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last mo.

Aldborough Sediment Core Rewrites Post-Roman Economy, Showing Metalworking Lasted Until a 6th-Century Crash

A continuous pollution record published in Antiquity reshapes views of early medieval economic continuity by revealing a sudden mid‑500s downturn.

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Industry in Britain was transformed under the Romans but it was long believed to have waned after their retreat

Overview

  • Researchers from Nottingham, Cambridge and partners analyzed a five‑metre sediment core at Aldborough, the Roman town of Isurium Brigantum, producing the first unbroken metal‑pollution timeline from about AD 345 to 1700.
  • Lead and iron indicators fell only slightly after the early 400s and then rose through the early–mid 500s, evidencing sustained large‑scale metalworking in the post‑Roman centuries.
  • The record shows a sharp collapse in metal production around AD 550–600, which the team says could relate to the Justinianic plague, though the cause is not proven.
  • The findings challenge a blanket ‘Dark Ages’ collapse narrative by documenting regional economic continuity and later swings that align with known events.
  • Subsequent fluctuations include a slump after Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries and a late‑16th‑century revival linked to Elizabeth I’s wars.