Individual Christianity: A Post-Roman Practice in a Changing Landscape

Summary

The individual is often overlooked in reconstructions of ritual activity, particularly within constructed spaces, where the repetitious nature of ritual obscures the signature of individual variance. Ritual actions are attributed to a group, or community, even burials are not the action or pure representation of an individual. The identification of the individual within a ritual practice highlights the variance accepted within a culture. In this case study of Early Anglo-Saxon Britain, individual practice demonstrates the degree of integration between two cultures: the Anglo-Saxons and the Post-Roman British. Ritual continuance from the Roman period is evidenced through Christian practices within the Anglo-Saxon cultural framework. The use of Roman ritual spaces, such as churches, provides insight into the role of cultural continuity, where the remnants of actions can be attributed to a small number rather than large groups of practitioners. This paper will explore the evidence for the use of Roman Christian spaces by a few Post-Roman peoples. Continuing ritual practices, in this case study of fifth- and sixth-century Britain, provide insight into the individual’s role in maintaining, or rejecting, colonial ritual practices within the new cultural framework.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 20828