Tag Archives: Prosperity

The Prosperity of the British Economy Following the Fall of the Roman Empire

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Excavations near Aldborough in the UK reveal insights into life after Roman occupation

RFellerby & MJ Millet

When the Roman Empire withdrew from Britain, it didn’t lead to chaos or total economic failure. Archaeological evidence reveals that metalworking pollution indicates the metal industry in northern England not only continued but thrived in the ensuing centuries.

“The prevalent theory was that the absence of state transportation systems and military equipment would cause the local economy to collapse,” explains Christopher LaBlack from the University of Nottingham, UK. However, archaeology tells a different story. “We see a significant increase in metal-contaminated products.”

La Brack is part of a research team that excavated Roman artifacts from Aldovallo, North Yorkshire, England. Under Roman rule, this area was known as Isurium Brigantum, where metals such as iron and lead were mined and processed.

The team found that aerosol contamination from metalworking practices was preserved in sediment layers accumulated in ancient riverbeds at archaeological sites. By analyzing these layers, they could chart the changes in pollution levels from 345 to 1779 AD.

“This extensive chronology allows for quite a comprehensive view of fluctuations,” notes Jane Carshaw from Oxford University, who did not participate in the research but has studied early medieval metal mining.

In the late 300s and early 400s, with the Roman Empire’s retreat from Britain, it was believed that all forms of government support would vanish, along with tax collection and new currency, leading to the withdrawal of military forces from the region,” says La Brack. Over the following centuries, few written accounts exist, and certain industries, particularly those producing wheel-thrown pottery, experienced a steep decline. This has often been interpreted as indicative of “the collapse of British society in the fifth century,” according to Loveluck.

However, the riverbed records paint a different picture. Lead pollution was minimal during the Roman era, slightly dipping in the late 300s to early 400s, but then increasing steadily until the mid-500s. Correspondingly, pollution from ironworking also saw a rise in the early 500s.

This points to the sustained large-scale production of essential goods, supporting Loveluck’s claims.

The uptick in metal production may have been spurred by internal conflicts, suggests Kershaw. “This was a time of consolidation among various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms,” she explains. “There was considerable fighting between these different factions,” with many fallen warriors buried with swords and knives.

Production levels of metal then sharply dropped in the mid-500s and remained low for several decades. The research team posits this could be linked to the Justinian Plague, which swept through the Mediterranean region between 541 and 549 AD. Ancient DNA evidence from cemeteries in East England supports the arrival of the plague in England. However, the extent and severity of its spread remain uncertain. “There isn’t a significant mass grave filled with plague victims, as we observe in later plague episodes,” explains Kershaw.

The resilience of metal production in Aldborough amidst the Roman retreat aligns with other findings that suggest economic and political continuity. “For instance, Droitwich in Worcestershire has maintained a continuous sequence of salt production from Roman times through to the present day,” notes La Brack.

The aftermath of Rome’s withdrawal has often been labeled the Dark Ages due to the scarcity of written documentation and assumptions of a decline in intellectual life. However, historians argue that this characterization is overly simplistic.

While certain practices, such as the manufacturing of wheel-turned pottery and stone structures, faded, this era also saw the production of copper metalworks, which were widely utilized. “If this period was truly so dire, why are there exquisite brooches and vibrant beaded necklaces?” inquires Kershaw.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Under Roman rule, Britain enjoyed centuries of economic prosperity.

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A pile of Roman gold coins discovered beneath the floor of a Roman house in Corbridge, England

World History Archives/Alamy

After the Romans conquered Britain in AD 43, they brought with them technologies and laws that led to centuries of economic growth once thought to be limited to modern industrial societies, according to an analysis of thousands of archaeological finds from the period.

“In about 350 years, about two and a half years [fold] “Improved productivity per person.” Rob Weisman At Cambridge University.

Wiseman says the ancient world long believed that economic growth depended on increases in population and resources — for example, increasing food production required more land and more agricultural workers — a type of growth known as extensive growth.

In contrast, economic growth today is driven primarily by increases in productivity, or intensive growth: for example, mechanization and improved plant and animal breeding enable us to produce more food from the same amount of land with fewer workers.

Several recent studies have challenged the idea that rapid growth only occurred after the Industrial Revolution began, which led Wiseman and his colleagues to look at growth in Roman Britain from 43 to 400 AD.

Wiseman says the team’s research was made possible by British laws that require archaeological investigations when sites are developed. “As a result, tens of thousands of archaeological excavations have been carried out in this country, and the data is available to the public.”

By looking at how the number of buildings changed over time, the researchers were able to get a sense of how the population of Roman Britain grew — and there’s a strong relationship between the number of buildings and population size, Wiseman says.

To get a sense of economic growth, the team looked at three metrics: First, the size of buildings rather than the number of buildings: As people get wealthier, they build bigger homes, Wiseman said.

Another measure is the number of lost coins found at the excavation site: “That fell through the floorboards, that got lost in the bathroom, that sort of thing,” he says.

The idea is that the more coins there are in circulation, the more likely they are to be lost. The team didn’t count hidden hoards of coins because they reflect instability, not growth.

The third criterion is the ratio of cruder pottery, such as cooking and storing pots, to more ornate pottery, such as decorative plates. Economic growth requires people to interact more and socialize more, which means “showing off” when guests are present, Wiseman says.

Based on these indicators, the team found that economic growth exceeded what would be expected from population growth alone. They estimate that per capita growth was about 0.5% between 150 and 250 AD, slowing to about 0.3% between 250 and 400 AD.

“What we’ve been able to show is that there was indeed rapid growth after the Romans arrived,” Wiseman says. The rate of growth, rather than the type of growth, is likely what distinguishes the modern world from the ancient world, he says.

Researchers believe this growth was driven by factors such as roads and ports built by the Romans, laws they introduced that made trade safer, and technology such as more advanced flour mills and animal breeds suited to farming.

The period of rapid growth between AD 150 and 250 could have been the result of Britain catching up with the rest of the Roman world, Wiseman says: “It went from being a small, poorly-connected tribal society to a global economy.”

What’s not clear is whether this economic growth made people happier or healthier. “The fact that productivity rose doesn’t mean that invaded, colonized Britons were better off under the Roman Empire,” Wiseman says. “That’s an open question.”

To investigate this, researchers now plan to examine human remains to determine things like how long people lived.

“I believe they are right, and there was certainly intensive growth in Roman Britain.” Alain Bresson At the University of Chicago, Illinois.

“Many archaeologists have noted the compelling evidence of economic growth in Roman Britain, but this paper adds a welcome formal theoretical dimension to the debate.” Ian Morris At Stanford University, California.

But Morris suspects that the lower average growth rate from A.D. 250 to 400 actually reflected a period of higher growth that declined sharply as the Roman Empire began to collapse. Further research could help find the answer, he says.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

From Rust to Riches: Flying Taxi Startup Transforms Ohio City’s Prosperity

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FDayton, in southwestern Ohio, has been fighting for a decade to break out of its Rust Belt past. New apartment complexes, hotels, and breweries cut into a landscape dominated by abandoned warehouses and general industrial decline. But today, that transformation is shifting gears and taking to the skies.

Hundreds of flight facilities will be built in the town where the Wright brothers pioneered manned flight 120 years ago. futuristic flying taxi Every year.



Joby Aviation plans to build electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft here in Dayton, rather than in its home state of California.

Joby’s Didier Papadopoulos cited several reasons for the company’s plans to hire up to 2,000 people at a time. $500 million facility It is scheduled to open next year north of Dayton.

For one thing, “aviation has an immense history. It’s the birthplace of flight,” Papadopoulos said recently. He also said, “Ohio has a talented and skilled manufacturing workforce and we look forward to hiring and training both local and national applicants.”

Some expect the aircraft, which is scheduled to debut at this summer’s Paris Olympics, to reshape not just air travel but the broader mobility industry. In recent years, many startups and established companies have entered electric flying vehicles, and the global eVTOL market is expected to reach a value of $1 trillion by 2040.

Joby positions itself as the “Uber of the sky.” The aircraft has space for one pilot and four passengers and can reach speeds of up to 200 mph (322 km/h). A test flight in November took the plane from Lower Manhattan to JFK International Airport in just seven minutes, compared to an hour by taxi or subway.

The company aims to operate commercial flights between New York City and Los Angeles in 2025. Taxi service from home to airport on Delta Airlines.

President Joe Biden is plowing billions of dollars into a new era of manufacturing, with much of the money going to the industrial Midwest as part of a broader move to reduce U.S. dependence on other countries for key technology products. is flowing into. Millions of dollars in government incentives are being poured into new semiconductor and other mobility projects in Ohio. michigan and other states are often associated with socio-economic decline more generally.

The move could be a major turnaround for Dayton, which has lost nearly half its population since the 1960s.

“Ohio is Advanced air mobility plans” said Ted Angell of the Dayton Development Coalition, Joby’s liaison. “No other state was leaning so far forward.”

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located a few miles east of Dayton, is the largest single employer in Ohio and boasts significant federal military research and development spending power, resulting in It is attracting a growing ecosystem of space partners and startups. area.

Nearby Springfield, a city of 60,000 people, has also suffered years of manufacturing closures, but the U.S. Air Force is helping build a new National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, which is expected to become a hub for the aviation industry. . korean companies And elsewhere too.

“For products like this, [Joby] Jennifer Clark, a regional planning expert at Ohio State University, said: “That’s just normal in the airline industry. Almost every airline you can think of does both defense and civilian manufacturing. The Dayton area knows that very well.”

While the creation of thousands of new skilled jobs in economically challenged areas like Dayton has been widely welcomed, some of these communities may bear the cost.

Dayton has long been known as a place with an abundance of affordable housing, but rising rental prices over the past year have pushed residents to form a tenant associationin other citylarge manufacturing plants fueled a significant increase in real estate prices.

Ohio state government is the largest Taxpayers $325 million in taxes We will support Joby’s facility construction.Montgomery County, Dayton was suggested Donate $1 million to the company as “development costs.”



“There’s a belief among economic development officials that doing all this recruitment, retention and expansion with individual companies is risky and not the best use of taxpayer dollars,” Clark said. Stated. “Most of the research shows that if we want to have sustainable economic development, we need to invest in our entire institutional infrastructure. But it’s a long game.”

Mr Joby’s initial announcement suggested 2,000 jobs would be created, but that number has now been reduced to approaching 1,200may rise.

Still, investment from companies at the forefront of mobility is seen as a welcome shot in the arm for a region that has seen decades of population decline. That’s evidenced by the fact that the new factory sits on what was once a U.S. Postal Service airmail facility.

Angell, of the Dayton Development Coalition, said many community colleges and universities in the area are adjusting by opening training programs to establish a pipeline of technicians for Joby and other airlines. Ta.

“I can’t tell you how many tours I’ve done with school kids,” he says. ” [new] A flying revolution is happening here. ”

Source: www.theguardian.com