A study published today in the journal 'Antiquity' from the Universities of Cambridge and Nottingham has overturned long-held assumptions about Britain’s post-Roman economy. Contrary to the popular belief that industrial activity collapsed after the Romans left around 400 AD, researchers have uncovered compelling evidence of sustained—and even booming—metal production well into the Viking Age.
Using a five-metre sediment core from Aldborough in Yorkshire, once a major Roman metalworking hub, the team traced continuous lead and iron smelting from the 5th to the 6th centuries AD. This challenges the notion of a ‘Dark Age’ regression and reveals a vibrant industrial landscape that persisted long after Roman rule.
Professor Martin Millett says the findings have “ significant implications for our wider understanding of the end of Roman Britain”
Read the full story and explore the archaeological insights that are reshaping our view of Britain’s industrial past