Maritime and Marine Historic Environment Research Framework for England – The Early Medieval Period
Funded by English Heritage
Co-ordinated by the Centre for Maritime Archaeology, University of Southampton
Co-chairs of Early Medieval Working Group: Martin Carver, University of York and Chris Loveluck, University of Nottingham
This national research framework will provide a coherent overview of previous research into the maritime and marine historic environment of England to enable long-term strategic planning, to inform policy and to provide a statement of agreed research priorities within which researchers can shape projects. It is supported by English Heritage and co-ordinated through the Centre of Maritime Archaeology at the University of Southampton. However, it will be shaped by those involved in the maritime, marine or coastal archaeology of England, from the academic, commercial and voluntary sectors.
It involves an assessment of our current state of knowledge on a period-by-period basis (the resource assessment) and production of a research agenda outlining the gaps in our knowledge, strengths to build upon and future research priorities. This resource assessment process and the subsequent development of a research agenda has been driven by working groups. Each working group, comprising 5-6 members and two chairs, will undertake a review of previous research for a particular period or theme, highlight the strengths and gaps in our knowledge so far and identify future avenues of research. The resource assessment and research agenda documents produced by the working groups have been open to public consultation through the project website between March and June 2010, and in addition a targeted consultation group of 'critical friends' (experts and practitioners in the field) was recruited to comment in detail upon them. After consultation these have been drawn together into one Maritime and Marine Historic Environment Resource Assessment and Research Agenda for England, for publication in 2011.
An extended version of the research agenda for the early medieval period, bringing in international perspectives, will also appear as a special issue of the Journal of Maritime Archaeology.
Publications
Carver, M. and Loveluck, C.P. et al., in press, ‘Early Medieval’, in J. Ransley, L. Blue, J. Dix, and F. Sturt, eds., Future Studies in Maritime Archaeology: England’s Maritime and Marine Historic Environment Resource Assessment and Research Agenda, pp. 202-239, English Heritage.
Carver, M. and Loveluck, C.P., eds., 2010: Maritime and Marine Historic Environment Research Framework for England – The Early Medieval Period (Working Draft for Public Consultation), February 2010, English Heritage/University of Southampton