Defining Research Themes and producing a Research Framework

Assembling Working Groups with the innovative transnational and integral character including the coastal areas around the North Sea and its hinterland. The results of the North Sea Session during the International Limes Congress 2022 will be used to compose this program including the following themes:

(a) sea-/waterways (examples : the waterway to Aardenburg in Zeeland, the river Tyne in North East England, the river Rhine in South Holland and the importance of castella, fortifications and several vessels/ships as part of the Roman coastal defense system located on the banks of these waterways);

(b) material culture studies (exchange about the meaning of archaeological finds through expert meetings in the participating regions);

(c) beach archaeology (sites lost in the sea; examples are the fleet-castellum near Vrouwenpolder in Zeeland and the fortification Brittenburg near Katwijk in South Holland); (d) coastal community building with the sea and rivers (examples: fishing, salt-making, sheep breeding and turf-exploitation in the Flemish region and shipbuilding in the regions of North East England and South Holland).

Planned period (January 2023 – June 2024)

Co-ordination by the Kent County Council and the University of Ghent