ages (7th to 11th centuries): Danelaw & England
  • Anglo-Saxon England
  • Viking Age
• High Middle Ages (11th to 15th centuries): England
  • Norman rule (1066-1154)
  • House of Plantagenet (1154–1485)
• Late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries): England
  • House of Lancaster (1399–1471)
  • House of York (1461–1485)
• Transition to Early Modern Britain
  • House of Tudor (1485–1603)
    • Elizabethan era 1558-1603
  • House of Stuart (1371-1707)

Chaosdruid (talk) 00:05, 28 June 2010 (UTC)

Coastline changed "radically"?

A 1905 map of Roman Britain, showing clearly how the coastline of Norfolk has changed radically since Roman times.

Hey there. Just wanted to comment on the caption to this wonderful historical map. I don't think it's fair to say that the coastline has changed 'radically'. It has changed, certainly, but the biggest changes were to the fens, where land was claimed from the sea, the broads, and some minor changes to the shape of the coast due to offshore drift. I've compared this map with the modern coastline, and aside from the fens, the differences are really not very clear at all. Thanks. Woodgreener (talk) 13:37, 29 June 2010 (UTC)

That historic map is just a fairly modern one with some shaded areas to denote "this wasnt here" or "this was here" - the basic outline is the same as todays almost.

The big problems are sea level, deposition and erosion. If the sea level rose a small mount it would not make much of a difference now but in ROman times the land was lower as well as the sea being possible a little higher and so we have things like this map:

The Broads could have been open to the sea for some time during the Roman occupation, and it may have been possible to get a fairly big boat a long way inland such as on this map (although I think that is probably a bit hopeful lol).

There are a few sources that call East anglia an "island" referring to various bogs marhses and watery bits (esp rnd Bungay area) and that it was easier to get to Holland than it was to get to London from Norolk.

Then we have erosion and deposition. If you go back to the 194os aerial photos and then 1900 and 1790 maps you will see that there has been a massive amount eroded from the north to the ne corner and again down the east coast. There have also been large deposits along the wash and terington St clement area. THis plus land reclamation (windmills, dykes and ditches) and sea wall construction have changed the coastline up to 2 miles in some places and I seem to remember even more than that in the wash area.

Try looking here for more maps and info : [1], [2] and [3] which leads to [4]

Aaah ok. Thanks for clearing that up :) I've also found this site with maps indicating the changing coastline as you have pointed out. Woodgreener (talk) 20:58, 29 June 2010 (UTC)

Thanks Woodgreener - I've dug out a modern book today that gives much more detail and agrees with what you have said, so I'll amend the caption. Amitchell125 (talk) 19:52, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

I had seen that site previously but cannot find any map from any of the archaeological institutions that would show more accuracy or even back up their claims. I have run out of ideas where to go to find the info or even a map showing anything like thier representations.

The problem is that most geological maps tend to not include sea levels, there were no maps made at the time, and I cannot find any Roman period texts that describe the area (yet)

There is mention of Pytheas sailing around the coast in 350 BC or so but I cannot find that either lol

Ah well - I wil keep trying Chaosdruid (talk) 22:31, 3 July 2010 (UTC)