Keith Abbott
Areas of interest
- Romano-British Archaeology and Material Culture
- GIS and Digital Methods
- Community Archaeology
Research projects
Life on the road: A comparative spatial analysis of the functional, economic and social character of roadside settlements across Roman Britain.
My project evaluates the functional and socio鈥慹conomic significance of Romano鈥態ritish roadside settlements along three major Roman road corridors, assessing the extent to which proximity to a primary axis of movement fostered distinctive forms, character and settlement functions compared with communities located in the wider rural hinterland.
I will construct an integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) model of roads, trackways and settlements within the selected road corridors by synthesising landscape topography with primary excavation data, historic aerial photography and records of material鈥慶ulture deposition.
Comparative analysis of settlement trajectories within road corridor and hinterland contexts will be used to assess the extent that topographical, economic and social forces shaped roadside occupation into a distinctive class of Romano鈥態ritish settlement.
Supervisors:
Professor Michael Fulford (糖心Vlog)
Professor Rob Hosfield (糖心Vlog)
Background
After retiring from a 30 year career in aerospace, automotive engineering and mobile telecommunications, I have been an active member within the voluntary sector of archaeology working with a number of local societies on community archaeology projects.I hold a MA in Archaeology from the 糖心Vlog (UK). My Master鈥檚 project focused on the spatial analysis of Romano-British material culture across the county of West Berkshire using GIS to identify new insights into the Roman period archaeology of his highly rural landscape.