Rebecca Nashan
Rebecca's subject area is archaeology. Her PhD project title is 'Burials between the Ages. A new Model of Mortuary Assemblages and Chronology of the Upper Rhine, circa mid-4th – mid-5th century AD'
28 March 2024
Project Description
Chronology is a cornerstone of archaeological research; however, late antique northwestern Europe lacks a robust chronology of archaeological evidence. The idea of an Empire in crisis is deeply embedded in historiography and influences the interpretation and dating of finds and sites alike. In recent years, the validity of the existing chronology of Late Antiquity (3rd to 5th century AD) in northwestern Europe has been increasingly challenged.
This project focuses on the revaluation of dating methods to overcome circular arguments and gather evidence for a continuous population of Roman territories after AD 400. The approach is based on three pillars: 1. a critique on existing chronology; 2. an evaluation of an unpublished burial site located at the Rhine frontier; and 3. a transnational comparison of the collected data.
A new approach is required contesting and foregrounding chronological understandings of the predominant data 鈥 material culture from burials 鈥 in order to create a new chronological model that does not depend on historical 鈥渇acts鈥.
Publications
- Nashan, R. (forthcoming) 鈥楥hallenging Late Antique Chronology 鈥 Graves as Indicators of Continuity鈥, in: H. van Enckevort, M. Driessen, E. Graafstal et al. (eds.), Proceedings of the 25th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies, expected September 2024.
- Nashan, R. (2023) 鈥楢nna Fl眉ckiger. 2021. Kaiseraugst zwischen Sp盲tantike und Fr眉hmittelalter. Eine siedlungsarch盲ologische Studie (Forschungen in Augst 55). Augst: Museum Augusta Raurica; 978-3-7965-4529-0 hardback CHF80.00.鈥, Antiquity, 97(395), pp. 1343鈥1345. doi:10.15184/aqy.2023.114.
- Nashan, R. (2018) 'Das sp盲tantike "Offiziersgrab" von Speyer', in U. Himmelmann, B. H眉nerfauth, A. Letsch et al. (eds.) Fundsache Speyer. Vom Stadtrand bis zum Domplatz. Arch盲ologische Denkm盲ler in der Pfalz 6. Speyer: GDKE, Direktion Landesarch盲ologie, Au脽enstelle, Speyer, pp. 19-21
- Nashan, R. (2018) 'Ausgew盲hlte Gr盲berfelder mit sp盲tantiker Nutzungsphase', in A. Schubert, A. von Berg, U. Himmelmann et al. (eds.) Valentinian I. und die Pfalz in der Sp盲tantike. Heidelberg: verlag regionalkultur, pp. 98-101