The gravel terraces of the river Thames have revealed a wealth of
archaeological information about the evolution of the landscape of the
region, the development of the settlement pattern, and past human
occupation. Much of this has come to light in the course of gravel
quarrying, which has been so extensive that the Thames Valley now
provides one of the richest resources of archaeological data in the
country. This volume provides an up to date overview of the
archaeological evidence from the valley for the late Iron Age, Roman and
Anglo-Saxon periods, broadly speaking the first millennium AD. The area
studied in detail comprises the Upper Thames Valley, from the source of
the river to the Goring Gap, and the Middle Thames Valley, from the
Goring Gap to the start of the tidal zone at Teddington Lock. A summary
of evidence for the character of the river and the vegetation and
environment of its floodplain is followed by a detailed account of the
evolving settlement pattern as currently understood from archaeological
evidence. The authors then consider what archaeology can reveal about
the late Iron Age, Roman and Anglo-Saxon populations of the valley, and
their changing lifestyles, culture, identities and beliefs. This is
followed by a review of the evidence for production, trade, transport
and communication, and the archaeology of power and politics. The volume
concludes with a discussion of the state of knowledge today and its
limitations, and emerging themes and problem areas for future research.