English Civil War archaeology - Peter Harrington

The English Civil Wars fought between 1642 and 1651 have left an indelible mark on the landscape of Britain if one looks carefully. Castles and town walls bear the marks of attack, churches reveal scars of desecration, and ruined houses are silent witnesses to the conflict. But, as the author points out, there are also 'buried landscapes of war' in and around many places that were besieged or fought over. Some of these are coming to light and more remain to be located by excavation and geophysical survey. Urban archaeology is revealing much about town defences, while several important excavations have given us a glimpse of life within castles during the Civil Wars. The burgeoning study of battlefields is creating new ways of looking at battle sites and interpreting the remains, while landscape studies are emphasizing the need to understand the contemporary terrain before we can access the archaeological potential. The book is divided by subject with chapters devoted to towns, castles, country houses, battlefields, siegeworks and other sites such as churches, bridges and re-used sites. There is a discussion of the material culture of the war, and an introduction sets the scene and d