Archaeology Magazine - January/February 2014 - 62

Berkeley castle, the history of which stretches to the 12th century, marks the
beginning of the Norman era in Britain. The Normans brought widespread social
change and urban planning to the country.

surface. It provides evidence of how
British society was rebuilt after the
austere times following the Roman
period, which is also when the Saxons
and other Germanic tribes migrated
from the continent to the island.
"This represents the return of coinage to Britain after the Romans had
left, a form of portable wealth that
began to replace the barter economy,"
says Twinn. Five "continental sceats"
have also emerged, dating from a.d.
710 to 740, revealing trade with
regions in Germany, Denmark, and
the Netherlands. "Only very wealthy
and influential people would have carried coins like these, so it is a strong
indicator of the kind of people coming here at this time," says Twinn.
So what were these high-status
Saxons doing? The excavations have
confirmed that Berkeley was home to
one of a handful of "minsters" in England. Minsters were forerunners of
what we know today as monasteries
and also served as a kind of exclusive
club for wealthy Christians. The hilltop was a good place for one of these
Christian strongholds, likely for the
same reasons the Romans had settled
62

there-it is well connected by the
River Severn and is defensible. At the
time, these powerful Christian communities both resurrected the religion, which had largely left the island

the "kingdom of witches") by a.d.
628. Historical records indicate the
powerful brothers founded the minster and recruited other wealthy men
and women to join. "Joining a minster was a way of showing allegiance
with the saints who journeyed over
from Ireland and the continent, and
brought significant trading advantages," explains Prior, who estimates
that the minster housed around 200
people at its peak.
For these wealthy Christian folk,
the minster was a safe haven. "You
have to remember that this was a
time when people were highly superstitious and believed in Tolkien-like
legends, of monsters and beasts hiding in the forests," says Prior. Outside the minster boundary lived the
"heathens," who worshipped their
many gods.
The archaeologists have uncovered
a ditch marking the minster boundary
(an area of approximately five acres,
encompassing the entire hilltop), and
internal ditches dividing sacred from
secular land. Inside the sacred area (at
the top of the hill, where the church
stands today) there may have been as

Among the Saxon metalwork uncovered on the site is an ornate aestel, or pageturner, which suggests learning and the production of manuscripts on the site
during the period when it was occupied by a minster, a forerunner of what today is
known as a monastery.

with the Romans, and helped return
order through the formation of parish
churches.
Two powerful Christian brothers,
Eanhere and Eanfrith, who ruled the
large neighboring kingdom of Mercia, annexed Berkley from the Kingdom of Hwicce (which translates as

many as four churches, for the worship of diﬀerent saints. And, unusually, this was a "double house minster,"
meaning that it housed both men and
women (separately), with the men
saying Mass for the women.
On the secular side of the ditch, in
the paddock, the team has uncovered
ArchAEology * January/February 2014

Archaeology Magazine - January/February 2014

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