The Wirral Brooch: The Form,Distribution and Role of a Regional Romano-British Brooch Type

The Wirral brooch is a distinctive and easily recognizable type of Romano-British brooch with a distribution primarily focused on rural sites around the Wirral peninsula in the north-west of England. The article provides a brief catalogue of the type, investigates whether it is a truly regional form, and establishes its relationship with other contemporary brooches. The accepted dating of this brooch type to the second century AD is discussed as well as its function, typology and manufacture. The role of Wirral brooches in trade, fashion and identity within the northwest of Roman Britain is considered. In wider terms, this paper demonstrates an aspect of provincial material culture from an area often seen to be lacking in material evidence and highlights the importance of the data provided by the Portable Antiquities Scheme for new insights into the material culture of Roman Britain.     

Re-evaluating the Quoit Brooch Style: Economic and Cultural Transformations in the 5th Century ad,with an Updated Catalogue of Known Quoit Brooch Style Artefacts

QUOIT BROOCH STYLE MATERIAL, produced from the early 5th century onwards, has been primarily considered from a stylistic point of view, leaving much scope for further investigation. In addition, the known corpus of material has been much expanded through newly excavated and metal-detected finds. In this article, I bring together the known extant material for the first time, and document important evidence relating to contextual dating, gender associations, manufacture (including new compositional analyses of c 75 objects), repair, and reuse. The article questions previous interpretations of Quoit Brooch Style material as relating to Germanic mercenaries and/or post-Roman political entities. It interprets the earliest material as a part of wider trends elsewhere, in England and in continental north-western Europe, for the production of material imitating late-Roman symbols of power. It presents new evidence for connectivity with continental Europe via the western-Channel route in the 5th century. A detailed investigation of individual artefacts shows that many Quoit Brooch Style objects were reused, and sometimes subject to extensive repair and modification. This provides new insights into the 5th-century metal economy; for instance, acute problems in the availability of new metal objects in south-eastern Britain in the middle years of the 5th century. Compositional analyses contribute further to our understanding of metal supply in the 5th century and relationships with the post-Roman West. Insights are provided into wider cultural transformations in the 5th century and the gradual loss of value that occurred for Roman-style objects.     

Combined Innovation Policy: Linking Scientific and Practical Knowledge in Innovation Systems

New research indicates that firms combining the science-based STI (Science, Technology, Innovation) and the experience-based DUI (Doing, Using, Interacting) modes of innovation are more efficient when it comes to improving innovation capacity and competitiveness. With regard to innovation policy, the STI mode calls for a supply-driven policy, typically aimed to commercialize research results. The DUI mode suggests a demand-driven policy approach, such as supporting the development of new products or services to specific markets. This article analyses how the two types of innovation policies and the two innovation modes can be combined in regional innovation systems (RISs). The analysis builds on studies of the food industry and related knowledge organizations in two counties, Rogaland County (Norway) and Skåne County (Sweden), and two policy initiatives (NCE Culinology and Skåne Food Innovation Network) aimed at strengthening the innovative capability of the RISs. The analysis indicates that policies aimed to link science- and user-driven innovation activity should focus on building absorptive capacity of DUI firms (e.g. through increased scientific competence) and implementation capacity of STI firms (e.g. through increased market and process competence).     

From poachers to gamekeepers: Scandinavian warlords and Carolingian kings

This article represents the first comprehensive study of the commendation and conversion of Viking leaders by Carolingian rulers, from the first recorded instance under Charlemagne to the agreement with Rollo in the early tenth century. The survey underlines how widespread the practice was, and permits an assessment of its effectiveness as a defensive strategy against Scandinavian incursions. The outcome varied: some Scandinavians found themselves defending Frankish territory against Viking attack, others acted as intermediaries between Franks and Scandinavians, still others were granted Frankish benefices but never trusted, and ultimately killed. Nonetheless, the article demonstrates that in the majority of cases the practice of commendation and conversion worked to the Carolingians' advantage, neutralizing potential enemies or even turning them into useful allies.     

A Sign of the Times: Scandinavian Town Directories as Sources for Urban Historical Geography

The position of town and trade directories as sources for the reconstruction of former urban geographies of Scandinavia is discussed. Scandinavian directories have a long history which, in the case of major urban centres, can be traced back to the eighteenth century. They contain valuable information with respect to the social, economic, political and demographic organization of modern Scandinavian urban environments through extensive listings of names and addresses. Despite the wealth of information contained therein, directories remain an underused and unresearched data source due mainly to their perceived incompatibility with the themes pursued by research in urban historical geography and the diversity of alternative high quality sources available. Admittedly, the use of directories is not without problems and an assessment of the accuracy, availability and reliability of directory information is presented in this paper. Nevertheless, to dismiss directories represents a serious oversight: the continued history, rapid rate of update and spatial ubiquity of publication across the region after the onset of industrialization make directories a powerful source for comparative urban historical geography research in Scandinavia. Moreover, directories are highly versatile data sources and represent powerful artefacts of modernity insofar as they function as mirrors of cultural change and consumption.     

Sheehan,Brett.Industrial Eden: A Chinese Capitalist Vision

In Industrial Eden:A Chinese Capitalist Vision,Brett Sheehan offers an insightful portrait of what it meant to do business in China during the Republican period (1912-49) and the early years of the People's Republic of China (PRC).Sheehan's narrative focuses on two ambitious industrialists,Song Chuandian and his son Song Feiqing,their efforts to build an industrial empire,their visions of industrial modernity,and how they navigated the turbulent political waters of the first half of the twentieth century.     

West over Sea: studies in Scandinavian sea-borne expansion and settlement before 1300

This article explores marriage settlements in national political debate and legal usage in three Swedish towns, c. 1870–1920. During this period one of the central issues for the Swedish women's movement was to abolish the legalized male dominance within marriage. Despite some ambiguities towards marriage settlements, the women's movement tried to encourage women to write up contracts before marriage, as a way to both protect their property and to achieve more power within marriage. Traditionally, marriage settlements were exceptions in Swedish legal practice, but they became somewhat more common during the period under investigation. This development could be explained by the population increase and industrialization, but only partially. The analysis of the initiators, their social background and civil status as well as the change of contents in the marriage settlements are interpreted not only as reflections of economic change, but as evidence of female agency and emancipation.