Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (606 page)

A cereal plant of the genus Oryza known in two cultivated species. Asian rice (Oryza sativa) is the most widespread and is native to southeast Asia. It was cultivated from at least 3500 bc in the Indus Valley and in China from Neolithic times (5th millennium
bc
) in the lower Yangtze region. Rice must have been introduced to Japan as a cultigen as it is not part of the native flora. African rice (Oryza glaberrina) seems to have been domesticated in West Africa, but little is known of its early history and use.

 
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English king, also known as Richard Coeur de Lion (Richard the Lion Heart), of the House of Anjou (Plantagenets). Born 1157, third son of Henry II. Married Berengaria , daughter of Sancho VI, king of Navarre. Died aged 42, having reigned nine years between 1189 and 1199.

 
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English king of the House of Anjou (Plantagenets). Born 1367, son of Edward (the Black Prince), eldest son of Edward III. Married (1) Anne , daughter of Emperor Charles IV (2) Isabelle , daughter of Charles VI of France. Deposed September 1399, killed February 1400 aged 33, having reigned 22 years between 1377 and 1399.

 
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English king of the House of York. Born 1452, fourth son of Richard of York and brother of Edward IV. Married Anne Neville , daughter of Richard, earl of Warwick and widow of Edward, prince of Wales, son of Henry VI. Killed in battle aged 32, having reigned two years between 1483 and 1485.

 
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Richmond , Sir Ian Archibald
(1902–65)
[Bi].

British archaeologist who specialized in the Roman period. Born in Rochdale, Lancashire, he was educated at Ruthin School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, before spending two years (1924–6) at the British School in Rome. Here he developed an interest in Roman military architecture and the methods of the Roman army. This was to form the theme of his research throughout his life. He also gained practical archaeological experience working for Mortimer Wheeler at Segontium in Wales. From 1926 to 1930 he was a lecturer in classical archaeology at the Queen's University, Belfast. In 1930, however, he returned to Italy as Director of the British School in Rome. Two years later he had to retire because of ill health and for nearly three years he was without a post. In 1935 he was appointed to a lectureship in Romano-British history in the University of Durham where he remained with only a brief break for National Service until 1956. He was given a personal Chair in 1950, and during his 21 years at Durham carried out numerous excavations along Hadrian's Wall and other sites in the vicinity. In 1956 he was translated to Oxford as the first holder of the Chair in the Archaeology of the Roman Empire. He was knighted in 1964. During his life he published many books and articles, notably
Roman Britain
(Penguin, 1955) and, together with R. G. Collingwood ,
The archaeology of Roman Britain
(Methuen, 1930 with several revisions). He also held many offices in learned societies, including that of President of the Society of Antiquaries of London from April 1964 until his death.
[Obit.:
The Times
, 6 October 1965]

 
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The archaeological manifestation of a system of strip cultivation that was widely used in England during medieval times. Fields (typically two or three in each settlement) were divided into groups of strips (furlongs) that were each ploughed separately (lands) by turning the soil towards the centre. This had the effect of creating raised areas separated by troughs or furrows, the whole having a marked S-shaped form in plan with headlands for turning the plough at either end. When cultivation ceased, the corrugated effect was fossilized in the landscape, especially if the land was put down to grass. Some of the best-preserved ridge and furrow is to be found in the south midland counties of England, especially Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, and Northamptonshire. The width of the ridges preferred seems to vary between regions, while dates for ridge and furrow range from the immediate post-Roman period through to the 17th century
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.