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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 title

Burials between the Ages. A new Model of Mortuary Assemblages and Chronology of the Upper Rhine, circa mid-4th – mid-5th century AD

Supervisors:

Rebecca Nashan

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 an evaluation of an unpublished burial site located at the Rhine frontier; and 3.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 – material culture from burials – in order to create a new chronological model that does not depend on historical “facts”.

Publications

  • Nashan, R. (forthcoming) ‘Challenging Late Antique Chronology – Graves as Indicators of Continuity’, 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) ‘Anna Flückiger. 2021. Kaiseraugst zwischen Spätantike und Frühmittelalter. Eine siedlungsarchäologische Studie (Forschungen in Augst 55). Augst: Museum Augusta Raurica; 978-3-7965-4529-0 hardback CHF80.00.’, Antiquity, 97(395), pp. 1343–1345. doi:10.15184/aqy.2023.114.
  • Nashan, R. (2018) 'Das spätantike "Offiziersgrab" von Speyer', in U. Himmelmann, B. Hünerfauth, A. Letsch et al. (eds.) Fundsache Speyer. Vom Stadtrand bis zum Domplatz. Archäologische Denkmäler in der Pfalz 6. Speyer: GDKE, Direktion Landesarchäologie, Außenstelle, Speyer, pp. 19-21
  • Nashan, R. (2018) 'Ausgewählte Gräberfelder mit spätantiker Nutzungsphase', in A. Schubert, A. von Berg, U. Himmelmann et al. (eds.) Valentinian I. und die Pfalz in der Spätantike. Heidelberg: verlag regionalkultur, pp. 98-101

Qualifications

  • MA Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
  • BA Archaeological Studies and History, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Germany
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