Blodwen Jerman Dissertation Prize Winner 2009-2010

Four dissertations, from four different universities, were presented for the prize in December 2009. They were read and commented upon by a panel of three adjudicators: Professor Ralph Griffiths, Dr Peter Stead and Frances Lynch Llewellyn who acted as co-ordinator. The dissertations covered prehistory, Roman archaeology, medieval history and modern history and the lead adjudicator in each case was an expert in the particular period.

Ben Davies BSc University of Worcester Roman Fort environs in the Welsh Marches: a geophysical survey of Buckton Roman Fort and its immediate surroundings.

Shaun Evans BA University of York Owain Lawgoch and Sir Gregory Sais; the Hundred Years War and the loyalties of native Welsh society.

Rachel Lesley Pick MA Swansea A moral revolution? Reporting the Welsh experience of the Swinging Sixties.

Nickolas James Timlin BA Lampeter University Neolithic Gower new perspectives: a case study of two prehistoric landscapes: Cefn Bryn and Rhossili Down.

The unanimous recommendation of the adjudicators is that the prize should be awarded to Ben Davies of the University of Worcester. His project had been extremely well thought out and prepared, the original field work had been carried out with great care and professionalism and the results had been interpreted with sense and maturity and were integrated into a well-informed discussion of the Roman history of the Marches and eastern Wales. The entire work is very impressive and a credit to his university and to the recently founded Department of Archaeology there.

It is a BSc dissertation focussed on the archaeology of a small Roman fort at Buckton Herefordshire and it is a genuine contribution to knowledge in its exploration of the proposed vicus outside the fort through a very thorough geophysical survey of the fields surrounding it. This piece of personal fieldwork had been well prepared by a sensible consideration of the potential and appropriateness of the technique and by a study of the evidence, from geophysics and from excavation, for other vici in the Marches. The survey itself was obviously carried out with great professionalism and its results have been interpreted sensibly and convincingly. The final chapter summarises the information gained and places it within the context of what was already known of this small fort and the other Roman establishments nearby. The work is very elegantly presented, the illustrations are clear, the English is good and there are virtually no typing or spelling mistakes, a situation which is sadly very rare these days.

Frances Lynch Llewellyn March 1st 2010 on behalf of the panel of adjudicators.