Profile

Biography

Tania's special interest in the early medieval archaeology of Britain and north-west Europe began when she read Modern History at St Anne's College, Oxford (BA 1968; MA 1972). It developed further through her postgraduate studies at the Institute of Archaeology in Oxford (DPhil 1977). In 1973 she was appointed Lecturer in Archaeology at University College, Cardiff, moving in 1979 to become the first lecturer in the new Department of Archaeology at York; she was appointed Senior Lecturer in 1992.

Departmental roles

Chair of Archaeology/History Executive Committee

Disability Officer

Research

Overview

Tania's research is mainly concerned with Anglo-Saxon burials and their associated artefacts. In recent years she has written on the symbolism and deployment of funerary dress and equipment in early Anglo-Saxon cemeteries, as well as publishing excavations of burials. A particular focus has been on the social and iconographic meanings of animal art, examining how the animals are depicted and the types of artefact on which they occur, in particular those associated with men (weaponry, luxury drinking vessels, belts and horse-equipment).

Current projects

Tania has just completed a British Academy funded project on Early Anglo-Saxon Eastry: burials and the development of an organisational centre in the kingdom of Kent, for which she was the Principal Investigator and the co-investigators were Chris Fern (Fern Archaeology) and Andrew Richardson (Canterbury Archaeological Trust). The project explored the origins and identity of a fifth- to seventh-century folk territory - enshrined in the Old English form of the name Eastry ('the eastern district') - by integrating evidence from antiquarian and recent discoveries of burials and casual finds within and around the village. A full publication will appear in Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 17 (2011); a summary is being prepared for a volume publishing the outcomes of the AHRC-supported Sense of Place in Anglo-Saxon England workshops, organised by Richard Jones, Sarah Semple and David Parsons.

Research group(s)

• Material Cultures

Collaborators

Tania acts as an ad hoc consultant to the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

Supervision

Hilary Paterson

Publications

Selected publications

Since 1990

Forthcoming (with Chris Fern and Andrew Richardson): 'Early Anglo-Saxon Eastry: archaeological evidence and the development of a district centre in the kingdom of Kent', Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 17, 1-86 (for 2011).

Forthcoming: 'The formation of a folk district in the kingdom of Kent: Eastry and its early Anglo-Saxon archaeology', in R. Jones, D. Parsons and S. Semple (eds.), Sense of Place in Anglo-Saxon England (Shaun Tyas, Spalding).

2011: ‘Overview: mortuary ritual’, in H. Hamerow, D. Hinton and S. Crawford (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Anglo-Saxon Archaeology, 221-37, (Oxford University Press, Oxford).

2010: 'The changing face of saucer-brooch distribution, 1912-1977-1997-2007', in S. Worrell, G. Egan, K. Leahy, J. Naylor and M. Lewis (eds.), A Decade of Discovery: Proceedings of the Portable Antiquities Scheme's Conference 2007, 181-91, British Archaeological Reports, British Series, 520 (Archaeopress, Oxford).  

2009:  'Medium and message in Anglo-Saxon animal art: some observations on the contexts of Salin's Style I in England', in S. Crawford and H. Hamerow with L. Webster (eds.), Form and Order in the Anglo-Saxon World, AD 600-1100, 1-12 (being Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 16).

2005: 'Symbols of protection: the significance of animal-ornamented shields in Early Anglo-Saxon England', Medieval Archaeology, 49, 109-163.

2003 : ‘Translating animal art: Style I and Anglo-Saxon cast saucer brooches’, Hikuin, 29 (for 2002), 163-86.

1999 : (edited with D. Griffiths) The Making of Kingdoms (being Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 10).

1993: 'Early Saxon saucer brooches: a preliminary overview', in W. Filmer‑Sankey (ed.), Anglo‑Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History, 6, 11-44 (Oxford University Committee for Archaeology, Oxford).

1992: (with G. Speake) 'The seventh‑century cremation burial from Asthall, Oxon.: a reassessment', in M.O.H. Carver (ed.), The Age of Sutton Hoo:  The Seventh Century in North‑western Europe, 95‑130 + pls. 2‑5 (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge).

1992 : (with H. Härke) Early Anglo-Saxon Shields (being Archaeologia, 110).

Full publications list

Since 1990

Forthcoming: 'The cast saucer brooches', in S. Harrington, G. Thomas and J. Merkel, ‘The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at South Malling, Lewes: new finds and new perspectives', Sussex Archaeological Collections.

Forthcoming: 'A zoomorphic shield mount from Hindringham, Norfolk' (with S. Ashley and K. Penn), Medieval Archaeology, 55, 277-81 (for 2011).

2011: 'Applied saucer brooches. Cast saucer brooches. Button brooch. Small-long brooches', in A. Boyle, D. Jenning, D. Miles and S. Palmer, The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Butler ’s Field, Lechlade, Gloucestershire vol. 2: The Anglo-Saxon Grave Goods, Specialist Reports, Phasing and Discussion, 16-22, Thames Valley Landscapes Monograph, 33 ( Oxford Archaeology, Oxford).

2011: ‘Iconography, social context and ideology: the meaning of animal-ornamented shields in Early Anglo-Saxon England’, in W. Heizmann and M. Axboe (eds.), Die Goldbrakteaten der Völkerwanderungszeit - Auswertung und Neufunde, 635-86, Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde Ergänzungsband 40 (Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York).

2010: 'The cast and applied saucer brooches', in F. K. Annable and B. N. Eagles, The Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Blacknall Field, Pewsey, Wiltshire, 29-34 (Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society, Devizes).

2009: 'Cast saucer brooches: discussion', in S. Hirst and D. Clark, Excavations at Mucking, vol. 3, The Anglo-Saxon cemeteries: excavations by Tom and Margaret Jones, 482-3 (Museum of London Archaeology, London).

2007: (with Keith Parfitt) ‘The Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Old Park, near Dover, revisited’, in M. Henig and T. J. Smith (eds.), Collectanea Antiqua: Essays in Memory of Sonia Chadwick Hawkes, 111-126, British Archaeological Reports, Internat. Ser. 1673 (Archaeopress, Oxford).

2007: ‘An Early Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Quarrington, near Sleaford, Lincolnshire: report on excavations, 2000 – 2001', Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, 39 (for 2004), 24-45.

2007: (with R.Collins) 'Borrowby', in H. Geake (ed.), Portable Antiquities Report, Medieval Archaeology, 51, 231-2.

2006: (with Chris Fern and Mark Hall) ‘An early Anglo-Saxon bridle-fitting from South Leckaway, Forfar, Angus, Scotland’, Medieval Archaeology, 50, 249-60.

2005: (with A. Richardson) 'Ickham and Well', in T. Beaumont-James (ed.), 'Medieval Britain and Ireland in 2004: Portable Antiquities Scheme', Medieval Archaeology, 49, 333–4.

2002 : ‘Review article: What's new in early medieval burial archaeology?', Early Medieval Europe, 11.1, 71-87.

2000 : (with E. Morris) 'Early Saxon graves and grave goods', in C. J. Young, Excavations at Carisbrooke Castle, Isle of Wight, 1921-1996,  86-96 (Wessex Archaeology, Salisbury).

1999: 'Jewellery', in M. Lapidge, J. Blair, S. Keynes and D. Scragg (eds.), The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Anglo-Saxon England, 258-62 (Oxford, Blackwell Publishers).

1995: 'Bronze ring/pendant/buckle', in L. Alcock, Cadbury Castle, Somerset: The Early Medieval Archaeology, 66-70 (University of Wales Press, Cardiff).

1994: 'The cast saucer brooches', in A. Hunn, J. Lawson and M. Farley, 'The Anglo‑Saxon cemetery at Dinton, Buckinghamshire', 128-9, in W. Filmer-Sankey and D. Griffiths (eds.), Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archaeology and History 7,  (Oxford University Committee for Archaeology, Oxford). 

1993: 'Angelsächsische Fibeln', contribution under Stichwort 'Fibeln und Fibeltracht' in J. Hoops (established), Reallexikon der Germanischen   Altertumskunde, 2nd fully revised edition, Band 8, Lieferung 3/4, 582-5 (Walter de Gruyter, Berlin/New York).

1992: 'An Anglo‑Saxon "cunning woman" from Bidford‑on‑Avon', in M.O.H. Carver (ed.), In Search of Cult. Archaeological Investigations in honour of Philip Rahtz, 45-54 (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge); reprinted 1999 with a revised introduction in C.E. Karkov, The Archaeology of Anglo-Saxon England: Basic Readings, 359-73 (Garland Publishing Inc., New York).

1992: 'Triangular‑backed composite comb ‑ a "second opinion"', in G. Milne and J.D. Richards, Wharram: A Study of Settlement on the Yorkshire Wolds  7. Two Anglo‑Saxon Buildings and Associated Finds, 55‑6 (York Univ. Archaeol. Publications 9, York).

1991: 'Material culture as social expression: the case of Saxon saucer brooches with running spiral decoration', in H‑J. Hässler (ed), Studien zur  Sachsenforschung, 7, 39‑70 (August Lax, Hildesheim).

1990: 'Annular brooch', in S. Wrathmell and A. Nicholson (eds.), Dalton  Parlours Iron Age Settlement and Roman Villa, 286‑7 (West Yorkshire Archaeology Service, Wakefield).

1990: 'Early medieval objects: the metal objects 4. silver pin', in M.R. McCarthy, A Roman, Anglian and Medieval Site at Blackfriars, Carlisle:  Excavations 1977‑9, 181 (Cumberland & Westmoreland Antiq. Archaeol. Soc., Kendal).

Teaching

Undergraduate

First Year

Third Year

Assessed seminar: Anglo-Saxon Artefacts

Postgraduate

Research Skills: Artefacts

External activities

Memberships

• Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London since 1978
• Permanent invited member of the Internationales Sachsensymposion since 1980
• Assessor for the AHRC
• Finds-research on behalf of professional organisations - excavations at Quarrington, Lincs. (for Field Archaeology Specialists, York) and contributing to the forthcoming publications of Blacknall Field, Wilts. (for English Heritage) and Lechlade, Glos. (for Oxford Archaeology).