THE NORMAN CONQUEST AND ITS IMPACT ON LATE ANGLO-SAXON TOWNS

This chapter discusses the impact of the Norman Conquest on the process of urbanisation in 11th-century England, set in the context of a broad discussion of the archaeological visibility of traditional period divisions marked by episodes of 'conquest'. The main focus is the city of Lincoln, but examples from other regions and periods are drawn in for comparative purposes. The main thesis of this chapter is one of broad continuity, as urbanisation processes were arguably well under way in the earlier 11th century, and the first clear evidence for socio-economic change post-dates 1066 by a considerable margin. Even the imposition of monumental stone architecture on the urban fabric, archaeologically the most visibly impactful consequence of the Conquest, can be understood as a continued symbolic investment in towns as an expression of civitas.