Horses, Elites ... and Long-distance Roads

Abstract

The hypothesis is presented that in the early Middle Ages there was a complex and long-lasting relationship between elites, horse-riding (within a high prestige horse culture) and the creation of long-distance roads suitable for riding. This is an approach which may be applied far beyond mid Wales, where it was developed. Conventionally, historians of roads tend to produce teleological narratives of 'progress', whilst landscape archaeologists think about roads inductively; we should treat roads more holistically and deductively. If horseworthy roads are considered as instruments of social control, they may well be as old as the genesis of purposeful riding. There is plenty of evidence in early medieval Britain and Ireland for a high-prestige horse culture, and for roads which were significant in a legal and psycho-social sense as well as in practical terms. Various practical issues are discussed, including the need to combine speed with reliability. Current work in Devon is beginning to identify some characteristics of early long-distance roads, including their tendency to by-pass settlement nucleations and to serve as long-term farm boundaries; the dendritic pattern of arterial roads fed by 'minor' roads reflects social patterning. Acceptance of the hypothesis may have significant consequences for the reconstruction of early medieval landscapes.

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