Past Research
THE LATE ROMAN CITY: NICOPOLIS AD ISTRUM ( BULGARIA) 1985 - 1992
This, the first British research excavation carried out in Eastern Europe, was carried out in collaboration with Bulgarian colleagues on the site of Nicopolis ad Istrum, an ideal site for comparing the layout and functioning of a Roman and a late Roman urban centre. Central to the programme was environmental research and the construction of an on-site ceramic sequence. Not only was the early Byzantine site examined by a full geophysical survey and selective area excavation, a considerable amount of information came from well preserved 2nd - 4th century deposits. Consequently, it proved possible to reconstruct a continuous sequence of occupation from the foundation of Nicopolis early in the 2nd century down to its final destruction at the end of the 6th century AD. What emerged clearly form the results was that the Roman city was destroyed probably by the Huns c. 450 (when it was already in decline) and was replaced by an imperial military and religious centre and, though still described in historical sources as a polis, the new strongly fortified site was built and supported by central imperial funds. It was no longer tied to its rich agricultural territory, as had certainly been the case for the Roman city it replaced.
For further information see: 'The late Roman city'
Select bibliography
Published in three volumes
A.G. Poulter, The Roman, Late Roman and Early Byzantine city of Nicopolis ad Istrum: the British excavations 1985 - 1992, Monograph of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, London, 1995.
A.G. Poulter, Nicopolis ad Istrum: a Roman to early Byzantine City: the Pottery and the Glass, The Society of Antiquaries of England, 1999 (Poulter on methodology, the excavations and the economic implications, R.K. Falkner on the pottery and J.D. Shepherd on the glass).
A.G. Poulter, Nicopolis ad Istrum, a Late Roman and Early Byzantine city: the Finds and Biological Remains, Society of Antiquaries of England, 2007
See also Publications section of website.
THE MACEDONIA RESEARCH PROGRAMME (GREECE) 1995
Ths research included two separate projects. The first successfully proved the potential for geophysical (resistivity) survey in the lower half of the ancient city of Philippi in north-eastern Greece.
The second task involved applying a new approach to intensive survey over an area (Louloudies) of 17ha surrounding a newly discovered and excavated late Roman quadriburgium, north of Katerini, in the fertile coastal lowland of the Pieria. The unusual conditions (all the land planted with grown crops) required a new approach to intensive survey but the results (combined with resistivity survey) proved remarkably successful. A previously unsuspected and major fortified 'city' was located 200m south of the quadriburgium. A substantial concentration of bricks with monogram stamps (along the western curtain-wall), together with ceramic finds, dated the new fortifications to the 6th to early 7th centuries AD, perched on the north bank of the Sourvala, with easy access to the Aegean.. As to the function of this site, it may be both a fortress, perhaps protecting the main east coast route which passed close by and used as a store base for the locally grown agricultural produce which could be easily shipped north to Thessaloniki, a city whose own territory was seriously threatened by Slav invasions, particularly in the early years of the 7th century.
The excellent results from the survey inspired the application and development of the survey methodology in the later 'Transition to Late Antiquity Programme' (see below).
For further information see: 'The Macedonia Programme'
Select bibliography
A.G. Poulter and P. Strange, 'Philippi: the results of a geophysical survey, Annual of the British School at Athens', 9 (1998), 453-461.
A.G. Poulter, 'Field survey at Louloudies: a new Late Roman fortification in Piera', Annual of the British School at Athens', 9 (1998), 46-511.