Abstract

Catastrophe and fallacy: the end of Ron1an Britain Philip Dixon Roman Britain to Saxon England: an very little published before 1969. Our expectations Archaeological Study (Croom Helm, London and must thus be high, but the book, even on its own Sydney, 1984). By C.]. ARNOlD. 14 x 22 em. ix + 179 terms, is a failure, and this for two overriding pp., 54 figs. Price .£14.95 reasons. The level of sustained argument is very low indeed, and inaccuracies in reporting data are so The centuries which saw the decline of Roman frequent that readers constantly must consult the civilisation in Britain, and the formation of Anglo­ cited sources before attempting to follow the trains Saxon successor kingdoms, have for several decades of ideas laid before them. been the subject of increasing scholarly attention. Failure in argumentation takes two forms. The The evidence which has now been recovered is first, irritating, perhaps, more than destructive, is the very considerable, and the resultant syntheses habit of detailing a c;ase and then briefly stating its have induced dissatisfaction, especially among contradiction, introduced merely by 'alternatively' archaeologists accustomed to periods less com­ or even 'equally' (pp. 7, 33, 35, 47, 50, 119, 164):